Traditional Pumpkin Roll
In November 1973, a Mrs Claudia van Orden from Morton, Illinois, won $75 for her "Pumpkin cake roll" (The Pantagraph, 7 November 1973) at the Morton Pumpkin Festival. The recipe seems to have become quickly disseminated (Atlanta Constitution, 15 November; Philadelphia Inquirer, 20 November) and we can find lots of variants in the newspapers before it showed up in books.
It was an adaptation from a recipe she had used for applesauce cake, says Mrs. Van Orden, who as a former home economist likes to experiment with recipes. This recipe is a nice change from basic pumpkin pie and it caught the judges' fancy in the fall pumpkin competition.
The pumpkin roll was largely popularized by the canned pumpkin purée brand, Libby’s,
Note from Libby in the comments about cakes cracking when it is rolled:
"There's nothing quite as disappointing as a cracked pumpkin roll, which is why we've compiled some tips you may find helpful. One source of cracking is an overbaked cake. When the cake is done cooking, the top will spring back into place when it is touched. The cake will also crack if there are any thin spots, so make sure that the cake batter is as evenly spread as possible. It should also be cooled completely before the towel is unrolled. Finally, we recommend a 15 x 10 inch jelly roll pan for cooking, as another pan size can cause the cake to be either too thick or too thin, which can also lead to cracking."
Here is Mrs. Van Orden's recipe for Pumpkin Cake Roll
From https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-pantagraph-pumpkin-roll/137633953/
Ingredients: 3 eggs, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup solid pack pumpkin, 1 cup flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon cloves, pumpkin filling, whipping cream for garnish, if desired.
Method: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a jelly roll pan, 15 1/2 by 10 1/2 by 1 inch; line with waxed paper, grease well and flour.
In a small mixer bowl, beat eggs till thick, about 5 minutes. Gradually add sugar, beating well. Stir in pumpkin. Sift together remaining dry ingredients; fold into egg mixture. Spread in the prepared pan. Bake for 14 to 18 minutes.
Immediately loosen sides and invert onto towel, sprinkled with powdered sugar. Remove waxed paper. While hot, roll cake and towel from narrow end. Let cool on wire rack. Unroll cake, removing towel; spread pumpkin filling over cake; roll up; chill. This yields 10 servings.
Pumpkin Filling: Whip 1 cup whipping cream with 1/4 cup sugar till soft peaks form. Fold in 1/2 cup solid pack pumpkin, 1 tablespoon light mild-flavored molasses and 1/2 cup flaked coconut.
This recipe was supplied to the Pantagraph by the Department of Home Economics for Libby, McNeill & Libby and was adapted in their Chicago test kitchen.
LIBBY'S® Pumpkin Roll
from https://www.verybestbaking.com/
One reviewer said, "I agree Libby has changed the recipe they have omitted a few ingredients. Like I would add a half a teaspoon of nutmeg a half a teaspoon of ginger and a teaspoon of lemon juice. Yeah the one ingredient that is most important in those that I've listed is a lemon juice you only use a little bit but it is essential to keep it from sticking and bringing the flavors together."
Pumpkin Roll
1/4 cup powdered sugar (to sprinkle on towel)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
Filling
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
6 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened (reviewer's said this is too much butter)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Powdered sugar (optional for decoration)
Preheat oven to 375° F. Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan; line with wax paper. Grease and flour paper. Sprinkle a thin, cotton kitchen towel with 1/4 cup powdered sugar.
Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt in small bowl. Beat eggs and granulated sugar in large mixer bowl until thick. Beat in pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture. Spread evenly into prepared pan. Sprinkle with nuts.
Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched. (If using a dark-colored pan, begin checking for doneness at 11 minutes.) Immediately loosen and turn cake onto prepared towel. Carefully peel off paper. Roll up cake and towel together, starting with narrow end. Cool on wire rack.
Beat cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, butter and vanilla extract in small mixer bowl until smooth. Carefully unroll cake. Spread cream cheese mixture over cake. Reroll cake. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.
Cooking Tip: Be sure to put enough powdered sugar on the towel when rolling up the cake so it will not stick.
14 servings
Pumpkin Roll with Cream Cheese Filling
from https://www.melskitchencafe.com/
Get the recipe for a classic, delicious pumpkin roll with cream cheese frosting + two absolutely key tips for a perfect pumpkin roll every time!
First, use the correct size pan. The other thing that’s key is to use the right kind of towel when rolling the pumpkin roll. Avoid using cloth towels with texture and instead go for a thin tea towel or flour sack towel.
Cake:
1 cup (212 g) granulated sugar
3/4 cup (107 g) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 large eggs
2/3 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/2 cup (60 g) chopped walnuts, optional
Filling:
8 ounces (227 g) cream cheese, softened (full fat)
1 tablespoon salted butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup (114 g) powdered sugar
Additional powdered sugar for dusting
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 15- by 10-inch jelly roll pan. Cut parchment paper to fit the bottom of the pan and leave an inch overhang on each of the short ends of the pan. Lightly grease the bottom and sides of the jelly roll pan.
In a large bowl, mix the sugar, flour, salt, soda, cinnamon, eggs and pumpkin until just combined and no dry streaks remain.
Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Sprinkle the walnuts, if using, on top of the mixture. Bake for 14-15 minutes until edges pull away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Lay a large kitchen towel on the counter top (it is best to use a dishtowel without any texture – a tea towel or flour sack towel works best). Spread a dusting of powdered sugar all over the towel.
When the cake comes out of the oven, turn the pan upside down on the powdered sugar-laden towel so the cake falls out onto the towel. Peel off the parchment paper, being careful not to tear the cake roll.
Starting at one of the short ends, roll the pumpkin cake up with the towel [towel inside the rolled layers] and let it cool completely while rolled up [on a cookie cooling rack. This needs to be done while the cake is still hot, otherwise if the cake is just warm, it could crack while rolling.]
While the roll is cooling, mix the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar together with an electric mixer until it is light and creamy.
Once the cake roll is cooled completely, unroll (but don’t flatten out the cake roll; it’s ok if it’s slightly curved still), and with an offset spatula, carefully spread the filling in an even layer over the cake.
Roll up the cake without the towel and place it in the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap, to firm up, at least an hour.
Dust the top with powdered sugar, if desired, and cut into slices.
Make Ahead Instructions: The assembled pumpkin roll with cream cheese filling can be made and refrigerated, covered, for 1-2 days. Or if you just want to make the cake part ahead of time, you can bake it, roll it in parchment paper to cool, then refrigerate it while it’s rolled in the parchment paper for one day before spreading the frosting. Keep leftovers covered and in the refrigerator.
Servings: 14 slices
