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Pumpkin Roll the Pennsylvania Dutch Way, with Cream Cheese Filling

Pumpkin Roll

A thin spiced pumpkin sponge rolled around a thick ribbon of vanilla cream cheese filling. The trick is rolling the cake hot inside a sugared towel, which trains the spiral and keeps it from cracking. Chilled, it slices into clean dark-gold coils with a pale swirl through the center. Autumn dessert-table royalty in western Pennsylvania for good reason.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 45 minutes
Servings: 10 Slices
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 320
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 3 large eggs room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.67 cup canned pumpkin puree unsweetened, not pie filling
  • 1 tsp lemon juice fresh
  • 0.75 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 0.5 tsp ground nutmeg freshly grated if possible
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 0.25 cup confectioners' sugar for dusting the towel
  • 8 oz full-fat cream cheese block style, softened
  • 6 tbsp butter unsalted, softened
  • 1 cup confectioners' sugar sifted, for the filling
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tbsp confectioners' sugar for finishing the roll

Equipment

  • 1 10x15 inch jelly roll pan rimmed, shallow
  • 1 Parchment paper cut to fit the pan
  • 1 thin cotton kitchen towel smooth weave, not terry
  • 1 Electric mixer stand or handheld
  • 1 fine mesh sieve for dusting powdered sugar
  • 2 Mixing bowls
  • 1 offset spatula

Method
 

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Grease a 10x15 inch jelly roll pan, line the bottom with parchment paper, then grease the parchment as well.
  2. Lay a thin cotton kitchen towel on the counter and sift 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar generously over an area slightly larger than the pan. Cover it right to the edges. Set this aside where you can reach it fast.
  3. Whisk the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt together in a bowl.
  4. Beat the eggs and granulated sugar with an electric mixer on high for 4 to 5 minutes, until the mixture is pale, thick and falls from the beaters in a wide ribbon. This aeration is the cake's only lift, so do not cut it short.
  5. Beat in the pumpkin puree and lemon juice on low just until combined, about 15 seconds.
  6. Sift the dry ingredients over the batter and fold them in with a spatula, cutting down through the center and lifting up the sides, until no dry streaks remain. Stop as soon as it is smooth.
  7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it into an even layer with an offset spatula, reaching into all four corners. The layer will look thin, which is correct.
  8. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, until the surface springs back when pressed lightly in the center and the edges just begin to pull from the pan.
  9. Immediately run a knife around the edges and invert the hot cake onto the sugared towel. Peel off the parchment in one steady pull. Work fast, the cake must stay hot.
  10. Starting from a short end, roll the hot cake up inside the towel into a snug log. Set it seam side down on a rack and leave it to cool completely in that rolled shape, about 1 hour. This trains the spiral and is what stops it cracking later.
  11. Beat the cream cheese, butter, 1 cup sifted confectioners' sugar and vanilla together on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes, until smooth and fluffy with no lumps.
  12. Gently unroll the cooled cake, leaving it lying on the towel. Do not try to flatten it completely, a slight curl is fine and helps the re-roll.
  13. Spread the filling evenly over the cake, leaving a 1/2 inch bare border along the far short end so the filling does not squeeze out.
  14. Re-roll the cake from the same short end you started with, this time lifting the towel to guide it but leaving the towel behind. Finish with the seam underneath.
  15. Wrap the roll tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour, ideally 2, until firm enough to slice cleanly.
  16. Unwrap, dust with the remaining 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar, and cut into 1 inch slices with a sharp knife, wiping the blade between cuts.

Notes

  • Use canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling or pie mix. The mix is already sweetened and spiced and will wreck the balance.
  • Do not let the cake cool flat. Turn it out and roll it in the towel while it is genuinely hot, within a minute of leaving the oven.
  • Full-fat block cream cheese only. Light or whipped cream cheese will not set firm enough to slice.
  • Sift powdered sugar over the towel heavily and right to the edges, otherwise the cake glues itself down.
  • The roll keeps wrapped in the refrigerator for 4 days, or frozen whole and undusted for 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and dust just before serving.
  • Trim the two end slices before serving if you want a tidier spiral on the platter.
  • Serve it plain, the way it is done in Lancaster County, with strong black coffee.