I hope you are not afraid of making cake rolls! Have you tried Libby’s Pumpkin Roll recipe? This recipe got me started making different cake rolls. Cake Rolls are a lot of fun to make! I think people don’t realize how easy they are to do!
I’ve made some variations of the pumpkin roll through the years and the main recipe I use is from the Libby Company that makes the canned pureed pumpkin.
Reknowned Chef Jacques Pepin taught me the trick of folding the parchment paper in fourths, then cutting a one-inch slit at the unfolded corners. This really makes the parchment paper fit snugly in the corners. I love that trick!
There are many ways to do your thing with pumpkin rolls! The left picture is the famous Libby’s Pumpkin Roll. The middle one has added nuts in the batter and in the filling. The nuts make the cake a little darker. I used a combination of pecans and walnuts. The one on the right has a filling of cream cheese with chocolate chips and topped with whipped cream and chocolate shavings. Do whatever you want!
When making any cake roll, you have to work fast to flip the pan onto the tea towel. Don’t be afraid to do it! I saw someone put the towel on top of the cake in the pan, then roll it. I do not like that method because the cake bottom gets more opposite pressure and will tend to crack more. I do it the traditional way and it always works for me! It goes smoothly when you get everything ready ahead of time!
Take the time to PREP! I never had a cake roll stick, and it very rarely cracks. If it does crack, (and it happens to seasoned chefs too! ), don’t panic! The filling covers the cracks! Follow my steps carefully and you will have success!
Below is a slideshow to see how it’s made.
Enjoy!
Libby’s Pumpkin Roll and Variations
Equipment
- Jelly Roll Pan (15×10 inches)
- parchment paper
- Linen Tea Towel
- Sifter
Ingredients
- FOR THE CAKE
- ¾ cup flour all-purpose
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅓ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon ground
- ½ teaspoon cloves ground
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 cup walnuts finely chopped, optional
- FORTHE FILLING
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar sifted
- 6 tablespoons butter softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- FOR THE TEA TOWEL
- ½ cup confectioners’ sugar sifted
- FOR THE TOPPING
- ¼ cup confectioner's sugar sifted
- 1 cup pecans chopped, or walnuts (nuts are optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375º.
- Spray or grease a 15×10-inch jelly roll pan. Cut parchment paper to have a little overhang on the long sides. Place it onto the pan, then spray or grease the top of the parchment paper. Fold the parchment paper into fourths. Cut a one-inch slit on the corner that has no folds. Open it and spread it into the pan. The slits help the corners to be nice and snug. Set aside the prepared pan.
- Lay a linen tea towel on the countertop. Sift the confectioner's sugar across the entire towel. The confectioner's sugar should cover an area larger than the size of the pan. Use more confectioner’s sugar if you have to. Set aside.
- For the FILLING, beat together the cream cheese, the 1 cup sifted confectioner’s sugar, butter, and vanilla extract until soft and creamy. Set aside.
- For the CAKE, in a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl beat together the eggs, granulated sugar, and pumpkin puree, then combine this with the dry ingredients, mixing well.
- Spread the cake batter evenly onto the parchment-lined pan.
- Bake for 13-15 minutes, then immediately invert the cake onto the prepared linen tea towel.
- Carefully remove the parchment paper.
- Carefully, but quickly roll the cake and the towel together, either starting at the short side or the long side, whichever you prefer.
- Place the roll on a wire rack until it is completely cooled.
- Gently and slowly unroll the cake, removing the linen tea towel at the same time and transfer the roll to a serving dish. If you happen to see a few cracks inside the cake, don't panic! It's okay! Sometimes that happens. The filling will cover them.
- Gently lift the roll open and with a rubber spatula, spread the filling. . You will be filling the cake while some of it is still in a curved position. You do not want to force the cake open flat. Fill it curved.
- When you are finished filling the cake, roll it up and wrap it in plastic wrap.
- Refrigerate it for 1 hour before serving.
- Dust the top with powdered sugar for serving.
- Store the cake roll covered in the refrigerator.