Vintage Pumpkin Roll
Is there any dessert prettier than a cake roll? Almost every pumpkin dessert is delicious, but very few will win a beauty contest. Not the case with a pumpkin cake roll! You can enjoy all that delicious pumpkin spice flavor, and have a show stopper dessert on the table. Talk about having your cake and eating, too! And did I mention cream cheese frosting?
I know cake rolls can seem intimidating and technical, but this recipe was super easy, so even if you’ve never made a cake roll, give it a try. It’s really rewarding to make such a beautiful dessert, and speaking of beautiful presentation, I wanted to experiment with different decorating techniques, so I made two smaller rolls, and I could not be happier with how lovely they came out, especially the lace one. More on how I decorated them at the end, so stick around for that if you’re interested.
To make this recipe, all you need to do is start by combining your dry ingredients - that’s flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and a pinch of salt. Whisk them together well, then set that aside while you get out your mixer.
Combine eggs and sugar, and cream until light and fluffy. Then, add pumpkin and lemon juice. Combine those well before you scrape it into your dry ingredients. As with most cake recipes, avoid over-mixing, just blend until smooth.
Now it’s time to transfer to a cookie sheet. I used two smaller cookie sheets, as I mentioned earlier, but you can use one standard cookie sheet. Line the sheet with parchment paper, leaving a bit of overhang off each end, which will make it easier to remove the cake after baking. Be sure to spread the batter as evenly as possible, and all the way into the corners of the sheet.
Once I’m done spreading the batter as evenly as I can get it, I even like to lift it off the table by a few inches and drop it flat down, which helps finish flattening any uneven areas, and work out any air bubbles that might be hiding under the surface. All set! You’re ready to bake.
It cooks very quickly, and you don’t want to over bake it, or it will crack when rolling, so keep a close eye on it. As soon as it’s out of the oven, while it’s still warm, carefully begin rolling the cake up from the short end of the cookie sheet while peeling it off the parchment paper. Go slowly, and roll it tightly without squishing it, though.
Don’t worry about frosting yet, you’re simply training it to roll while it cools. Set the cake aside to cool while you whip up the frosting.
To make the cream cheese frosting in a mixer, combine powdered sugar with softened cream cheese and butter, then add vanilla and whip on high until it’s light and fluffy.
Back when this recipe was written, cream cheese packages were only 3 ounces, so the recipe calls for 2 packages, totaling 6 ounces. Nowadays, cream cheese comes in an 8 ounce package, so I used just one modern package, and rather than shave off 2 ounces, I just increased how much frosting I made by 2 ounces, increasing the powdered sugar and vanilla by a bit. After all, you can never have too much cream cheese frosting.
Once the frosting is done, and the cake is cooled, carefully unroll it. Don’t worry about getting it to lay flat, let it keep the curled shape as much as you can. You should be able to spread the frosting evenly even if it isn’t perfectly flat. Make sure the frosting is spread all the way to the edge, and as smooth as you can get it before you begin rolling up the cake from the same end you started with the first time.
Take your time, and don’t squish the frosting out, but do press firmly to make sure the roll stays even. Once it’s completely rolled up, feel free to roll it back and forth a few times to make sure it has an even and symmetrical shape. And make sure the frosting fills out the ends well by sticking a small piece of parchment paper to each end and patting them on a flat table surface gently. All done!
Hopefully you won’t, but don’t panic if you have a few small cracks. Most decorations will cover up any minor flaws. Now it’s time for the fun part! If you’re nervous about decorating, or in a hurry, you can do something as simple as a sprinkle of powdered sugar and a candy pumpkin. The dark orange color of the cake contrasts beautifully with snowy white powdered sugar, so a simple dusting is surprisingly beautiful.
But, if you’re feeling ambitious, and want to try something new, I was so happy how my laced powdered sugar decoration came out. All you have to do is wrap the roll tightly in a lace fabric or doily, then sprinkle generously with powdered sugar. It’s so simple to do, and absolutely stunning! I couldn’t believe how cute it came out.
Whatever your preference for decorating, be creative, have fun, and do what you’re comfortable with. Either way, you’ll have a tasty cake roll to enjoy! I found this roll is actually much tastier the next day, which is odd for a cake, but the cake has to a very particular texture to roll well, which can be almost too dry, but letting it sit in the fridge overnight allows the cream cheese frosting to hydrate the cake a bit, improving the texture and taste.
Overall, it is a delicious pumpkin spice centerpiece you can be proud of, perfect for celebrating a special occasion with friends and family.
Be sure to share this lovely recipe with anyone you think might enjoy it, and see below for more vintage pumpkin recipes. I’m so grateful Maxine Parko shared this one in her community’s cookbook. I hope it encourages you to appreciate these humble spiral-bound treasures, and cook more old recipes.
KITCHENWARE USED IN THIS RECIPE
VINTAGE PYREX
Butterfly Gold from the 1970’s
Other Recipes in this Series
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Vintage Pumpkin Bread
A total classic. Pumpkin bread is popular for a reason - it’s delicious! And apparently it’s been popular for quite some time. Straight from Grandma‘s kitchen, you’ll absolutely fall in love with this loaf.
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Vintage Pumpkin Pie Cake Cobbler
Pie? Cake? Why choose? This pumpkin cobbler will make everyone happy, and it’s so so easy!
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Ancient Pumpkin Pie Recipe
The pumpkin pie we know and love today started its life as something very different from what it eventually evolved in to. Here’s my version of America’s first pumpkin pie.
