Rolling with the Season

I started at 6:45 AM so that I could get this task underway
and not worry about it all day.  Highly recommended!

It was our turn to host our Bible study group, so I needed a treat idea, and was craving something pumpkinish.  Somehow, pumpkin cake rolls popped into my mind, and I searched the web for a recipe.  RecipeSource.com and TasteofHome.com are both favorite sites for finding highly rated recipes, and they didn't let me down this time.  I settled on one from Taste of Home (here) with a couple changes taken from others I'd read through.

Baking sheets sprayed lightly with oil spray, and lined with
parchment paper, also sprayed lightly

I chose this particular recipe because of its denser cake, compared to those with separately whipped egg whites for a "floofier" cake.  (Not a word, I know, but descriptive, and I happen to use it a lot...)  Anyway, I prefer a moister, more substantial, less fly-away cake texture.  Without that extra step, it was also an easier/quicker process, which was welcome, as I needed to make 2 for the gathering, and 2 for the family, who would revolt if I made goodies only for guests without enough for them.


One change I made to the original recipe was to sprinkle 2 of the cakes with chopped walnuts, adding nutrition and balancing some sweetness.  I preferred the nutty cakes, as did most of the guests and family members.

Baked cake inverted on towel lightly dusted with
powdered sugar

Cake and towel rolled gently from a narrow end

The kids got up and wondered why I had a bunch of rolled
towels on the counter, since the cake was in hiding

You can see I got a couple of minor cracks, but on an inner
roll, it didn't show when finished.  I came back to make the
filling and spread it about 4 PM, well after the cakes were
cool and I'd run around doing my daily tasks and errands

The comments on this recipe indicated that it was easy to roll, then unroll without a lot of cracking, which was also a big plus, since I haven't made many rolled cakes in my life, and none lately.
























The other change was to use 8 oz of cream cheese and 2 Tablespoons of butter per cake, instead of the 6 oz and 1teaspoon, respectively, for more volume and richness to the filling.  

Wrapped in plastic wrap to refrigerate or freeze
for an hour or more so that they form more solid
logs, giving me time for making coffee,  and
doing other last minute set-up

These were a huge success with both groups.  The recipe and process are easy, and the result is attractive for entertaining.  Tasty, too, which is, of course, what counts most!

Sprinkled with powdered sugar and sliced... Pretty!