Pumpkin Roll

After my mother had her back surgery, I wanted to make something yummy for her.   Since we are finally in autumn I grabbed my new favorite, the trusty pumpkin, and made a lovely pumpkin roll with a cream cheese frosting garnish with salty roasted pumpkin seeds and dusted with freshly grated nutmeg.

Pumpkin Roll

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 C brown sugar
• 1 C vegetable oil
• 1/2 C apple sauce
• 1 t vanilla
• 2 C canned pumpkin
• 4 eggs
• 2 C flour
• 1 T baking powder
• 2 t baking soda
• 1 t salt
• 1 T cinnamon
• 1t ground cloves
• 1 t freshly grated nutmeg

Directions:   Preheat oven to 350 degrees.   Grease and flour a jelly roll pan and set aside.   Sift together the flour, baking powder, soda, salt and spices and set aside.  In a large bowl combine the sugar and oil.   Blend in the applesauce, vanilla and canned pumpkin.   Beat the eggs in one at a time.   The 1 cup at a time, add the flour mixture.   Spread the batter into jelly roll pan and bake for 20-24 minutes.   Remove from oven and let cool a bit.   Generously dust a large kitchen towel with confectioners sugar and turn out the cake.   Sprinkle top with confectioners sugar and gently roll cake up to cool.

 

 While the cake is cooling, toast some pumpkin seeds for garnish...

 

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

• 2 8 oz pkgs cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 C butter, softened
• 2 C confectioners sugar
• 1 t vanilla
• 1 t freshly grated nutmeg

Directions:   In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter, then mix in the vanilla and gradually the confectioners sugar.   Add the nutmeg and if it's too thick, thin with a bit of heavy cream to your desire consistency.

To assemble the pumpkin roll, gently unroll cake and fill center with frosting.   Roll back up and transfer to serving platter.   Frost the outside of the roll, garnish with crunchy and salty roasted pumpkin seeds and dust with freshly grated nutmeg.   SERVE!