School is in session, the weather changes, kids don costumes and it’s dark before dinner; all signs that holiday time is right around the corner. Before we know it plans are made, preparations have begun, and Thanksgiving is just weeks away.
Thanksgiving is the perfect occasion for ushering in the holiday season; it’s a time for stories, projects, cooking and sharing. That’s exactly what this post is about. I’ve linked up with 5 other bloggers, each sharing a piece of what the season has to offer. We have humor, thought, family projects and food.
I hope you’ll click on all the links below to see what we’ve all put together for you:
Home on Deranged has a family post about the first and last Thanksgiving spent with mom.
Kiss My List is sharing a simple but meaningful family craft project that does double duty as Thanksgiving decor.
Writer B is Me will share a humorous story about what happens when someone is asked to make the mashed potatoes one too many times.
Pink When shares a project you can display for Thanksgiving dinner and guests.
And Baking in a Tornado (the genius behind this group post) will share a recipe for that leftover turkey.
And I, of course, bring you dessert!
It’s so hard to leave room for dessert when your table is groaning with rich Thanksgiving food! My family always had a fairly late dinner, so we’d manage to tuck in a tiny slice of pumpkin pie after the meal, but serious damage to the pies had to wait for breakfast the next day. And oh, it tasted good the next morning.
As much as I love pumpkin pie, sometimes it’s nice to change things up a bit. Here is the dessert I’ll be serving this year instead of pie – Pumpkin Cake Roll with Butterscotch Cream Cheese Filling.
Pumpkin Cake Roll with Butterscotch Cream Cheese Filling
Most people don’t frost cake rolls, but I wanted a whipped cream icing to lighten it up a bit. The leaves were made with white chocolate and a little food coloring. The Pumpkin Roll can be made ahead and frozen…just let it thaw for an hour and smother it with whipped cream before serving. If you don’t think it will be all be eaten right away, I would recommend that you use a non-dairy whipped topping or (my choice) stabilized whipped cream.
I believe this was the first cake I made from scratch. Had it not been foolproof, I probably would be using Duncan Hines mixes to this day – but it was so simple to make, I never looked back. My recipe is really old, and probably adapted from the original Libby Pumpkin Roll recipe. It calls for a 10-inch by 15-inch jelly roll pan. I don’t happen to have one, so I use a larger pan and spread mine a little thinner…and it works just fine!
| Pumpkin Roll with Cream Cheese Filling | Print |
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- ⅔ cup pumpkin
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ......................
- BUTTERSCOTCH CREAM CHEESE ICING
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup powdered instant butterscotch pudding mix
- 8 ounces softened cream cheese
- 4 tablespoons softened butter
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ½ cup (or more) chopped, toasted pecans
- Heat oven to 375 F.
- Prepare a 15"x10" jelly roll pan (or cookie sheet with sides) by lining the bottom with waxed paper or parchment. Grease and flour the paper, or spray with an oil/flour spray like Baker's Joy.
- Beat eggs on high for 5 minutes.
- Beating continually, gradually add sugar.
- Add the pumpkin and lemon juice and mix until well combined.
- Sift together the dry ingredients and fold into pumpkin mixture.
- Spread batter evenly in prepared pan, and bake 12-15 minutes, or until the top springs back when touched.
- Coat a cotton dish towel generously with powdered sugar and turn the cake out onto the dish towel. Peel off the waxed paper or parchment.
- Starting from the short end, slowly roll cake and towel together. Place in the refrigerator to cool completely, approximately one hour.
- While the cake is cooling, make the butterscotch filling:
- In a medium bowl, combine the cream and pudding mix. Add the cream cheese and butter and mix together at medium-high speed. Add the powdered sugar and mix well. Refrigerate until needed.
- Unroll the chilled cake carefully. Spread with filling and roll it back up (without the towel this time, of course.) Refrigerate at least one hour.
- Sprinkle with powdered sugar, or ice with sweetened whipped cream and serve.
Folding together.
Spreading the batter.
Roll up cake AND towel!
Add filling and pecans.
