A fall treat with a boozy twist! This tender Bourbon Caramel Pumpkin Roll is filled with caramel cream cheese that’s been kissed with bourbon whiskey, then drizzled with more caramel for good measure!
Bourbon Caramel Pumpkin Roll
I’ve been waiting 10 months to make this thing. I’m pretty sure you’d have all hard side-eyed me if I shared it back in February, when I was really keeping myself from cracking open a can of pumpkin puree and just going for it.
That’s how bad I’ve been craving a pumpkin roll.
These things are required for a proper fall season, in my opinion. I’ve only ever made two kinds of cake rolls, and this is the only one I repeat every year.
Actually, this particular incarnation is a little different, thanks to my current bourbon obsession – which I ironically blame Utah for.
Bourbon Caramel Pumpkin Roll
Once upon a time, back in May, Lara, Sondra, and I went to Salt Lake City for the Everything Food Conference (EFC), which was an amazing experience in itself. We also got to see a bit of the state and drove all the way to Nevada to check out the Salt Flats, but that’s another story, another blog post.
This is about bourbon.
Now…Utah is a pretty dry state. Not completely, but their liquor laws are pretty tight.
Only beer can be purchased in grocery stores, and you won’t find any with more than 4% ABV. Liquor is available only in state liquor stores. For a long time, you couldn’t even have your server at a restaurant bring you a drink while you were deciding on your meal.
Intense, but I respect that.
So, months prior to the conference, I did this crazy thing – I signed Lara and myself up to compete in EFC’s mini Cupcake Wars, hosted by the one and only Justin Willman from the actual show. Except I didn’t ask Lara, I just kind of…told her. I was still running The Crumby Cupcake at the time, and it seemed wrong not to at least apply.
I had all but forgotten about the fact that I had when, a couple of weeks before we flew out, I got an email congratulating us on landing one of the 4 team spots.
Ugh. What the hell had I done?
As the weeks turned to day turned to hours, the anticipation of baking a dozen perfect cupcakes on stage in front of hundreds of people started to grate on me. It was also bothering the ladies on one of the competing teams – Anna-Marie and Lisa, fellow Floridians and friends of ours.
How did the four of us handle the stress, you ask? By skipping Cinco de Mayo dinner the night of the show, finding a pretty fancy pizza place nearby, and doing single shots of bourbon since they wouldn’t pour doubles.
Lara and I went on to win the whole thing.
So bourbon? This pumpkin roll recipe is for you.
Bourbon Caramel Pumpkin Roll
Ingredients
Pumpkin Roll
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Bourbon Caramel
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup water
- 6 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons bourbon whiskey
- Pinch sea salt optional
Bourbon Caramel Cream Cheese
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- ¼ cup butter unsalted, softened
- ½ cup bourbon caramel sauce cooled
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Pumpkin Roll:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 15x10x1 inch baking pan, then line with wax paper. Grease and flour the paper. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, beat eggs on high for 4-5 minutes until a pale yellow color. Add the sugar and mix until thick and lemon-colored, about 2 minutes. Add pumpkin and lemon juice and stir until combined.
- In another bowl combine flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg; fold into the pumpkin mixture until combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan, spreading it into the corners evenly. Bake for 13-15 minutes, or until cake springs back when lightly touched.
- Remove the cake from the oven and immediately dust it liberally with powdered sugar. Lay a linen towel on your counter, then carefully turn the cake out onto the towel. Peel off the wax paper and gently roll the cake up in the towel. Cool at least 30 minutes. Make bourbon caramel and cream cheese filling while the cake cools.
- Carefully unroll the cake. Spread bourbon caramel cream cheese on the cake, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges. Re-roll the cake, then wrap it in plastic wrap and chill. When ready to serve, dust cake with powdered sugar and drizzle with more bourbon caramel sauce.
Bourbon Caramel Sauce:
- Heat sugar and water in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring to moisten all of the sugar. Let the sugar simmer until it begins to melt into a golden-colored liquid, stirring occasionally. Do not burn.
- Once sugar is completely melted, immediately but carefully stir in the butter for 2-3 minutes until completely melted. The sauce will bubble rapidly.
- Slowly and carefully drizzle in the heavy cream, continuing to stir. The mixture will once again bubble and splatter. After the cream is mixed in, allow the caramel to boil for about 1 minute, then whisk until smooth.
- Remove from heat and whisk in bourbon and salt (if using). Cool to room temperature before using.
Bourbon Caramel Cream Cheese:
- In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, butter, and caramel sauce until well blended. Mix in powdered sugar and vanilla until fluffy.
Wendy Klik says
Oh my…..know wonder you won it all if those cupcakes were anything at all like this pumpkin roll.
Anna-Marie @BeautyandtheBeets says
I literally came over here to stalk you and I see you referenced some Cupcake Wars thing. Ha! I am in love with pumpkin rolls but I can guarantee mine will not come out nearly as pretty!
Claire says
I would have so baked this back in Feb if you had posted it ๐ Even though Feb is pretty much one of the hottest months of the year here in Oz!!!!
I made this over the weekend and it was amazing!
And I am thinking that bourbon caramel has so many uses as well…..ice cream, pancakes….straight from the jar with a spoon! (not saying I did that you understand!!!!)
GORGEOUS!
Sarah Averett says
Ooo this sounds like a perfect pumpkin roll! I’m excited to try it!