The Perfect Vegan Pumpkin Roll
Author: 
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: Holiday, Vegan
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 1 roll
 
A perfect thanksgiving dessert to accompany your pecan and pumpkin pies. Spiced apple cake, rich vegan cream cheese sprinkled with powdered sugar.
Ingredients
  • Cream Cheese Filling
  • 1 package extra firm tofu (see notes)
  • 2 tsp lemon juice
  • 2 tsp vinegar
  • 2 tsp salt
  • ¾ cup refined coconut oil, melted
  • ¾ cup powdered sugar (make sure you buy a vegan brand)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 4 tbsp vegan butter
  • Pumpkin Roll Cake
  • 3 tbsp flax seed
  • 3 tbsp water
  • ¾ cup all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • ½ tsp nutmeg
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1 cup cane sugar
  • ⅔ cup canned pumpkin
  • Parchment paper
Directions
  1. Make your cream cheese for the filling. Using a clear flour sack towel, or cheese cloth, squeeze the liquid out of the tofu. Once the tofu is dry, transfer it to a high speed blender. Add the lemon juice, vinegar, salt and melted coconut oil. Blend on high until smooth, you'll likely need to use the stir stick on you blender to keep pushing the tofu down.
  2. Remove the cream cheese from the blender and chill in the fridge for at least an hour while you prepare the cake.
  3. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Combine the flax seed and water in a small bowl and set aside for 10 minutes until it thickens.
  4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt.
  5. Once the flaxseed has thickened, transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer, or any other large bowl if you're using a hand mixer or beating it by hand with a whisk. Add the cane sugar to the flax mix and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. Then add the pumpkin puree and beat until it becomes creamy. Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and lightly mix with a spatula until fully combined and smooth. It will be a little thick.
  6. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper and sprinkling the parchment paper lightly with powdered sugar. I also lightly greased the parchment paper with cooking spray just for extra assurance.
  7. Pour the batter onto the parchment paper and spread with the spatula until it is even and covering the sheet.
  8. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes until the cake springs back when touched. Lay down a clean flour sack towel and lightly sprinkle it with more powdered sugar. Carefully transfer to the cake, parchment paper side up, the the towel and slowly remove the parchment paper. I found the easiest way to do this is to either line a cooking rack or cutting board with the towel, place it over the cake and then flip the baking sheet upside down.
  9. After you peel back the parchment paper, very carefully roll the cake up into the towel. Place the roll on a wire rack to cool.
  10. Now, prepare your frosting. Transfer the cream cheese to a large bowl (again use a stand mixer if you have one). Add the powdered sugar and vegan butter and beat until smooth. Place back in fridge until the cake is cooled.
  11. Once the cake has cooled enough to handle. Unroll it from the towel. Carefully spread the frosting across the top of the cake evenly, leaving above one inch from the sides so it doesn't ooze out.
  13. Then, roll the cake back up (not in the the towel this time) so that the frosting is now in the middle. Wrap the whole roll in a towel, or in a plastic wrap and place in the fridge to cool. Cool for at least one hour before serving though the longer you let it cool the better off you'll be.
Notes
If you're not vegan, substitute an 8oz block of cream cheese for the tofu, vinegar, lemon juice and the coconut oil, and substitute 3 eggs for the flax eggs.
Recipe by Almost Like Mom's at https://www.almostlikemoms.com/the-perfect-vegan-pumpkin-roll/