Skip to main content

Featured

A Closer Look at Winter Damage

But first, take a look at this gorgeous rainbow that we had on Friday! The five-day stretch of warm temperatures last week really jump-started the garden. Now that plants are putting out new growth, it is easier to see what kind of damage the winter left. Back in mid-January, we experienced five straight days of below-freezing temperatures. This caused much damage in Portland and areas where frigid winds were a factor. Here, we were fortunate to not get the wind and the cold temperatures were dampened by a blanket of snow. That said, it was a tough time for the garden and there are noticeable casualties but no outright deaths that I have seen. The bottlebrush ( Callistemon 'Woodlander's Red') did not like the cold at all. It was planted six years ago, in the north-facing garden no less, and I've not experienced die-back on it until now. A local expert said to cut it all the way back so that is what I did. If it doesn't make it, I won't be too distraught. It is

Pumpkin Cake Roll


Thanksgiving is just around the corner so let's turn our attention from gardening to another of my favorite subjects - food! Everyone loves my Pumpkin Cake Roll and I always make it at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Although it looks intimidating, it is not! Trust me, if I can do it, anybody can.

Here are all the ingredients that you will need:



3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup pumpkin
1 tsp. lemon juice
3/4 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup finely chopped pecans

Filling:
1 cup powdered sugar
6 oz. cream cheese, softened
4 TB. butter, softened
1/2 tsp. vanilla

First, beat the eggs at high speed for about 5 minutes. Gradually add the sugar.



The egg and sugar mixture should be lighter in color and look like this -



Stir in the pumpkin and lemon juice. Whisk the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and salt together and FOLD it into the mixture.



Spread the mixture into a greased 15 x 10 x 1 pan. Lining the bottom of the pan with a piece of wax paper will make it easier to remove from the pan later!



Now sprinkle the pecans over the top -



Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes. (Always have your oven pre-heated in advance).

While the cake is baking, spread a towel out and sprinkle it with powdered sugar. The towel I'm using here is really too large - a smaller one will work. Don't use a terry-cloth towel.



When the cake is done, turn it out immediately on the towel. This is the trickiest part for me. It is difficult to flip the pan over and powdered sugar usually flies everywhere when it hits the towel. The method that works best for me is to lean the pan up on the longer side and quickly flip it forward. Whatever works best for you - I'll leave that dilemma up to you.

Now, carefully remove the wax paper.



Fold the excess of the towel over the narrow end over the cake.



This is the part that scares people but trust me, it is not that hard. Slowly begin to roll the towel with the cake inside it.



Place it on a cooling rack and allow it to cool completely, usually at least an hour or more. When the towel is totally cool to the touch, it will be ready for the next step.



While you are waiting on the cake roll to cool, you can mix the filling. In a mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese and butter (it should be at room temperature) and add the vanilla and powdered sugar. Mix thoroughly.



When the cake roll has cooled. slowly unroll it and spread the cream cheese filling over it.



Roll the cake up again, this time without the towel!



I've learned that it is sometimes easier to just push it with the towel rolled up behind it.



You are done! Wrap the cake roll with plastic wrap and chill or freeze. It should be refrigerated before serving and the taste is even better after a day or more.



Comments

  1. Gosh I have made this many times. I have never done the roll in the towel before. I bet it makes it easy to roll it up with the filling on it. I love these things. Yummm but what a mess to make. Of course any time I am in the kitchen it ends up a mess.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Looks good! I could probably eat the whole thing myself.

    ReplyDelete
  3. My youngest son's fav ... a great tutorial, Phillip. Happy Thanksgiving!

    ReplyDelete
  4. this looks wonderful. Have a great Thanksgiving, Phillip.

    Jan
    Always Growing

    ReplyDelete
  5. Fabulous tutorial. My grandmother used to make cake rolls for the holidays, but I've never attempted it. Perhaps this year.

    have a happy Thanksgiving! Oh- and thanks for the heads up on the FLW house in Alabama. Must schedule a visit the next time I'm in town...

    ReplyDelete
  6. I'll be right over for my slice. That looks absolutely scrumptious!!

    Ann S.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I recently saw Ina Garten make something like this on the Food Network recently. It looks wonderful.

    ReplyDelete
  8. It looks and sounds like a delicious treat! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving~~gail

    ReplyDelete
  9. You make it look so simple. Yummy too! Have a lovely Thanksgiving Phillip. CONGRATULATIONS on your making the Hort list. Smart editor! Carol

    ReplyDelete
  10. We are going to have pumpkin roll at our Thanksgiving feast and I am grateful that I don't have to make it. I once told a friend about a flourless chocolate cake I made once, and told her that the recipe came to a climax with 'and now the moment of truth' about unmolding it. She said she didn't make recipes with a moment of truth.

    ReplyDelete
  11. That looks so delicious. Your photos could be in a cookbook, even your ingredients look pretty. I've never tried doing a roll of any type, you have great directions.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Good thing I read your blog before I posted! I just made 3 of these this morning...LOL!!! And took the SAME pics! Too funny! They are wonderful, and they are pretty easy to make. Well I will bypass my pumpkin roll post and link to yours if that is ok?

    ReplyDelete
  13. Mmm, looks delicious! It seems more 'do-able' with your photos as a guide. I'm sure it tastes yummy. I just baked 3 pies today so probably won't need this right now, but I'm keeping this in mind for another time. Thanks for sharing, and have a wonderful Thanksgiving, Phillip:)

    ReplyDelete
  14. Looks delicious. I also love the picture of the carefully laid out ingredients!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Eight Thanksgivings ago, I made a pumpkin roll. If you knew me, you'd be laying on the floor in amazement! (I'm NOT a cook and it actually turned out well!)

    ReplyDelete
  16. Thanks for the step-by-step instructions, I really want to try this and it looks totally delicious!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Looks delicious - thanks for the recipe and tips!

    ReplyDelete
  18. I love it. We really took a LONG time researching our options (my husband loves researching gadgets)and this one was the best. It is low heat so it doesn't denature the grains which is really important to me. It works great and is fairly small to store.

    regards,
    russel of San Pedro Storage

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular Posts