spice | Adventures in Thyme

Pumpkin Cake Roll

This week we have a tasty, and visually attractive holiday dessert. It isn’t as difficult as you might think!

Cake:

3/4 cup Flour

1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground Cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground Ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground All Spice
1/4 teaspoon ground Nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon Salt
3 large Eggs
1 cup granulated Sugar
2/3 cup canned Pumpkin (about 1/2 off a small can)
1 cup chopped Pecans

For the Filling/Frosting:

20 to 22 oz soft white Goat Cheese, warmed to room temperature (The cheese logs from Costco are great)
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 stick Butter, softened
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract

Powdered sugar to coat a towel (used for rolling).

For the Cake:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.

Grease a 12 x 16 inch sheet pan. Line it with waxed paper then grease and flour the pan and waxed paper.

Lay out a kitchen towel larger than your sheet pan and cover liberally with powdered sugar. (It should take 1/4 to 1/3 cup of powdered sugar.)

Combine the dry ingredients, including the spices, in a small mixing bowl.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the three eggs. When light, add the granulated sugar and beat until it thickens. Add the pumpkin and beat until well combined. Add the dry ingredients 1/3 at a time, mixing well each time.

Spread the batter evenly in your sheet pan. Sprinkle with the pecans. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. The cake should spring back when you touch it.

Remove the cake from the oven, loosen the edges with a knife and immediately turn out onto your sugar covered towel. Roll up in the towel, starting on a narrow end. Place on a wire rack and let cool completely.

While the cake cools, make your frosting (which is also your filling.) In a large mixing bowl, beat together the goat cheese, butter and powdered sugar. When well combined, beat in the vanilla. This should give an easily spreadable frosting. If it’s too stiff, you can add a little bit of milk, 1 teaspoon at a time (it won’t take much.)

Once cool, unroll your cake. Spread 1/2 of the frosting evenly over the cake. Roll the cake back up. If necessary, trim the ends so they are even. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least an hour. Remove from the refrigerator, place on your serving dish and frost with the remaining frosting.

Slice to serve.

Pumpkin Marshmallows

I had to jump onto the pumpkin spice bandwagon again – if only for a brief flirtation with it’s seductive seasonal charms. Marshmallow Madness by Shauna Sever is a great book that takes you step by step thru the marshmallow making world. My instructions won’t give her detail justice – so be warned, and buy the book! I’ve also adjusted her pumpkin recipe slightly to make for a more personally appealing mallow. I enjoy spices, so I cater to that. I’ve used these marshmallows in my coffee AND layered between pancakes hot off the griddle – oh yes indeed-ie!

My secret to success was preparation. The mallows come together really quickly so having everything prepped and ready to add was key. Let’s get cooking!

What you’ll need:

First and foremost an electric mixer with a whisk attachment. We’ve killed a hand-held mixer making Divinity, so be kind to your kitchen tools and just go for the larger mixer.

5 tsps. unflavored gelatin + 1/2 cup cold water
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup canned pumpkin puree
3/4 tsp cinnamon
scant 1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla extract

food coloring is optional

Dusting powder: 1/4 cup cornstarch + 1/2 cup powdered sugar + 1/4 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice

1.) Prep an 8×8 baking pan with your oil of choice. I used coconut butter, but whatever your tummy can tolerate to keep the mallows from sticking will work.

2.) In a microwave safe bowl mix the gelatin & 1/2 cup cold water well and set aside.

3.) Into a medium sauce pan mix the sugar, 1/4 cup of corn syrup water and salt. You’ll want to heat this to a boil and 250 degrees F. Keep an eye on this and stir occasionally. While this is heating, into an electric mixer bowl pour the remaining 1/4 cup corn syrup.

4.) Take the gelatin bowl from Step 2 and heat in the microwave about 20-30 seconds depending on your appliance. You’ll want this melted. Pour into the electric mixer’s bowl and mix with the corn syrup on low.

5.) Last bit of prep – while the sauce pan is still heating to 250 degrees F, and your mixer is keeping the gelatin from solidifying, mix the last of your ingredients together in another bowl (pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla) and set aside.

6.) Once the heating corn syrup reaches 250 degrees F carefully add this to the mixer. Syrup flung onto the sides of the bowl will not make for good marshmallows. Once added to the bowl increase the speed to medium for 5 minutes, then increase to medium-high for 5 more minutes, then to high for 1 minute. Add the pumpkin mixture, return to high speed for 1 minute of mixing. You can add coloring at this point if you have a preference.

7.) Carefully pour the marshmallow mixture into the prepared pan, spreading it into the corners and flattening it as best as you can. Now take your dusting powder and sprinkle all over the top. Set aside. Overnight is good.

In the morning sprinkle the dusting powder onto your cutting board and layout the marshallows cutting to your preferred size. Roll in more powder to keep them from sticking together. We made a template of pumpkin faces and used cinnamon sugar to make the face.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Spice Cake Roll

Pumpkin Spiced Marshmallows