Thanksgiving Pumpkin Desserts

Pumpkin Cake Roll and Cheese Cake are Easy Fall Dessert Recipes

© Terah Talley

Oct 31, 2009

Preparing Thanksgiving dinner can seem intimidating for beginning cooks, but this simple guide will make this year's desserts effortless and delicious. These sweet recipes use pumpkin, which is a food synonymous with the fall season. By learning the techniques to prepare desserts, the Thanksgiving tradition can be preserved and passed on to future generations.

Pumpkin Cake Roll

This fall inspired recipe is both delicious and a favorite among people of all ages. Including classic holiday tastes of pumpkin and walnuts, the pumpkin cake roll will impress at this year's Thanksgiving gathering.

Ingredients: (Makes 8 servings)

• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 cup finely chopped walnuts
• sifted powdered sugar
• 1 recipe Cream Cheese filling

Cooking Directions:

1. Eggs should be allowed to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
2. Baking pan (15x10x1) is greased. It is also lined with wax paper on the bottom which is also greased. The pan is then set aside.
3. Flour, cinnamon, baking powder, ginger, salt, and nutmeg are combined in a bowl and set aside.
4. Oven is preheated to 375 degrees. In a large mixing bowl eggs are beaten with an electric mixer on high for about 5 minutes. Gradually, the granulated sugar is beat into the eggs. The pumpkin and lemon juice is stirred in also.
5. Flour mixture is folded into the pumpkin mixture. This batter is spread evenly in the prepared baking pan and sprinkled with walnuts.
6. The batter is baked for about 15 minutes. The top should spring back after being touched lightly.
7. Once taken out of the oven, the sides of the cake should be loosened immediately. The cake is turned out of the pan onto a towel that has been sprinkled with powdered sugar. Wax paper is removed. The cake and towel are rolled into a spiral, starting from a short side, and placed on a wire rack to cool.
8. Cream cheese filling is prepared.
9. Cake is unrolled and the towel removed. Cream cheese is spread within one inch of the edges. Cake is rolled up once more and the ends are trimmed.
10. The pumpkin roll cake is covered and left to chill for 2 to 24 hours.

Maple-Pumpkin Cheesecake

This recipe is perfect for fall, winter, and the holidays. As a definite crowd-pleasing dessert, the maple-pumpkin cheesecake should become a part of this year's Thanksgiving feast.

Ingredients: (Makes 12 servings)

• 1 and 1/2 cups finely crushed graham crackers
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup or maple-flavored syrup
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1/2 cup caramel ice cream topping (purchased)

Cooking Directions:

1. Oven is preheated to 325 degrees.
2. Crushed graham crackers, granulated sugar, and melted butter are mixed in a medium bowl. This crumb mixture is then pressed onto the bottom and 1 and 1/2 inches up the side of an ungreased springform pan. This is what will be the crust
3. Bake the crust for 8 minutes. Once removed from oven, the crust is transferred to a wire rack to cool.
4. For the filling, cream cheese is beat in a large mixture with an electric mixer until smooth. Pumpkin, brown sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla are added and beat until well mixed. Eggs are folded into cream cheese mixture.
5. The cream cheese mixture is poured into the crust-lined pan. The springform pan is then placed in a shallow baking pan. This is baked for 60 to 70 minutes or until middle seems nearly set when lightly shaken.
6. Springform pan is placed on wire rack to cool for 15 minutes. Then, sides are loosened using a knife and left for 30 additional minutes of cooling time. Sides of springform pan are removed and left to cool for 1 hour. The maple-pumpkin cheesecake is covered and chilled in the refrigerator for 4 to 24 hours.
7. Caramel sauce is drizzled on top before serving.

Reference

Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book. Editor: Jan Miller, R.D., Meredith Publishing Group, 2006.

Pumpkin

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