sweet

Almond Biscotti with Pineapple and Coconut

June 18, 2021 by Marisa 47 Comments

An incredibly easy recipe for Almond Biscotti with Pineapple and Coconut.

These popular twice baked cookies are topped with a drizzle of melted white chocolate and a generous sprinkle of sweetened shredded coconut. Just because we all need a little indulgence once in a while!

This almond cookie recipe was inspired by a tropical themed party my daughter held years back when celebrating a milestone birthday.

She had opted out of a traditional birthday cake and instead requested mini vanilla cupcakes with a buttercream frosting and chocolate cream cheese cake pops, dipped in yellow candy melts.

I had also made dozens of the these light and crumbly biscotti, studded with sweetened flaked coconut, diced crystallized pineapple and chopped roasted almonds. Truly wonderful flavors of the tropics in every bite!

This recipe was posted way back in January of 2016 and just recently, I decided to refresh and update the photos and add new content.

They’re wonderfully easy to make and no stand mixer is required.

Just two bowls! One for stirring the dry ingredients and the other for whisking the wet ingredients.

You’ll be working with a firm cookie dough but still sticky so do flour your hands and work surface.

Also make sure your cookie sheet is ready and nearby to quickly transfer the rolled logs effortlessly. And don’t worry if it’s a less then perfect log because it will spread anyhow during the first baking.

Let’s get started!

How to Make Almond Biscotti with Pineapple and Coconut

Step 1: Place the flour, baking powder, salt, chopped almonds, shredded coconut and pineapple pieces in a large bowl. Stir to combine.

You can use a very sturdy whisk but a wooden spoon works better.

Step 2: Place the sugar, oil, eggs, vanilla and almond extracts in a separate large bowl. Whisk till combined.

Step 3: Stir the wet ingredients into the flour mixture until thoroughly combined.

Step 4: Transfer the dough onto a work surface and divide the dough into 2 equal portions.

Have ready nearby a parchment lined cookie sheet.

Step 5: Roll and shape the dough into 12 inch logs on a lightly floured work surface. Carefully transfer the logs on the prepared baking sheet.

Step 6: Brush the top and sides of the logs with the beaten egg white and bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes.

When ready, after the first bake, the cookie logs should feel firm to the touch.

Allow the logs to cool for 15 minutes before slicing and baking a second time.

Step 7: Slice the logs into 1/2 inch pieces and return the sliced biscotti to the baking sheet, standing upright for even baking. (Check below on how to slice biscotti)

Return to the oven and bake an additional 15 minutes.

These twice baked cookies are wonderful all on their own. But for a little extra indulgence, I like to drizzle the tops with melted white chocolate and a generous sprinkle of sweetened flaked coconut.

They have all the makings of a delicious and over the top cookie with the flavours of the tropics!

How To Slice Biscotti

I am often asked how to get ends that don’t break off while slicing. Here are my tips and tricks!

Allow the cookie logs to cool 15 minutes before slicing. They’re much more pliable to a sharp knife while still warm.
Point the tip of the sharp knife down and slice in one fluid motion. This always works best for me. And because these tropical biscotti are not the rock hard variety I don’t use a serrated knife.
Also, because the pineapple pieces stick to the knife, I wipe the knife with a damp cloth between each slice. This way you’re assured clean and even neat slices.

How Long Do Biscotti Keep?

Although they will keep well in an airtight container for up to two weeks they will disappear oh so quickly!

Happy Baking!

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Tropical Biscotti

A crisp and light biscotti with the sweet flavors of the tropics.

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time45 mins

Restine time15 mins

Course: Biscotti

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Almond Biscotti with Pineapple and Coconut

Servings: pieces

Calories: 159kcal

Author: Marisa

Ingredients

2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup roasted almonds, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut
2/3 cup chopped crystallized pineapple
1/2 cup olive oil
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 beaten egg white For brushing logs before baking

Topping

1/2 cup pure white chocolate chips melted
3/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325*
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium sized bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt with the chopped almonds, coconut and pineapple pieces.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the olive oil, granulated sugar, eggs and both extracts.
Stir the wet ingredients into the flour mixture until thoroughly combined.
Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and divide equally in half.
With lightly floured hands and work surface, roll each half into a log about 12 inches long .
Transfer the logs to the prepared cookie sheet and brush the top and sides with the beaten egg white.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the logs are golden brown and firm to the touch.
Let the logs cool for 15 minutes.
Transfer the logs one at a time onto a cutting board and slice diagonally into 1/2 inch pieces.
Return the sliced biscotti to the baking tray, laying them upright.
Place the tray back into the oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
Let the biscotti cool completely before topping with the melted chocolate and coconut.

