A Seasonal Classic That’s as Impressive as it is Delicious

It’s our very first webisode of “Magnolia in the Kitchen”! I’ve been wanting to do this for so long and I’m excited to finally bring it to y’all!

In our new series, I’ll be bringing a friend into the kitchen who has a fabulous go-to recipe for parties. We’ll chat tips and tricks and share recipes and stories. If you have any questions, be sure and comment at the end of the post and we’ll get back to you.

This webisode, I’m bringing in my friend Sarah Lloyd from This American House. I met this Mississippi native on National Wear Your Lilly Day and have been wonderful friends ever since – especially when we found out we both have the same wedding china! She lives in a gorgeous 1935 home in Alexandria and her Instagram is full of all the classic style your heart could desire. She also has an Etsy shop with all the brass, blue and white, and monogramming you could want.

We’re talking about a super impressive dessert that looks fabulous at any holiday gathering and makes the best gift around the holidays: Sarah Lloyd’s Pumpkin Roll. Let me tell you guys: this is not one you’ll want to miss.

We’re walking you through the key steps today, especially how to nail “the flip” at the end. Get ready for some laughs as we work our way through this fabulously simple – and messy – recipe.

Click here to watch our webisode and scroll down for the full recipe!

Sarah Lloyd’s Pumpkin Roll

Ingredients:

For the cake:

1/4 cup powdered sugar (to sprinkle on your dish towel when the rolling part comes around)

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp salt

3 large eggs

1 cup granulated white sugar

3/4’s of one can of pumpkin puree

For the filling:

1 (8-oz) package of cream cheese (make sure it’s at room temperature)

1 cup powdered sugar (sift to make sure there are no chunks)

6 tbsp butter (softened)

1 tsp vanilla extract

Powdered sugar (if you’d like to finish your pumpkin roll off with a final dusting)

Directions:

Let’s start with the cake! You can use a 15 x 10-inch jelly roll pan, a 15 x 7 pan, or a 17 x 11 pan. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease your jelly roll pan, line it with wax paper, then grease and flour the wax paper.

Sprinkle a thin, cotton kitchen towel with powdered sugar. Make sure that you have enough powdered sugar on the towel so that you can roll the cake in it without it sticking. Set this aside. Now is also a good time to set out your wire cooling rack.

Combine your flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, and salt in a bowl. Beat the eggs and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl until the mixture is thick. Next, beat in your pumpkin puree. Then, stir in your dry ingredients (flour mixture).

Spread the batter evenly into your pan covered with wax paper. If you want to add chopped walnuts or pecans, you can sprinkle them on top of the batter.

Bake for 13-15 minutes, or until the top of the cake is spongy and springs back when touched. Now, here comes the technique part: the flip. Watch our video for the full version of how to do this very clean step. Grabbing hold of the pan and the wax paper, carefully flip the cake over onto the prepared towel. Carefully peel off the wax paper. Roll up the cake and towel together and set it on your wire rack to cool while you make the filling.

It’s time for the filling! Start by beating the cream cheese,  1 cup of powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla extract in a small bowl until it’s smooth. Grab your rolled-up cake and carefully unroll it. Spread your cream cheese mixture over the cake. Reroll the cake in the same direction it which it was rolled up the first time. Wrap it in plastic wrap and pop it into the refrigerator for about an hour. This will make your cuts very clean when it comes to cutting the pumpkin roll. Make sure you have a sharp knife to cut the roll.

Sprinkle it with a bit of powdered sugar and you’re off to the races! This makes a very chic dessert at your next gathering, a fabulous breakfast with a side of coffee, and a neighbor or host/hostess gift. Simply cut the roll into thirds or halves, wrap it in plastic wrap, stick it in a cellophane gift bag with tissue, secure it with a ribbon and a gift tag, and you are set to make someone’s day!

Tabletop Details:

My plaid tablecloth and plaid appetizer plates were both HomeGoods scores last year. Williams Sonoma has similar appetizer plates here (on sale for 20% right now).

Outfit Details:

Top is Duffield Lane’s Ellis Top in Tweed. I’m wearing a size small (clipped in the back since it runs a bit large). I recommend sizing down if you’re between sizes.

This post contains gifted items and some affiliate links, but all are tried and true Magnolia Stripes favorites.