It’s pumpkin season, right? Pumpkin Roll is a wonderfully delicious fall crowd-pleasing recipe to have handy throughout fall time into the holiday season.

Whether you make it for a special fall party or simply because, pumpkin roll looks great on your table.

In honor of my four-year Times News food contributor anniversary, I present to you a great anniversary or any time dessert, classic pumpkin roll.

Baker’s Note: To save time when making your roll cake, you can make the filling ahead of time and refrigerate it, setting it out a little while before assembling your pumpkin roll.

PUMPKIN ROLL CAKE

3/4 cup of King Arthur All-Purpose Flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon of ground allspice

3/4 cup of pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)

3 large eggs, room temperature please

1 cup of sugar

1/2 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract

thin linen kitchen towel

Powdered sugar, enough to sprinkle over your roll

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter and line with parchment paper a 13-by-18-inch jelly roll sheet pan. Sift all the dry ingredients.

In your stand-up mixer and on medium high, whip the eggs and sugar until light at this time. Add in your pure vanilla extract and the pumpkin. Mix on low speed. Fold in your dry ingredients and mix on low once again to incorporate. Scrape bowl and mix again to make sure all is blended.

Pour batter on to a sheet pan, using an offset spatula to smooth batter. Bake for 8-10 minutes, watching with the oven light on as baking will be quick. When done, the cake should spring back when you quickly lightly touch it. While the cake is baking, set your linen on your clean and dry counter top. Dust the linen with powdered sugar. I use a sifter or colander.

Place your hot cake roll on a cooling rack for a few minutes while still in the pan. Take the sheet pan and gently flip the cake onto the dusted towel.

Peel away the parchment from the baked cake, being careful not to tear the delicate, warm cake. Starting with the side nearest you, roll the cake in the towel but not too tightly. You can roll the cake thicker or thinner. It’s like rolling a carpet. Place the rolled cake, still in the towel, onto your cooling rack again to completely cool.

Pumpkin roll filling

1 8-ounce package of cream cheese, room temperature

1 stick of unsalted butter, also at room temperature

1/2 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract

3/4 to 1 cup of powdered sugar

Mix cream cheese and butter together, just to smooth them out. Next sift and add your powdered sugar and then your pure vanilla extract. Mix on medium speed for 3-5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape the bowl down so that all is incorporated. Set aside a moment.

Pumpkin roll assembly

Gently unroll your cake on a clean work surface. Spread filling evenly over the entire cake with an offset spatula. Then, using the towel as your guide, roll the cake back up. Roll out of the towel, onto a lined sheet pan to set. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 4-8 hours or preferably overnight. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, when you serve it. Garnish, if you wish. Slice the cake roll with a bread/serrated knife.

Sarah Schweitzer is dual-certified in Culinary Arts and Baking & Pastry from the Escoffier School of Culinary Arts (www.escoffier.edu). She is currently working as a Sous-Chef and pastry chef at Ateira’s on First and has her own blog simplysarah.online. She can be reached at sarah.schweitzer18@gmail.com.