Melting Chocolate For Topping

Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl while stirring at 15 second intervals so that it doesn't scorch.
Either brush or drizzle the melted chocolate over top of biscotti and sprinkle with shredded coconut.
For easier drizzling, you can thin out the chocolate with a neutral tasting vegetable oil. About a teaspoon at a time til you achieve a consistency you like.

Nutrition

Sweet Crispy Pasta Nests

April 2, 2021 by Marisa 29 Comments

Are you wondering what is a good dessert with pasta? Well how about taking fresh egg pasta and turning it into irresistible Sweet Crispy Pasta Nests!

This sweet pasta dessert is deep fried till golden and then soaked in an orange infused honey syrup. As a finishing touch, you can top the honey soaked pasta with coloured sprinkles, crushed pistachios or candy coated chocolate eggs for an easy Easter dessert.

Pasta not only makes a comforting first course meal but fresh pasta can be transformed into a rather playful dessert.

Italians have been making various types of pasta desserts for centuries and this comes as no surprise considering the love we all share for the ever popular noodle.

You can actually give your children permission to play with their food by involving them in shaping the strands of pasta into adorable nests.

They’re incredibly easy to put together but you may want to keep the young ones away from the hot oil.

How To Make Sweet Crispy Pasta Nests

Oh…the pastabilities!

I used three types of fresh egg pasta. Fettuccine! Linguine! And capellini!

The photo above shows the deep fried Linguine and in the photo below it shows its’ fresh state.

But you can use any fresh long strand of egg pasta you wish. The thinner the pasta the crispier it will be!

It’s almost a non recipe as there’s no mixing, beating or kneading involved here. Just a few simple steps!

And they’re a perfect make ahead dessert!

Step One: Take 3 strands of the longest fresh pasta noodles and twirl it around both your index and middle fingers to shape the nests.

The longer noodles can actually be twirled twice around your finger. And the over hanging part can be looped under the nest and pushed back up through the middle.

This secures the nests while allowing less loosening of the twirled pasta in the hot oil.

Fresh twirled fettuccine on the left and capellini on the right.

Place the shaped pasta on a cookie sheet and allow to air dry for about 15 minutes before hitting the hot oil. Don’t skip this step as this also helps the nested dough from coming apart in the hot oil.

During this resting time, prep your toppings in separate bowls and heat the vegetable oil.

How To Deep Fry Pasta Dough For Dessert

Step Two: Heat some vegetable oil in a heavy bottom stock pot at 350 degrees F.

Deep fry the pasta nests till a deep golden colour, turning over once. About 15-20 seconds in the hot oil.

Transfer the nests onto a paper lined cookie sheet to absorb any excess oil. Repeat with the remaining pasta.

Pretty simple and straight forward right?

And now for the final step!

How To Make Orange Infused Honey

Step Three: Pore one cup of honey in a small stock pot and add in one tablespoon of brandy and the zest of an orange. You can omit the brandy to make it strictly kid friendly.

Heat the honey mixture over low heat till barely a simmer. We just want it warm enough to dip our pasta into.

Turn off the heat and dip a few nests into the warmed honey while turning to coat all over.

Transfer the honey coated nests onto a wire rack with a cookie sheet underneath to catch any drippings.

Once you’ve finished coating the pasta with the warmed honey, you can decorate the nests with your choice of toppings.

And really anything goes here. Be as creative as you like!

What Happens If You Deep Fry Noodles?

As with deep frying anything you don’t want a too low heat because it’ll just absorb too much oil. The opposite is true if you’re using heat that’s too high. The end result is an over-browned, dry and brittle nest.

Thin noodles such as fettuccine, linguine or capellini fry well at 350 degrees F. And they’re ready in under a minute so pay close attention. Don’t walk away from the hot oil.

The end result are golden hued nests with crispy and crunchy sweet bites. Almost pretzel-like in texture, except sweeter. Perfect little nibbles to munch on!

These deep fried pasta treats are the base for different toppings!

I topped the fettuccine with crushed pistachios which makes a lovely contrast to the honey-soaked nests.

And I did the same with the linguine but also added some candy coated chocolate eggs for this Easter celebration.

As for the capellini, in the photo above, I topped the fried pasta shapes with Easter coloured sprinkles. These tiny pearl shaped sprinkles are a great match to the thinner noodle.

