This could be just the thing you need for your Thanksgiving table! It’s seasonal, looks impressive, but uses simple ingredients you may already have on hand, and it doesn’t take hours and hours to make. You can dress it up, taking the extra effort to decorate it, or go with the simple tried and true. The pumpkin roll is a classic!
Some tips and tricks
Eggs, pumpkin, cream cheese and butter should all be at room temperature when it’s time to bake.
This sponge cake cooks quickly, and you want it to be set without being overbooked. Each oven is different, so be watching yours at 12-15 minutes of baking.
When I first attempted a Swiss roll style cake, especially one with decorative detail, (thank you Great British Baking for the inspiration), I found myself getting turned around flipping the cake onto a towel, rolling the wrong way, and messing it all up in general. The easiest way to manage the roll is to simply use the parchment to lift the sponge out of the pan, place a second piece of parchment over the top of the cake, and begin your roll. No messy towels and sugar, and I can see that I’m rolling in a direction that will allow the decoration to show.
You will want to roll your sponge (before it’s filled) while it is still warm and pliable. This will encourage it to hold that nice round shape. Once the sponge has cooled, you can unroll it, remove the parchment from the top, spread your filling and re-roll the sponge while peeling it away from the bottom parchment.
Make sure to spread your filling as evenly as possible, and roll your sponge as tightly as you can. Be careful not to roll too tightly, though- we want to avoid cracks.
Yep, it happens. While we would love for all of our desserts to turn out perfectly, the best bakers around will sometimes have cracks in their Swiss rolls. It will still taste amazing! Be creative with whipped cream or other toppings if you have some imperfection you want to hide. Really, though, it’s not the end of the world.
A can of pumpkin puree and a can of pumpkin pie filling look a lot alike. Pumpkin pie filling has spices and sugar (and some harder to pronounce ingredients) added. Look for that 100% pure pumpkin puree.
I usually add decoration to my roll. This is your chance to be creative. The recipe for the decoration is included below. Then use whatever colors you would like and use stencils, or your own talent and vision, to pipe a design onto the parchment before adding your sponge batter. The design cooks right in. When incorporating a design, I find it’s helpful to lightly spray the parchment with a bit of cooking spray before doing the decorative work. This step seems less important if you are sticking with the simpler roll.
Festive Pumpkin Roll
A festive pumpkin roll filled with cream cheese frosting would look great on your Thanksgiving table. Seasonal, but simple, this dessert is sure to please.
- Prep Time: 30-45 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
Ingredients
For the Sponge:
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
For (optional) decoration:
3 egg whites
1/2 cup powdered sugar
3 Tablespoons butter
2/3 cup flour
assorted food colors
For the Filling:
1 8oz package of full fat cream cheese
2 Tablespoons butter
1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 and line a jelly roll pan or cookie sheet (approx 12 x 17 with sides) with parchment.
If planning to incorporate decorative work, mix all ingredients for the optional decoration, then color the batter and pipe designs onto the parchment.
For the Sponge: Mix eggs and sugar until light in color and well incorporated. Add the pumpkin puree, vanilla and spices and blend until smooth. Fold in the dry ingredients to create a lump free batter. Gently spread the batter onto the parchment, being careful not to smear any decorations you may have created. Bake for 12-15 minutes until set and no longer wet on top.
Once the sponge is baked, use the parchment to lift it from the pan. Place a second piece of parchment over the top and with the narrow end toward you, begin rolling it up away from you. Allow the sponge to cool in this shape. Once cool, gently unroll, remove top parchment, and spread with filling.
For the Filling: Beat together cream cheese, butter, and powdered sugar.
To Assemble: Spread the filling over the unrolled sponge as evenly as possible and then re-roll, keeping it as tight and even as you can.
Leave a Reply