Basic for Pumpkin Spice:
I have never been called “basic” until “enjoying all things Pumpkin-Spice” became a criterion listing for the label of a “basic chick.”
Despite the label’s somewhat negative connotation, I openly express my love for pumpkin spice by enjoying a pumpkin spice latte, lighting pumpkin spice scented candles, and most of all, baking with pumpkin spice. The smell is soothing in a sense that it means my favorite months of the year are finally here.
The 100+ degree heat is done for the year, the leaves will start to crispen, and family recipe books will be dusted off to prepare for a season of potlucks and get-togethers.
What is Pumpkin Spice:
Not once have I began cutting into a pumpkin and thought, “Mm, this smells like pumpkin pie.” After my days as a kiddo, it became quite apparent that the pumpkin spice scent did not come from pumpkins, but rather a mixture of spices: Ground Ginger, Ground Cloves, Allspice, Ground Nutmeg, and Cinnamon. The McCormick Spice company coined the term first, in the 1950s, by supplying supermarket shelves with “Pumpkin Pie Spice” and the blend of spices can be closely recreated with the previously listed ingredients.
Magic Formula that I use for the Pumpkin spice in a pumpkin roll:
- 1/2 tsp Ground Ginger
- 1 tsp Ground Cloves
- 1 tsp Allspice
- 1 tsp Ground Nutmeg
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
or rather… 1/2 tsp of Ground ginger and 1 tsp of everything else.
Since 1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons, this makes 1.5 tablespoons of pumpkin spice mix.
My First Pumpkin Roll:
I enjoyed my first pumpkin roll by purchasing one from a Pet Rescue fundraiser for a local pet rescue I volunteer for. The pumpkin rolls were homemade and donated for the fundraiser. I noticed posts on the fundraiser page of people placing large orders, and I was only ordering one. Is it that good? Or are people really enthusiastic about donating to the rescue in exchange for some holiday treats?
I figured people were ordering them either as a courtesy to the baker or as a donation to the rescue. After eating my first slice of the roll I had purchased, I realized those enthusiastic donors probably wait all year for this annual fundraiser and knew they had to stock up for the year with large orders. That would be me if I wasn’t such an enthusiastic baker, so I set a goal!
The Goal:
My goal, this year, was to have a Pumpkin Roll recipe of my own, so that I did not have to spend the rest of my life at the mercy of the one time a year the pet rescue would hold their fundraiser.
What I learned:
- You can’t use just any pumpkin for pumpkin puree, there is a specific pumpkin used – the Pie Pumpkin – it’s smaller than the carving pumpkin, and has a longer stem. I got mine from WinCo, a major grocery store in my city
- During my research, I came across a page ( ProduceGeek) that said carving pumpkins are too stringy and too watery for baking, so I did not waste my strength getting the biggest pumpkin from the store.
- Once Pureed, pumpkin goes in the freezer!
- If you’re like me and you want to be able to make this treat year round, once the pumpkin is pureed, it can be stored in the freezer for up to 6-8 months.
- You can also safely store the pureed pumpkin in the fridge for up to a week.
The Recipe:
for the cake
- ¾ cups All-Purpose Flour
- ½ tsp Baking Powder
- ½ tsp Baking Soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1½ tbsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
- 3 Large Eggs
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- 1 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 2/3 Cup Pumpkin Puree (or canned pumpkin)
- ¼ Cup Powder Sugar for dusting and rolling
Instructions:
- Preheat the Oven to 375°F.
- Line the bottom of a 9″x 13″ Baking pan with parchment paper and lightly spray the edges with an oil spray.
- In a medium sized bowl, combine the Flour, Baking Powder, Baking Soda, Salt and Pumpkin Pie Spice (I’m going to call this “GROUP A“)
- In a Mixer bowl, beat the Eggs, Vanilla, and Granulated Sugar (“GROUP B”) until thick.
4. Add the pumpkin puree to GROUP B, mix to combine.
5. Fold GROUP A into GROUP B until the mixture is completely mixed in with no dry streaks (image below is not thoroughly folded in).
6. Pour the batter into the baking pan and spread the batter to an even layer.
7. Bake the Cake for 12-15 minutes, or until the cake is springy to a finger poke.
8. While the cake is baking, lay a piece of parchment paper on a usable counter space and dust the parchment paper with some powdered sugar.
9. When the cake is done baking, take it out of the oven and let it cool for a minute. When it is just cool enough to touch without burning yourself, flip the cake onto the sugar coated parchment paper, peel the bottom parchment paper off, and carefully roll the cake into a roll form, starting at the short edge. Let it cool to room temp in this form.
10. Once at room temp, gently unroll the cake and spread an icing of choice (I prefer Cream Cheese Icing, which I posted my favorite recipe here, so the instructions will be in favor of a cream cheese textured icing) at about 1/2″ thickness and about a 1/2″ away from the edges of the rectangular cake.
11. Gently and tightly reroll the cake into form. At this point, you may dust it with powdered sugar for decoration. I usually stick it in the freezer for the rest of the night and dust it in the morning.
I generally stick these in a disposable window-top pastry box, but not everyone keeps these handy, so in a pinch, wrapping in aluminium foil or plastic wrap works as well, just make sure you keep it in the freezer.
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