Pumpkin Cream Cheese Dessert Roll

This is the time of year that I like to make Pumpkin Rolls. We are not much of a Pumpkin Pie Family around here so for Thanksgiving I usually make Pumpkin Roll for dessert and if we are really feeling the love of sweetness and excess calories, I will make an Apple Crumb Pie too . I’ll be posting that recipe later this month. Today I am making a Pumpkin Roll and then I am going to freeze it for later.

Here is the Recipe.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Dessert Roll

1/4 cup powdered sugar (to sprinkle on towel)

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

1/4 tsp salt

3 large eggs

1 cup sugar

2/3 cup canned pumpkin

1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

6 Tbsp butter, softened

1 tsp. vanilla

1/4 cup powdered sugar (optional) for sprinkling over the finished Pumpkin Roll.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 15 x 10 inch jelly roll pan; line with wax paper. Grease and flour paper. Sprinkle a clean, cloth, kitchen towel with powdered sugar.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt in a small bowl. Beat eggs and sugar in large mixing bowl until thick. Beat in pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture. Spread evenly into prepared pan. Sprinkle with nuts. (I didn’t use nuts for mine.)

Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched. Immediately loosen and turn cake onto prepared towel. Carefully peel off paper. Roll up cake and towel together, starting with the narrow end. Cool on wire rack.

Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter and vanilla extract in small mixer bowl until smooth. Carefully unroll cake; remove towel. Spread cream cheese mixture over cake. Re-roll cake. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving, if desired. ( I made two rolls but the recipe only makes one. )

These are so good and pretty to look at. Last year I made some and froze them. They froze beautifully. And for presentation, you might want to cut off the ends where the edges are "crustier" because of the way they baked in the pan. They will also need a fresh sprinkling of powdered sugar after they thaw out and when you are ready to serve them. I think these look harder to make than they really are. Enjoy!