Pumpkin Roll

From: Southern Living

Ingredients:
Vegetable cooking spray
3 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2/3 cup canned unsweetened pumpkin
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans, toasted
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, divided
2 3-oz packages cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Garnishes: powdered sugar, chocolate coated pecan halves

Coat bottom and sides of a 15x10-inch jelly-roll pan with cooking spray, and line with wax paper. Coat wax paper with cooking spray; set aside. Beat eggs at medium speed with an electric mixer 5 minutes or until thick and lemon-colored; gradually add granulated sugar, beating until well combined. Combine flour and next 6 ingredients. Gradually add to egg mixture, beating well. Combine pumpkin, pecans, and 1 teaspoon lemon juice, and gradually add to mixture, beating well. Spread batter evenly into prepared pan.

Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Sift 1/2 cup powdered sugar in a 15x10-inch rectangle on a clean, dry dish towel. Run a knife around edges of pan to loosen cake, and turn cake out onto prepared towel. Peel wax paper off cake. Starting at narrow end, roll up cake and towel together; place, seam side down, on a wire rack to cool completely.

Beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add remaining 1 cup powdered sugar, beating until smooth. Stir in vanilla and 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Unroll cake; remove towel. Spread cream cheese mixture on cake, leaving a 1-inch border around edges.


Re-roll cake without towel, and place, seam side down, on a serving platter. Cover and chill at least 3 hours. Garnish, if desired.


What I did differently from the recipe:
I used my own pumpkin puree and left out the nuts. I ran out of wax paper so I used nonstick aluminum foil and it worked perfectly.

What I'll do differently next time:
Nothing.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! I always wondered why I saved this recipe to try many years ago. Now I'm so glad I did. What a yummy recipe, and perfect for fall get-togethers! Although there are many ingredients it's probably mostly stuff you already have in your pantry. The only thing I needed to buy was the cream cheese and that was less than $2.00. Lots of steps to this recipe but nothing difficult. I highly recommend this yummy dessert/breakfast to anyone!!