My family thoroughly enjoyed these sweet crispy pasta nests and devoured them in no time at all. They will most certainly be making a reappearance for Easter Sunday.

Other Traditional Easter Desserts You’ll Love

Pastiera Napoletana Recipe is a traditional Italian citrus scented, wheat berry and ricotta pie. A must have during the Easter holiday!
Italian Rice and Ricotta Pie is an elegant lemon flavoured rice pie, encased in a flaky phyllo dough crust. It’s easier to make than it looks!
Chocolate Orange Ricotta Tart A simple yet elegant tart made with a pasta frolla dough. This orange scented tart is made with both ricotta and mascarpone cheese and of course chocolate. It is pure heaven!

Happy Baking!

This recipe was originally posted April 7th 2017 and republished April 2nd 2021 with updated photos and content.

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Sweet Crispy Easter Pasta Nests

Turn fresh egg pasta into irresistible Sweet Crispy Pasta Nests. They're deep fried, golden hued treats dipped in honey and then topped with candy coated chocolate Easter eggs, pistachios and sprinkles.

Prep Time30 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Sweet Crispy Pasta Nests

Servings:

Calories: 78kcal

Author: Marisa

Ingredients

450 grams fresh egg fettuccine, linguine or capellini or 150 grams of each for variety
canola or vegetable oil for deep frying

Orange Infused Honey

1 cup honey
orange zest from 1 orange
1 tablespoon brandy

Choice Of Toppings

Mini candy coated chocolate Easter eggs
pistachios crushed
coloured sprinkles

Instructions

Forming The Pasta Nests

Have 2 baking sheets nearby.
Using 2 or 3 strands of pasta at a time, twirl between your index and middle fingers shaping into a nest.
The amount of times you twirl the pasta around your fingers will depend on the length of the pasta strands. Just make sure you have a slight overhang to loop the extra length under the nest and back up through the middle.
Carefully place the pasta nest onto the baking sheet and repeat with the remaining fresh pasta.
Allow to rest and dry out slightly so they don't come apart in the hot oil.

Deep Frying The Nested Pasta

In a heavy bottom stock pot or dutch oven, heat about 2 inches of oil to 350 degrees. (use a thermometer for accuracy)
Carefully drop in the pasta nests, frying 3 at a time until they're golden in colour. It took me about 20 seconds to fry 3 at a time.
Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a tray lined with paper towels to drain any excess oil.
Continue frying the remaining pasta nests.

Orange Infused Honey

Place the honey, orange zest and brandy in a small stock pot and heat till barley a simmer while stirring occasionally.
Turn off the heat and dip the pasta nests into the honey mixture, turning to coat all over.
Transfer the honey nests onto a cooling rack. Make sure to place a cookie sheet under the rack to catch any drips.
Top with candy coated chocolate Easter eggs, crushed pistachios or sprinkles.
Keep the pasta nests covered in an airtight container until ready to serve.

Nutrition

Homemade Vanilla Sugar

November 28, 2020 by Marisa 18 Comments

Learn how to make your own homemade vanilla sugar to use in your favourite cookie recipes or other baked goods. All you need is some granulated sugar, a fresh vanilla bean and a few minutes of your time. So easy!

I think that it’s pretty safe to say that this is by far the easiest recipe you’ll find here on the blog. And one that can be prepared in mere minutes too!

Over the years it has become a staple ingredient in my kitchen. Especially around the holidays. So I always make sure to prepare some way ahead of my baking projects because it needs this valuable time for the flavours to infuse.

In doing so, you’ll be rewarded with the most incredibly fragrant sugar speckled with the little black seeds of the vanilla bean.

What is Vanilla Sugar?

Vanilla sugar is simply that! Two ingredients consisting of just regular granulated sugar infused with the seeds of a vanilla bean.

It’s a simple process of splitting the bean across the pod and extracting the caviar-like seeds and then incorporating the seeds with the sugar.

The hollowed out bean pod is given new life by burying it deep into the sugar mixture to enhance the sweet essence of the vanilla flavour for months to come.

Did You Know?

Did you know that vanilla beans are the second most expensive spice right after saffron? And that’s because vanilla beans are extremely labor-intensive to grow.

Having said that, it’s still widely used from professional chefs to home cooks all over the world as it’s such a versatile spice.

Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Beans

Madagascar bourbon vanilla beans have nothing to do with “bourbon” the alcohol.

