Thanksgiving and Christmas are two of my favorite holidays -it's the only time of year you can really serve anything made with pumpkin. I was doing some research on Bûche de Noëls or Christmas Yule Log cakes and came across a series of pumpkin-inspired ones. This Paula Deen recipe seemed like a good one, promising to be alot lighter and fluffier. The egg are separated and the egg whites are beaten until stiff and folded into the cake batter. Other recipes use both the egg whites and yolks together which would produce a more dense cake. I decided to give Paula's recipe a shot.
Paula Deen's Pumpkin Log
adapted from Paula Deen
Ingredients
Cake:
3/4 cup cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon ground allspice
6 large eggs, separated
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup golden brown sugar, packed
2/3 cup canned pumpkin, packed
1/8 teaspoon salt
Powdered sugar
Filling:
1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
2 tablespoons dark rum
1 cup whipping cream, chilled
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
6 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup English toffee pieces for garnish
Directions
For the cake: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Line a 15 by 10 by 1-inch baking sheet with parchment paper. Spray the parchment with nonstick cooking spray.
Sift the flour, cinnamon, ginger, and allspice into a small bowl.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until very thick.
Add the pumpkin to the egg mixture and combine at a low speed until incorporated.
Add the dry ingredients and beat at a low speed until mixed. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites and salt until stiff but not dry. Fold into the cake batter, stirring with a spatula, until most of the white streaks are gone.
Spread the batter onto a baking sheet and smooth out.
Transfer baking sheet to the oven and bake until a tester comes out clean, about 15 to 18 minutes. While the cake is hot, dust generously with powdered sugar.
Fold the towel over the edge of the cake and roll up.
Cool completely, edge down, for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
For the filling: Soften the gelatin in the rum. Stir over low heat until the gelatin dissolves. Cool. Beat the chilled whipping cream and powdered sugar in a large bowl until peaks form. Fold in the gelatin and 6 tablespoons English toffee pieces.
To assemble, unroll the cake and sprinkle with 4 tablespoons of English toffee pieces. Spread the filling over the toffee.
Start at 1 long side of the cake roll and, using the towel as an aid, roll up the cake to encase the filling. Place the cake, seam-side down, on a platter. Cut and serve.
Overall, the cake consistency was very good. I attempted a sweet potato version a week later where the entire eggs were mixed together and that recipe was a fail. I think the overall concensus was that the whipped cream filling with toffee bits was too "weird" and did not really make for a yummy cake. Next time, I will keep the cake recipe and opt for a more sturdy cream cheese filling.