Homemade Pumpkin Roll

Growing up, my grandma always made the best pumpkin roll... It was always around for thanksgiving and Christmas, and was always just as much a tradition as trimming the tree and letters to Santa.  I remember making a mess of my hands while deconstructing my slice so I could lick off the cream cheese filling before scarfing down the moist pumpkin cake.  Two years ago, I had my dad email me grandma's recipe.  It's become somewhat of a new tradition to make it in my house and take to work and family gatherings here in Ohio.  I know I will carry on this tradition and pass it on to my future family...

The Holidays are upon us once again!  Of course, the star of any holiday meal is the turkey or ham, but the winner for supporting role will always be dessert!  This recipe has been a much coveted one, as it is by FAR the **BEST** pumpkin roll ever!

The best thing about this recipe? Once you make it the first time, you'll be able to recreate it over and over again.  This is why I make 3 or 4 at a time.  The downside?  You have to make it batch by batch, so you can't just make one big bowl of batter; otherwise you'll end up with one cake too thick and one cake that's mostly filling... (Not that that's a bad thing...) Anyway, the batter is the first part.  get it smooth, and get the pumpkin mixed well with the egg.

  

The most important tool in this recipe is definitely your tea towels.  Sometimes you can find them under the name "flour sack towels".   Luckily, the Landoll family threw Darren and I a wedding shower last month so we have a wealth of them around the house!  Make sure they are LINEN towels, not terrycloth (there's nothing worse than a lint-filled cake!)...

This recipe has a very short cooking time, which makes up for the amount of steps involved.  Grease the pan, lay the wax paper, grease the wax paper, yadda yadda... In the short 15 minute baking time, you won't have time to mix the filling until the cake is rolled!!  Although the steps seem silly, it makes perfect sense when you're trying to get the cake out of the jelly roll pan!

Cooling time in the towels will give you ample opportunity to make the filling.  **Beware of one thing: DO NOT OVERWORK THE FILLING!  This will make it soupy!!**  The rolling in the towel is very important; have you ever tried to roll a cool cake?  Not pretty. Once it's cool, unroll it, fill it, and roll it back up! (without the towel, of course!)

Grandma's Homemade Pumpkin Roll 

Cake--

3 eggs

1c sugar

2/3c canned pumpkin (solid pack)

3/4c flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Filling--

8 oz cream cheese, softened

2 tbsp margarine, softened

3/4 tsp vanilla

1c powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Grease a jelly roll pan, line with wax paper, and grease again.  Mix cake ingredients.  Pour and spread evenly in pan.  Bake for 15 minutes, until browned.  Remove from oven, turn over onto LINEN tea towel.  Remove wax paper, roll up in towel.  Allow to cool for 45-60 minutes.  

(Keep filling refrigerated until ready to use) Mix filling well, taking care not to over work it.  Unroll cake and spread on filling.  Re-roll cake and chill or freeze to allow the filling to set.  Keep refrigerated until ready to eat.

Enjoy!!

Love,

Lura 

& Betty Abbott