Pumpkin Roll

This recipe goes back many moons to when I first moved to Colorado and was the greenhouse manager for Fruehauf's in Boulder. Judy Smith was one of the floral designers I worked with and this is her recipe. Having no family in Colorado all my co-workers at Fruehauf's became our extended family. Judy lived up in Ward where she cooked us one Thanksgiving dinner solely on a wood cook stove!
This dessert has been made many a time for family holidays (boys would fight over the last piece) and gifts for our friends. Well worth the different steps the recipe calls for. You will not be disappointed!

Ingredients for Cake Batter:

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup sugar 
• 2/3 cup pumpkin
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder 
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Grease a jelly roll pan generously with Crisco shortening and line the bottom with parchment paper and grease again. I buy my parchment paper in the bakery department of our local grocery store.

Cream eggs and sugar until fluffy. Fold in the pumpkin and lemon juice. Sift together the flour, spices, baking powder and salt. Add to the wet ingredients and mix till well combined.

Preheat the oven to 375-degrees. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 15 minute. Sift powdered sugar on a cotton dish towel, covering most of the surface of the towel.

Note: Try just using parchment paper (non-greased) on baking sheet with overlapping edges. Moisten the pan first; which allows parchement to hold in place better. Once cake is done; using the edges of parchment paper, carefully remove from the pan. Roll up in the parchment paper and follow the original instructions. Place a piece of waxed paper underneath before unrolling cake to fill. This allows for easy clean-up.

Carefully flip the cake; guiding with free hand, onto the prepared towel. Remove the parchment paper by peeling off slowly.  Roll up jelly-roll fashion inside the towel and place on a wire rack to cool.

Ingredients for Filling:

• 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions for Filling:

Cream all the ingredients with an electric mixture till light and fluffy. Cover and store in refrigerator until ready to use.

When cake is completely cooled, carefully unroll and spread filling inside to an inch of the ends.

Roll up the pumpkin roll and cover snuggly in foil.
Do not dismay if roll cracks some, as once it is cut, will become unnoticeable.
Store in refrigerator or has Freezer Stamp of Approval!