Rolling Rolling Rolling, keep those cakes a rolling. Part 1

If you are a fan of cake, icing with a secret topping inside without a lot of work and the stress of making the cake perfect and flat, the roll cake is the way to go.   I decided to make two this week, one pumpkin and one chocolate peanut butter.  I made the pumpkin cake last Christmas for a party and loved it, but last year I didn't have a blog and this one sadly wasn't for me.   I made it for a good family friend for his Christmas desserts along with an apple crumble pie.    If you love pumpkin desserts and cream cheese icing, make this! It's simply the right amount of both.    I got the recipe from a great baking website, Joy of Baking.   I often go there to easily find something or for some good inspiration.   It is also great because she puts her ingredients in weights, a small touch every baker loves.

INGREDIENTS :

Cake

• 3/4 cup (100 grams) AP flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground allspice   ( I didn't use this, but used nutmeg instead)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup (200 grams) white sugar
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup (150 grams) pumpkin puree (real pumpkin not pie filling)

Filling

• 8 ounces (226 grams) cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup (115 grams) icing sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup (130 grams) skor bits  (joy of baking also has pecans/walnuts has an option instead of skor bits, I would use praline pecans!!)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1) Preheat oven to 375F and spray and parchment a 11x15 sheet pan.   In a bowl sift together the dry ingredients and set aside.   

2) Beat together eggs and sugar with a mixer (paddle attachment) or hand mixer until thick, fluffy and pale.  When you lift the paddle or beaters the batter should fall like ribbons.   Add the vanilla and pumpkin and beat until combined.   

3) Fold in the flour mixture gently by hand.    Pour the mixture in to the pan and spread evenly across the pan.  

Bake for 13-15 min or until a toothpick comes out clean. 

4) Immediately remove the cake from the pan onto a clean towel that has been dusted with icing sugar to prevent the cake from sticking.   Remove the parchment from the cake and sprinkle the cake with icing sugar. 

5) Roll the cake in the towel and let cool.   Rolling the cake while warm will allow you to un roll it and re roll it filled with icing later.  

6) Make the Filling : Beat the cream cheese, butter, icing sugar and vanilla until light fluffy, cream and oh so yummy!  

7) Unroll the cake and spread the icing on the cake.   Sprinkle the skor bits on top of the icing (Joy of Baking adds the bits to the icing ahead of time but I think this is easier and easier to spread the icing as well),  plus you can add more bits if you like or anything else you would like to add to the cake.   Re roll the cake back together and let chill for a few hours. (if you can).    Dust with icing sugar before serving.

Serves about 8 people. 

The cake may look and feel odd when its done, as a sponge cake is a little different than your traditional cake.     Once you put it on the towel and see how it pliable it is you will understand.    This is probably a good sponge cake to start with if you have never made one like this before as this one doesn't require the separation of egg yolks and whites like other sponges.  It's easy and very good.  

MEG's rating : D-EEEEE-LICIOUS!