Thanksgiving Dessert: Pumpkin Roll cake

   This year, we had Thanksgiving out at our house and I decided to make everything -except for the turkey; thats my mom's job.
I decided that I would make a pie, but use store bought crust and filling since you generally think of pie for the holidays. I also wanted to make a pumpkin roll cake. I had never before made a roll cake of any kind, but that didn't seem to bother me.

   On thursday (Thanksgiving) I decided to make the pumpkin roll cake. One reason being that they can be chilled or frozen after being prepared and another being if it didn't turn out or it cracked then I would have enough time to either make another cake or go to Plan B (I didn't really have a plan B, but I knew it would be another pumpkin dessert.)
The batter itself was very simple and fast to prepare. Our kitchen was filled with the aroma of pumpkin and nutmeg while the cake was baking.
The filling was very tasty and can be prepared ahead of time and just whipped again before filling the cake. I used vanilla that a friend brought back from a recent trip to mexico. It has a sweeter flavor than the stuff you buy at the store.
But there were some bumps in the road....
1. I kinda went overboard with the powdered sugar on the towel to prevent sticking and ending up getting powdered sugar on one whole side of the kitchen and floor. I later resembled an archaeologist dusting off extra powdered sugar off the nuts (#3) and the outside of the cake with a pastry brush.
2. I hesitated to roll the cake at first due to fear of breaking it, but it turned out good; even though it did have a slight crack- just 1 inch or so,but nothing that anyone, but me would notice.
3. I did roll it "backwards" though- I made the side with the nuts on the outside instead of the inside.
Filling the cake with the cream was actually very easy and I didn't have any cream seeping out the sides when I rolled the cake up again.

This cake isn't the prettiest pumpkin roll cake in the world, but at least it didn't crack and fall apart (which was my fear.) I actually bought some whip cream just in case to add the the filling if my cake cracked, that way I would make a trifle out of the ruined rolled cake, but it wasn't needed.
I kinda like the nuts being on the outside; it gives it a rustic, "welcome to the country" look.
My dad said that this was his new favorite dessert and that he would rather I make this than my cheesecake, which I make for only a few times a year as a special treat.

Pumpkin Roll Cake

Adapted: All Recipes

serves: 10-16

For cake:
3 eggs
1 cp white sugar
2/3 cp canned pumpkin
1 tsp lemon juice (must be fresh, not from the bottle)
3/4 cp all purpose flour
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg (fresh is prefered)
1 cp walnuts, chopped (optional)
Extra confectioners' sugar is needed to dust the towel to prevent sticking
Filling:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cp butter, softened
1 cp confectioners' sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs on high for 5 minutes. Gradually beat in white sugar until thick and lemon-colored. Add pumpkin and lemon juice.
3. In another bowl combine flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg; add into the egg mixture becareful not to overmix after adding the flour.
4. Grease a 15x10x1 inch baking pan; line with parchment paper. Spray the paper with non stick spray. Pour the batter into the pan and using an off set spatual to spread the batter evenly in the pan; sprinkle with walnuts.
5. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 13-15 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched.
6. Immediately turn out onto a linen towel dusted with confectioners' sugar. Peel off paper and roll cake up in the towel, starting with the short end. Cool.
7. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, 1 cup confectioners' sugar, butter, and vanilla until fluffy.
8. Carefully unroll the cake. Spread filling over cake to within 1 inch of edges. Roll up again. Cover and chill until serving.
9. Dust with additional confectioners' sugar, if desired.