Make a delicious Pumpkin Cream Cheese Roll for the holidays (or any time)! This classic dessert has sweet cream cheese filling rolled inside!
Preheat oven to 350°F. Option #1: Generously grease/flour a 10" x 15" cookie sheet or jelly roll pan. Option#2: Lightly grease pan; place parchment paper in pan (to fit). Use butter to generously "grease" parchment paper (all of it).
Beat eggs and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on High. Continue beating for 1-2 minutes until well-combined/sugar dissolves. Add pumpkin and lemon juice. Beat on Low only until incorporated into egg mixture. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves. STIR this into pumpkin mixture until combined.
Pour batter into prepared pan; spread it evenly in pan. Place in oven. Bake at 350°F for 12-15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the top/middle comes out clean, OR lightly touching the cake surface with a finger. If cake springs back, it should be done.
3-4 minutes before cake is done, soak a kitchen dish towel with water; wring excess water out. Lay damp towel on counter; GENEROUSLY sift powdered sugar over towel in same size/shape as the baking pan. Cake will be turned out onto the towel; powdered sugar will help it to not stick.
When cake is done, remove from oven and immediately use an offset or regular metal spatula to loosen all edges (sides and under) the cake. Carefully slide spatula around under cake, to loosen it as much as possible. NOTE: If using alternative parchment paper method, simply run spatula around edges of cake to loosen. Using oven mitts, hold pan on both short sides; immediately invert (flip over) pan of "loosened" cake onto powdered sugar on towel. It may not look perfect, but this will be covered with cream cheese filling later! NOTE: Peel parchment paper carefully off cake (if you used that method).
Roll the cake while it's still hot. Beginning with the LONG side, fold damp towel over bottom edge of the cake (about 2"). Carefully and tightly roll towel INTO the cake, forming a log-shaped roll. Continue until fully rolled and "seam" side is on the bottom. Once rolled (with towel inside), let it cool for 30 minutes.
While cake cools, place cream cheese, butter, a powdered sugar and vanilla in a medium bowl. Beat with electric mixer until combined/lump-free. After pumpkin roll has cooled for 30 minutes, carefully unroll cake. Evenly spread cream cheese filling over the top of the cake, all the way to the edges.
Re-roll the cake, but this time only use the towel to help guide the rolling. Starting rolling again on the long side, but roll cake into itself (no towel IN the cake). Use the towel to help roll cake as one long unit, with seam on bottom.
Carefully transfer pumpkin roll to parchment paper and wrap it, then cover with aluminum foil and seal. You can freeze the pumpkin roll at this point OR refrigerate it to serve later the same day. Note; If freezing, frozen roll needs to be thawed for 15-20 minutes before slicing.
To serve: Place unwrapped chilled pumpkin roll on serving platter. Sift powdered sugar on top just before slicing. Cut pumpkin roll into 10 slices, then serve, with the sliced side up! Wrap any leftovers well, and store in refrigerator. Enjoy!
NOTE: Caloric calculation does not include additional powdered sugar used to sprinkle on the damp dish towel or dust the finished cake, as the amounts may vary per cook.
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Roll https://www.thegratefulgirlcooks.com/pumpkin-cream-cheese-roll/