After Halloween, when our carved-out pumpkin jack-o-lanterns start to shrivel, we usually toss them into the trash or compost pile and then head to the pantry for the canned pumpkin puree to make our holiday pies, cakes and cookies. But in the Early New England settlements, colonists considered the pumpkin a staple and culinary treasure:
βFor pottage and puddings and custards and pies,
Our pumpkins and parsnips are common supplies
We have pumpkins at morning and pumpkins at noon;
If it were not for pumpkins, we should be undoon.β
Now that trick-or-treating is over, all things pumpkin leads the way to Thanksgiving and our holiday baked goodies. Here to kick things off is a deliciously moist and delicate fall favorite, The Pumpkin Roll. This tasty spice cake rolled around a sweet cream cheese filling is a lovely way to not only satisfy our sweet tooth, but to pay tribute to the pumpkin, one of the first wild plants cultivated for human consumption in America.
Servings |
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoons ground nutmeg
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 eggs, separated
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 12 ounces cream cheese, softened (1 1/2 packages)
- 4 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla
Ingredients For the Dough:
For the Filling:
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- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. (We used a 15β X 18β baking sheet.) Grease parchment paper with butter and dust lightly with flour. In a bowl sift together: flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt. Separate egg yolks from whites. In one bowl, combine egg yolks and sugar. Beat at high speed until fluffy and light, about 2-3 minutes. Add pumpkin puree and mix until well blended. Slowly add in dry ingredients. (flour and spices) In another bowl, beat egg whites at high speed until stiff peaks form, about 3-5 minutes. With a rubber spatula, gently fold egg whites into pumpkin mixture to blend. Spread batter evenly in baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove cake from oven. Lightly grease another large piece of parchment paper and lay over top of cake. Gently flip cake with parchment paper over. Gently remove the top parchment paper. While still warm, roll the cake up from the shortest side. (with bottom parchment paper) Let cool for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, make the filling. Beat together softened cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Carefully unroll the cake. Spread filling completely over cake. Gently remove the parchment and roll back up. Cover cake with saran wrap to keep roll tight. Refrigerate for at least 4-5 hours or overnight for easy slicing. Slice into 1 inch slices. Serves about 8-10.