The Bourbon vanilla gets its name from Île Bourbon which is now known as Réunion, the region where these long and slender beans were cultivated, cured and also grow in Madagascar and other Islands along the Indian Ocean.

They are by far the most popular and sought after vanilla beans.

They’re moist, pliable and with a sweet buttery scent, making them simply perfect to bake with.

Although the Madagascar bourbon variety is my favourite you can just as easily substitute it with the Tahitian or Mexican vanilla beans.

How to make Vanilla Infused Sugar

With a sharp pairing knife, slice open the vanilla bean along its length.
Spread the bean apart and use the back of a knife to scrape out the seeds.
Combine the sugar and vanilla seeds together in a bowl.
Stir together the 2 ingredients until well dispersed.
You can do this with 2 rubber spatulas. Simply rub together the sugar and vanilla seeds with the spatulas to release the larger clumps.
Alternately, you can also place the sugar and vanilla seeds in a food processor and pulse for a few seconds till thoroughly combined.
Transfer the vanilla sugar into an airtight container and bury the pod deeply into the sugar.

Over time the Vanilla Sugar becomes more and more fragrant. So go ahead and make it a couple of weeks in advance before you start your holiday baking.

Tip of the day: When a recipe calls for the seeds of a vanilla bean, don’t discard the pod.

Rather, give it new life by adding it to your vanilla sugar canister, as this will help to maintain the flavour of your vanilla sugar and refreshes it at the same time.

And continue filling the canister with more granulated sugar as the quantity depletes.

What is Vanilla Sugar Used For?

Vanilla sugar can be utilized in various ways.

You can use it to sweeten coffee or tea and even use it in your next baking adventure. And yes even savoury recipes!

My favourite way of using vanilla sugar is rolling some raspberry filled Butterball Cookies into the vanilla infused sugar. It adds such a sparkly appeal to these buttery cookies.

I also love using it in my Wild Blueberry Lemon Biscotti. The vanilla sugar lends such a wonderful warm fragrance to the twice baked cookies and pairs wonderfully with the white chocolate chips and dried blueberries.

Need a gift idea? You can fill decorative glass jars or bottles with the homemade vanilla sugar. And you can then gift decorated jars to guests as a “sweet” way of saying thank-you. Pun intended!

This Homemade Vanilla Sugar recipe was originally published December 2, 2015 and republished November 28, 2020 with new photos and content.

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Homemade Vanilla Sugar

Prep Time5 mins

Course: Condiment

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Homemade Vanilla Sugar

Servings: cups

Calories: 780kcal

Author: Marisa

Ingredients

1 Vanilla Bean
2 cups granulated sugar

Instructions

Slice the Vanilla Bean down the middle from end to end with a sharp knife.
Using the back of the knife, scrape out the seeds.
Combine the sugar with the vanilla seeds in a medium size bowl and stir until the vanilla seeds are well dispersed.
Alternately, you can use a food processor to speed this up even quicker.
Transfer to an airtight container and bury the pods deeply in the vanilla sugar.
It can be stored indefinitely.
Use in your favorite coffee, tea or desserts.

Nutrition

Tarallucci al Limone: Italian Lemon Knot Cookies

June 10, 2020 by Marisa 82 Comments

Tarallucci al limone are traditional Italian lemon knot cookies from southern Italy. They were very popular at weddings as they symbolize two people “tying the knot” in holy matrimony.

Today you will find them mostly at holidays and family gatherings. You’ll also find other shapes, such as the twist or a single ring form such as the ciambelle cookies.

They were not a typical cookie from my childhood, however most Italian families have a version of these tarallucci al limone.

My first encounter with these soft lemon cookies came from a local bakery and I fell in love with them at first bite! I set out to replicate them at home. However, after a few enquiries, I quickly came to realize that there are many ways to make them.

Some use butter or crisco shortening and others a vegetable oil.

The first time I tried them, I had opted for an oil based cookie and really have never looked back since.

They turned out soft, ever so tender and with a sweet lemon kick.

How to make Tarallucci al Limone: Italian Lemon Knot Cookies

These Lemon knot cookies are pretty simple to make and with ingredients you probably already have on hand.

Start by whisking together the flour, baking powder and the salt in a medium sized bowl.

Then with a stand mixer or a hand held mixer you’ll beat the eggs and sugar together.

Next in are the oil, cream, vanilla, lemon zests and juice while mixing until combined.

Add in the flour mixture and mix til thoroughly combined.

