Fall Harvest Pumpkin Roll

This recipe comes from a woman I met in Baybrook Texas. I wish I could remember her name because she really deserves the recognition. She is one of those die hard Christmas bakers but her goodies are the ones you look forward to all year. I have tried other versions of the pumpkin roll but Stephen and I agree we like taste and texture of this version best. So, the pumpkin roll has become a regular at our Thanksgiving table.

Many of my friends comment on how intimidated they are of making a rolled cake. It looks pretty daunting but is actually as simple as cutting and frosting a layer cake. I felt the same way before I made my first one. May I side with GI-Joe when I say knowing is half the battle. There is not that much batter, which has made a few people nervous. The cake is supposed to be thin so that it can be rolled up. There are two ways to roll the cake. I was taught to roll the cake with the short side facing me rolling short side toward the other shorts side. Last year I made a different recipe with a friend and she rolled it with the longest side towards her rolling longest side to long side. The only difference I could tell is the way my friend does it produces a much longer roll which means more to go around but they pieces are thinner and smaller. I prefer the denser version of rolling it into a shorter loaf.

Cake:
1 cup sugar
2/3 cups pumpkin
3 eggs
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cups flour
1 tsp cinnamon

Filling:
1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese
2 tbsp butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 375. Spray a jelly roll pan with cooking spray or lightly spritz with water. This is to hold the waxed paper in place. Then line the pan with waxed or parchment paper. Spray the paper with cooking spray.
Combine the sugar, pumpkin and eggs; mix well. Add the soda, salt, flour and cinnamon; mix well.

Spread the batter in pan evenly. Bake 14-18 minutes. (Do Not Over Bake). Cover the pan with a clean dry dish towel then top with a wire cooling rack. Immediately invert pan onto hand/dish towel.

Peel off paper. With the long side in front of you, roll the cake up in the towel. Let cool rolled up.

Combine filling ingredients, mixing well. Unroll the cake, remove the towel, spread filling evenly. Roll cake back up (without the towel), wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate.