Pumpkin Roulade for Bonnie

Hello friends! Happy weekend! Last night at the bakery I was in Autumn mode. I dyed the rice krispie treats orange and put Fall sprinkles on top, I decorated pumpkin sugar cookies, and I adapted one of Cathy Burgetts roulade recipes for my old friend Bonnie.

Bonnie and I have known each other since fourth grade. We were friends through the New Kids on the Block faze, sleepovers with "light as a feather, stiff as a board" and princess underwear. Her dad took us to Marine World at some point, and ever since then I have felt like I owed her, cuz Marine World was awesome! So I'm finally paying her back with this pumpkin roulade recipe. Hopefully she'll get to make it before her third baby girl arrives! This is for you Bon Bon!

Pumpkin Roulade with Vanilla Whipped Cream
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. ginger
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. clove
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup pureed pumpkin
2 Tbs. vanilla
1 Tbs. molasses
6 egg whites

For the filling
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
2 Tbs. vanilla

To make 
-Preheat the oven to 350*
-Prepare a 1/2 sheet pan by buttering it, lining it with parchment paper, buttering it again, and flouring it. Tap out the excess flour.
-Sift together 1 cup of the sugar with the rest of the dry ingredients onto a sheet of parchment paper.

-In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, oil, pumpkin and vanilla until well blended.

-Gently stir the dry ingredients into the liquid mixture.
-Beat the egg whites gradually until they hold soft peaks. Continue beating at high speed and meringue the whites with the 1/2 cup remaining sugar. Beat the whites until they are stiff and glossy, but not powdery.

-Fold 1/3 of the whites into the yolk batter to lighten it,

 then fold in the rest of the whites until thoroughly mixed in.

-Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan, and spread it evenly with an offset spatula.

-Bake for 15-20 minutes until the edges of the cake just start to pull away from the sides of the pan, and the middle of the cake feels springy to the touch. You can insert a tooth pick, and it should come out clean.
-Remove from the oven, and cool completely in the pan.
-While cake is cooling make your filling. Pour cream into a mixer and sift the powdered sugar over it. Whisk on high until soft peaks form. Add in vanilla and continue whisking until you have stiff peaks. Set aside.

-When the cake is cool, sprinkle it liberally with powdered sugar. Cover the surface with a piece of parchment paper, and invert the cake.

 Peel off the parchment paper on which the cake was baked.

-Spread the filling onto the rectangle of cake.

-Using the parchment on which the cake is sitting, roll up the cake, starting at the long end,

 into a log.

-Place the roulade, whole or cut, on a cardboard cut to fit it, or directly onto a serving platter, and sprinkle with a final dusting of powdered sugar.

This is such an Autumnal, fragrant and delicious cake! It looks so impressive, but don't be fooled by the long instruction list. It is easy! Your family and friends will "ooh and aah" when you show up with this for parties, or  if you're not careful your husband will eat most of it while you're not looking!

As a variation, you could substitute brandy or rum for the vanilla in the whipped cream filling. But you'll have many opportunities to try different flavors, because once you make this you'll have to make it again and again!

Enjoy!