To make the white chocolate leaves, melt white baking chocolate (if you have candy melts, they’d probably be a lot easier to work with) in three bowls, with just a little bit of chocolate in two of them. Add green and orange Wilton candy coloring to the two small bowls. Note: chocolate does NOT like water, so regular coloring can make it seize up. Use powdered or oil based food coloring! Melt a small amount of dark chocolate in another small bowl if you wish. Put the melted white chocolate on a waxed paper covered baking sheet, drizzle it with the colored and dark chocolate, and spread it out thinly with a spatula, with as few strokes as possible.
Let it harden at room temperature and then cut leaf shapes with cookie cutters. Cut more leaves than you think you’ll need – a lot of them may break! Move the entire sheet to the refrigerator and let it harden completely. Separate each leaf carefully with a small spatula. If you want to shape the leaves, put each one on a square of waxed paper, melt in the microwave for 2-3 second intervals until the leaf is flexible, and shape by draping over scrunched up foil or a spoon handle, or by setting it in a small custard bowl. Chill again and place on cake.
Ready to melt
Mixture of white chocolate colors.
Cutting out chocolate leaves
Too much trouble for you? One word: SPRINKLES. Everyone loves sprinkles.
From my kitchen to yours, have a wonderful, blessed Thanksgiving!
I can’t tell you how beautiful your Pumpkin Roll is. I don’t know why I never thought of pumpkin and butterscotch before but I can’t wait to try it!
Thanks, Karen! It got a two thumbs-up from both guys, so I guess it’s a hit here.
That looks amazingly delish! Butterscotch cream cheese sounds amazing all by itself!
Thanks, Jen. Um…yes, it got tested all by itself! A few times.
There are so many things to be thankful for in this post! An intro to all these delicious bloggers is nice this time of year. And I love me a good pumpkin roll, but that butterscotch cream cheese filling sends it right over the top. Then, too, we get to learn how to make a pretty fall leaf decoration out of white chocolate. I feel very satisfied!
Thank you, Mary Rose. I just love these group posts. It’s almost like getting together with a group of women over coffee…chatting and comparing notes.
The butterscotch was one of those middle of the night inspirations, and in the light of day I was afraid it might be too rich, but I like the combination of flavors. I’m going to make 2 next time and freeze one for unexpected company. (Yeah, right. I’ll be in the freezer at midnight sawing off a slice.)
This looks delicious.The white chocolate leaves were worrying me a bit, so I felt much better when you told me I could use sprinkles instead! Pinning this to attempt this holiday season – thanks!
Dana, the leaves were a little tricky because they’re so thin. Here’s a link to another method that is easier. (Just scroll down, you’ll see ’em) http://www.therowdybaker.com/?p=195
uh….mah….gah…*drool*
I think that says it all, but I’m gonna say more cuz I’m me. Wow. Can I come over for Thanksgiving? Okay, I’m a sprinkles gal, but I’m very impressed with your leaves. I love anything pumpkin and who doesn’t love butterscotch, so I would actually make this. I suck in the kitchen, BUT, I do love to bake and make desserts, especially over the holidays, and this one inspires me! Thanks for sharing!
C’mon over, Beth! If I had my way, the house would be packed every Thanksgiving. (SOMEone would prefer to have just the two of us so he’d get more leftovers.) The leaves were pretty touchy because I wanted them really thin. Still worth it, and there are lots of leftover scraps to eat 🙂
Sometimes the leftovers are better than the actual meal! YUM!!
I may have just ruined my keyboard with drool. SOOO good! I totally pinned this recipe! Which means it stands about a 60% chance I’ll actually get everything from the store in the same week to make it 🙂
Grinning. I know what you mean. I have good intentions, but there are a lot of fantastic recipes on my Pin boards that will never get their chance to shine. How many goodies can one family eat?!
But…this one would be SO good for Thanksgiving 🙂
Hi! Toddled over from the wonder that is B ( just love her) and what do I find? You! Love this post. Had me drooling from the outset. I am so very sad our Canadian Thanksgiving is done. This would have been a perfect dessert. Actually not this year – I was away and cooking in another city for my two kids and their pals in a rented condo. Next year! This recipe is perfect for next year.
I think it would be good for Christmas, too. I’m so glad you came for a visit, Kelly!