How to form knots for Italian Lemon Cookies

You can start forming the knots as soon as your tarallucci dough is ready, however if your dough is too soft simply cover it with a plastic wrap and set it aside for 15 minutes.

This will make it easier to roll out and it bears mentioning that the dough is very forgiving. So if you mess up the knots at the beginning, simply re-roll them!

Start by scooping out pieces of dough slightly smaller than a golf ball.

With lightly floured hands, roll the piece of dough out to about 7 inches long.

Twist the dough to form a loop while inserting one end through the loop to form a knot.

Place them about 2 inches apart on your cookie sheet allowing them room to grow.

They don’t spread out too much but puff up rather prettily. When they’re ready they’ll look pale golden in colour with a slight browning on the outer edges.

My oven tends to darken cookies on the outer edge of the baking sheet. However it didn’t change the overall texture of the darker cookies.

Once the tarallucci cookies have cooled, dip them in a lemon glaze and place them on a wire rack to allow the excess glaze to drip off.

Make sure to place the wire rack over a baking sheet to catch all that drip.

Tarallucci can also be topped with sprinkles of your choice. But all you really need to adorn this simple Italian cookie is a luscious lemon glaze.

I love them just the way they are! Easy to make and oh so delicious!

And if you love lemon cookies as much as I do then you’ll adore these Lemon Ricotta Cookies. They’re an Italian classic cookie. So soft and with a melt-in-your-mouth bite!

This recipe was first Published June 19 2016 and republished June 10 2020 with updated content and photos.

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Tarallucci al Limone: Italian Lemon Knot Cookies

Tarallucci al Limone are Italian lemon knot cookies and extremely easy to make. These soft to the bite cookies are dipped in a luscious lemon glaze.

Prep Time45 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Course: Cookie

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Italian lemon knot cookies, lemon cookies, tarallucci al limone

Servings: cookies

Calories: 133kcal

Author: Marisa

Equipment

Baking Sheets
Parchment paper

Ingredients

LEMON COOKIE DOUGH

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
generous pinch of salt
3 large eggs
3/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup canola oil vegetable or sunflower oil is also fine
1/4 cup cream I used 15% cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 ½ tablespoons lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice

LEMON GLAZE

2 1/2 cups icing sugar
5 tablespoons lemon juice

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.
With a stand mixer or hand held mixer, beat the eggs and sugar together for about 1 minute.
Add the oil, cream, vanilla extract, the lemon zest, lemon juice and mix until combined.
Mix in the flour mixture beating for 1 minute til the dough is thoroughly combined.
The dough will be soft and tacky but still easy to work with.
Transfer the dough to a work surface.
Cut off pieces of dough, slightly smaller than a golf ball and roll out into a log about a 1/2 inch wide and 7 inches long.
I start rolling the dough between the palm of my hands while keeping my hands lightly dusted with flour. And then finished rolling the dough out to 7 inches on a work surface.
Twist the dough to form a loop inserting one end through the loop while forming a knot.
Place on the prepared cookie sheet;
Repeat with remaining dough, spacing the cookies about 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet.
I was able to fit 12 onto each pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 18 minutes. When done the cookies should be pale in colour with lightly browned edges.
Let cool on wire rack.

LEMON GLAZE

In a medium size bowl, whisk together the icing sugar and lemon juice.
Transfer the lemon glaze to a smaller bowl for easy dipping.
Dip cookies one at at time in lemon glaze, letting excess glaze drip off.
Place cookies on cookie rack till glaze is completely set.

Notes

The original recipe was published on June 19, 2016.

I've revised the recipe and republished on June 10, 2020 with a few switch ups to ensure success in your own kitchens.

The flour amount was increased to 3 1/2 cups

I've decreased the oil to 1/2 cup.

I added 1/4 cup of cream.

And I've also added a tad more lemon zest.

You should have a soft and slightly tacky dough to work with and perfectly manageable to shape and knot.

Keep stored in an airtight container.

Cookies freeze extremely well.

Nutrition

Pumpkin Roll Cake

November 9, 2019 by Marisa 55 Comments

Dazzle family and friends with a simple to make yet show stopping Pumpkin Roll Cake! It has all the wonderful aromas of Fall with fragrant pumpkin pie spices such as ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon. The outer layer is studded with chopped walnuts and the inside layers are filled with a luscious cream cheese frosting.

This pumpkin cake roll with cream cheese frosting has a beautiful density to it that softens while chilling in the fridge.

