We really love apples in the fall, but personally, I think pumpkins reign!  So versatile and flavorful and nutritious.  Soups, stews, fudge, pies, cakes, cookies, the list is endless (Yeah, I know, you can say the same things about apples, I just prefer pumpkins!)   Being a bit overzealous, I grow pumpkins to use for my pumpkin dishes but you can always use canned pumpkin.  This year, something got to the pumpkin I grew and ate it before I could so I bought sugar pumpkins at the grocery store to steam for pies, breads & cakes.  After washing the pumpkin, cut it in half and clean out the stringy stuff & seeds.

The pumpkin was cleaned out then halved and halved and halved to get 8 pieces. The stringy stuff still needs to be taken off these pieces.

Save the seeds for roasting (and planting next year’s crop of pumpkins if you’re a gardener).  I put the seeds in a strainer and rinse them under running water very thoroughly and then spread them to dry on paper towels.

The container on the left goes out to the compost bin to enrich next year’s garden. The seeds get well rinsed to be roasted and a few of the seeds are saved for planting in the garden next spring!

Cut the pumpkin flesh into 1-inch square pieces and steam them in a large pot with water coming just up to the steamer level.  Fill the pot with the pumpkin and prop a lid on the top, so some steam is allowed to escape.  Steam for 20-30 minutes, until the pumpkin pieces are tender when pierced with a fork.  If you have a lot of pumpkin pieces, you may have to steam the pieces in batches.  After 20 minutes, test pieces for doneness and remove them as they are done.

Steam the pumpkin pieces until a fork can easily pass all the way through the meat to the skiin.

Allow to cool in a big bowl.  When the pieces are cool enough to handle, remove the skin and transfer the meat of the pumpkin to another bowl.  Mash with a potato masher or in a food processor.  I freeze the pumpkin at this point for future use.  You can freeze it in plastic containers or bags.  It will have to be thawed in the fridge for up to 24 hours before use, depending on the size of the container.  I prefer 2 cup batches.   That’s enough for most recipes using pumpkin.  When you thaw the pumpkin to use in recipes, drain off all excess liquid before measuring out your pumpkin.

Now to the good part!  A perfect fall dessert is Pumpkin Cake Roll.  It was adapted from a Taste of Home recipe.  Canned pumpkin is a quick substitute, allowing you to skip all of the above work.  Just make sure you are using 100% pumpkin, and not pumpkin pie mix!

Pumpkin Cake Roll

Pumpkin Cake Roll

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup canned or fresh pumpkin
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 3/4 cup flour
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons + 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, divided
• 6 ounces reduced fat cream cheese, softened
• 1 teaspoon butter, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• chocolate syrup

Line a 15-inch x 10-inch x 1-inch cookie sheet (technically a jelly roll pan, but no one calls it that!) with waxed paper.  Coat the paper with cooking spray and set aside.

All the ingredients for the cake are mixed together until well combined.

Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs then gradually add the sugar.  Beat for 2 minutes, until thick and lemon-colored.  Beat in the pumpkin and almond extract.  Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, ginger & salt and mix into the pumpkin until well combined.  Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.  It will be a thin layer.  Bake at 375° for 10-15 minutes, just until cake springs back when lightly touched.  Avoid over baking!  Cool for 5 minutes on a wire rack.  Cut a piece of parchment paper longer than the cookie sheet and liberally cover it with the 2 tablespoons of confectioners’ sugar.  Lift the cake from the baking sheet by the wax paper and invert it onto the parchment paper.  Peel the wax paper from the back.

The cooked cake should be goldeny brown and spring back when lightly touched.

Roll up the cake in the parchment paper starting from a short side.  Allow it  to cool completely.

Don’t worry! This cake is flexible enough to be unrolled, filled & rerolled without breaking if it is not overcooked.

Make the filling: in a mixing bowl beat the softened cream cheese and butter, vanilla and 1 cup confectioners’ sugar until fluffy.  Unroll cake and spread the filling evenly over the cake to the edges.

Roll up the cake after the filling is spread to the edges, again from a short side, but without rolling the parchment paper into it!

Roll the cake back up without the parchment paper.  Cover tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least an hour before serving. When ready to serve, unwrap log and sprinkle with additional powdered sugar.  Zigzag a line of chocolate syrup on individual plates and top with a piece of pumpkin roll.  You should get about 10-12 servings out of one roll.

Good enough to eat – even as a birthday cake!

I love pumpkin in all forms, but especially desserts!  Linda

Pumpkin Cake Roll

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup canned or fresh pumpkin
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 3/4 cup flour
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons + 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, divided
• 6 ounces reduced fat cream cheese, softened
• 1 teaspoon butter, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• chocolate syrup

Line a 15-inch x 10-inch x 1-inch cookie sheet (technically a jelly roll pan, but no one calls it that!) with waxed paper.  Coat the paper with cooking spray and set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs then gradually add the sugar.  Beat for 2 minutes, until thick and lemon-colored.  Beat in the pumpkin and almond extract.  Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, ginger & salt and mix into the pumpkin until well combined.  Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.  It will be a thin layer.  Bake at 375° for 10-15 minutes, just until cake springs back when lightly touched.  Avoid over baking!  Cool for 5 minutes on a wire rack.  Cut a piece of parchment paper longer than the cookie sheet and liberally cover it with the 2 tablespoons of confectioners’ sugar.  Lift the cake from the baking sheet by the wax paper and invert it onto the parchment paper.  Peel the wax paper from the back.

Roll up the cake in the parchment paper starting from a short side.  Allow it  to cool completely.

Make the filling: in a mixing bowl beat the softened cream cheese and butter, vanilla and 1 cup confectioners’ sugar until fluffy.  Unroll cake and spread the filling evenly over the cake to the edges.

Roll the cake back up without the parchment paper.  Cover tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least an hour before serving. When ready to serve, unwrap log and sprinkle with additional powdered sugar.  Zigzag a line of chocolate syrup on individual plates and top with a piece of pumpkin roll.  You should get about 10-12 servings out of one roll.