So here I am with another classic of Fall season, though a bit late, as winters have started to kick in. But then how could I let the season just pass by without even any mention of lovely saffron colored, vibrant giant pumpkin. Interestingly, we are not a nation of celebrating our fall season with pumpkins, like every other part of the world. We have our fall season marked by fruits and veggies like pomegranates, apples, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, gooseberries, persimmons etc. And markets are flooded by these beautiful bounties of nature. Feels so great to see the in-season produce!
And more interestingly, we have pumpkins all round the year. It has a very common Indian curry based recipe, as part of everyday Indian meal. Though I am not a great fan of pumpkin curry. In fact, that is the only vegetable, I could never appreciate. And that is when, I am not at all picky about my food. But I have a special memory from my childhood. My grandmother used to make pumpkin halwa {Indian fudge recipe}, which I remember the taste of till date.That was the only way, I used to like pumpkin as a kid. So that’s the way my sweet tooth made me liked it in just one form.
Last year, a dear friend of mine brought me some baby sugar pumpkins from her parents’ place and I made a wonderful spicy pumpkin bundt cake out of it. Truly, the flavor of that sugar pumpkin was quite different from the one I get at my local vegetable merchant. It was way sweeter and was more vibrant in color. And the the vegetable I didn’t like that much, had me smitten.
I didn’t forget to bring it back to life here. So I made this pumpkin roll cake filled with homemade mascarpone, lightly sweetened with maple syrup. It came out a bit crumbly, but was super moist. Mascarpone lent the richness and velvety texture, while maple syrup made it all the more relevant to holiday season. Kids enjoyed it to fullest and so did my friends. Happy me!
Recipe adapted from Joy Of Baking
Ingredients
For the cake
3/4 cup plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup pumpkin puree
For the filling
340 gm mascarpone {homemade recipe here}
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 tbsp low fat cream
icing sugar to dust
Directions
- Preheat oven to 190 degree C and butter, a 15 inch x 10 inch baking pan, line it with parchment paper, and then butter and flour the parchment paper.
- Sift, into a large bowl, the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
- Beat the eggs and sugar in a large bowl on high speed for five minutes, or until thick, pale yellow, and fluffy.
- Beat in the vanilla extract and pumpkin puree. Gently fold in the sifted flour mixture. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, evenly spreading the cake batter with an offset spatula or knife.
- Bake for about 13 – 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the cake, when lightly pressed, springs back.
- Immediately upon removing the cake from the oven invert the pumpkin roll onto a clean dish towel that has been sprinkled with confectioners’ sugar.
- Carefully remove the parchment paper, sprinkle lightly with confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar, and roll up the pumpkin roll, with the towel, while it is still hot and pliable. Place on a wire rack to cool.
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Meanwhile, make the filling. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the mascarpone, maple syrup, and cream together for about a minute, until light and fluffy.
- To assemble, carefully unroll the cake onto a board with the towel underneath. Spread the cake evenly with the filling. Reroll the cake in a spiral using the towel as a guide. Remove the towel and trim the ends to make a neat edge. Dust with icing sugar and serve sliced.