You’ll want to chill the filled cake roll for at least 4 hours and up to 48 hours.

The longer chilling time allows for the cream cheese filling to set, making it much easier to slice and not have all that luscious filling oozing out.

So, if you need a wonderful make ahead dessert then this cake roll has your name on it!

Here’s what you’ll need to get started!

Ingredients for Pumpkin Roll Cake

3 large eggs, room temperature
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup canned pumpkin purée
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar plus a little more for dusting over the cake

How to make a Pumpkin Roll Cake

Grease a 15x10x1 inch baking pan.

Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and grease the paper. This step will allow the cake to release from the baking sheet effortlessly (do not skip this step). Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 375*F.

In a small bowl combine the dry ingredients together. The flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ground ginger, salt, the ground nutmeg and stir well then set aside.

In a separate large bowl beat the eggs on high speed for about 5 minutes until thickened.

Lower to medium speed and gradually add the sugar, beating until it is light in colour and fluffy.

Stir in the pumpkin purée and the lemon juice.

Next, beat in the flour mixture just until combined.

Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan using an offset spatula. Sprinkle the finely chopped walnuts evenly over the batter.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 12 to 15 minutes or until the cake springs back when touched.

Meanwhile, lay out a clean kitchen towel and sprinkle generously with icing sugar.

This will ensure that the cake does not stick to the dish towel and will give the cake a pretty appearance.

Let the pumpkin roll cake cool completely.

When ready to fill the cake, unroll from the kitchen towel and spread generously with the cream cheese frosting.

How do I keep my Pumpkin Roll Cake from cracking?

It’s imperative that you roll the cake fresh from the oven as this will ensure no cracks in the layers.

When the cake is done, immediately loosen the edges with a knife and invert it onto the clean kitchen towel (nuts side down) and peel off the parchment paper.

Starting at the short end, roll the cake in the towel and transfer to a wire rack and cool for 30 minutes to set the shape.

For the filling, in a medium mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla on medium speed until it is smooth and then gradually beat in the powdered sugar.

Unroll the cake and spread the filling in a thin layer within 1 inch of the borders.

Firmly roll up the cake using the towel to help if needed. Cover the pumpkin cake roll with plastic wrap and chill for 4 to 48 hours.

When ready to serve, dust with powdered sugar and trim off edges.

Then simply slice and serve!

What other recipes can I make with Pumpkin Purée?

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Pumpkin Roll Cake

A show stopping Pumpkin Roll cake with all the wonderful aromas of Fall spices, studded with walnuts and filled with a luscious cream cheese frosting.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Pumpkin Cake Roll

Servings: to 12

Calories: 344kcal

Ingredients

3 large eggs room temperature
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup canned pumpkin purée
1 teaspoon lemon juice freshly squeezed
1 cup finely chopped walnuts

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 8 ounce package cream cheese softened
1/3 cup butter softened
1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

Grease a 15x10x1 inch baking pan.
Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper, grease the top of the paper and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 375*F.
In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl beat the eggs on high speed for about 5 minutes until thickened.
Lower to medium speed and gradually add the sugar, beating until it is light in colour and fluffy.
Stir in the pumpkin and the lemon juice.
Next, beat in the flour mixture just until combined.
Spread the batter evenly in the prepared baking pan using an offset spatula.
Sprinkle the finely chopped walnuts evenly over the batter.
Bake in the preheated oven for about 12 minutes or until the cake springs back when touched.
Meanwhile, lay out a clean kitchen towel and sprinkle generously with icing sugar. (This will ensure that the cake does not stick to the dish towel and will give the cake a pretty appearance.)
When the cake is done, immediately loosen the edges with a knife and invert it onto the clean kitchen towel (nuts side down) and peel off the parchment paper.
Starting at the short end, roll the cake in the towel and transfer to a wire rack and cool for 30 minutes to set the shape.

Cream Cheese Frosting

For the filling, in a medium mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla on medium speed until it is smooth and then gradually beat in the powdered sugar.
Unroll the cake and spread the filling in a thin layer within 1 inch of the borders.
Firmly roll up the cake using the towel to help if needed.
Cover the pumpkin cake roll and chill for 4 to 48 hours.
When ready to serve, trim off edges and dust with powdered sugar.
Slice into equal portions and enjoy.

Notes

Recipe adapted from BHG Magazine.

Nutrition

This post was originally published Oct. 10, 2015 and republished Nov. 9, 2019 with updated photos and content.