Spiced Maple Walnut Pumpkin Roll

Changing A Family Recipe – Sort Of

As I’ve shared with you before, my Mamo was an amazing cook! She had dozens upon dozens of recipes, and I loved to spend hours going through them (not much has changed I guess) and picking out the ones I was going to copy and keep for when I had my own kitchen.  Among those recipes was one for a Pumpkin Roll, and in my young mind it sounded like the most elegant thing imaginable! I honestly don’t know if Mamo ever made that roll…if she did I don’t remember it.  But she did pass the recipe to my mom.

Now my mom did NOT love to cook.  She knew how to cook, and would of course make dinner for her family when she had to, but she did not have a passion for it in any way.  Surprisingly, she did love to collect recipes.  I don’t know why…living vicariously through pictures maybe…but she would scour through magazines and clip recipes to try “one day.”  That is probably how she ended up with Mamo’s Pumpkin Roll recipe…and  eventually so did I.

“Pumpkin Spice is my favorite season!” – unknown

I’ve made this roll many times over the years, and I have added and changed things to make it my own.  The original recipe calls for one cup of pecans sprinkled on the batter.  You can add other nuts (or leave them out altogether) if you prefer. It’s one of those things I always think about when Fall rolls around and the smell of pumpkin and spice is everywhere! It really is simple to make, but it looks so pretty on a plate.  In this particular version I added the wonderful earthy flavor of maple syrup with toasted walnuts and just a touch of spice to energize those taste buds after all the sweetness.

The first step is to have your mise en place (pronounced MEEZ ahn plahs or mi zɑ̃ ˈplas)…well…in place.  In other words, have everything measured out and ready before you start mixing. This recipe is a fast moving train once you get going so it’s much easier to have everything together.

Place chopped walnuts in a preheated oven in a baking dish or cast iron skillet.  Toast them for 5-7 minutes (just until they start to brown).  Remove from oven, and sprinkle cinnamon and cayenne pepper on nuts, stirring well.  Add maple syrup, stirring until nuts are coated.  Set aside and let cool.

Grease and flour a 15 x 10 x 1 inch pan. 

Beat eggs in a large bowl with electric or stand mixer at high speed until thickened.  Gradually add sugar and beat five more minutes.  Finally, stir in the pumpkin puree and lemon juice.

In a separate bowl combine flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and pumpkin pie spice.  Gradually stir dry ingredients into pumpkin mixture.

Spread batter evenly into prepared pan.  Sprinkle with spiced walnuts.  Gently press nuts into the batter.

Bake cake for 12-15 minutes, until it springs back when gently pressed with fingertip.  Loosen edges of cake from pan with a spatula.

Spread out a clean dish towel, and sprinkle 1-2 tbsp powdered sugar in a 15 x 10 rectangle on towel.  Turn cake out onto the sugared towel.  Roll up cake and towel together, starting at one of the short ends.  Let cake cool on a rack, seam side down.

Beat cream cheese with butter in a large bowl at high speed.  Gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until it is smooth.

When cake is completely cool, gently unroll the cake, being careful not to split it.  Spread the cream cheese mixture over the cake and carefully reroll (without the towel this time).  You can decorate with powdered sugar, fruit, nuts, flowers…whatever your heart desires!  Keep in the refrigerator until you are ready to slice and serve!

Your family will think you spent all day working on this beauty…and I promise to keep your secret!

Let me know in the comments below if you give this one a try.  And I would love to send more goodness to you every week…just click on the subscribe button so you don’t miss anything.  Until next time, don’t forget to add A Slice of Spice to your every day!

Michele

Print

Spiced Maple Walnut Pumpkin Roll

A delicate pumpkin cake with spicy maple walnuts all wrapped around a sweet cream cheese filling.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Cooling Time 20 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 8

Author Michele

Ingredients

• 1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp cayenne
• 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup mashed pumpkin - puree from a can works well too
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice optional
• 2 tbsp powdered sugar

For the filling

• 8 oz cream cheese - softened
• 2 tbsp buttered - softened
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Put walnuts in an oven proof pan or cast iron skillet.  Toast in oven for 5-6 minutes...just until they start slightly browning.  Remove from oven.

3. Sprinkle nuts with 2 tsp of cinnamon and cayenne.  Stir to mix well.  Add maple syrup and stir until nuts are coated well.  Set aside to cool.

4. Grease and flour a 15 x 10 x 1 inch pan.  

5. Beat eggs in a large bowl with electric or stand mixer on high speed until thick.  Gradually add granulated sugar and beat 5 more minutes.  Stir in pumpkin and lemon juice.

6. In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and pumpkin pie spice.  Gradually stir dry ingredients into pumpkin mixture.

7. Spread batter evenly over prepared pan.  Sprinkle batter with cooled nuts, gently pressing into the batter.

8. Bake at 375 degrees for 12 - 15 minutes.

9. On a clean dish towel, sprinkle 1-2 tbsp powdered sugar into a 15 x 10 rectangle.

10. When cake is done, immediately loosen from edges of pan and turn out onto sugared dish towel. Roll up cake and towel together, starting from short end.  Let cake cool on wire rack, seam side down.

For filling:

1. Beat cream cheese with butter in a large bowl at high speed.  Gradually add in powdered sugar and vanilla, beating until blended.

Assembling roll:

1. When cake is cooled, gently unroll, being careful not to crack it.  Spread cream cheese filling over cake, and carefully re-roll.  Keep in refrigerator until ready to slice and serve.

2. You can sprinkle powdered sugar over roll, or add fruit, nuts, or edible flowers to decorate.