Oct 7, 2021

Vegan Pumpkin Ermine Roll

Spiced vegan pumpkin ermine roll recipe is a wonderful, delicious way to celebrate autumn and Thanksgiving.

It's pumpkin season, and there's no better way to celebrate than with this delicious vegan pumpkin roll filled with ermine buttercream.

Ermine buttercream (A.K.A. ermine frosting, roux frosting, flour buttercream, and boiled milk frosting to list a few other names this delicious frosting is known as) is a mildly sweet frosting that was quite popular in the early 20th-century. This French-inspired frosting is rich and smooth and goes wonderfully with cakes that have dominant flavours, like this pumpkin roll.

It's important to remember to use real pumpkin purée for this recipe and not pumpkin pie filling. The two are not the same.

This pumpkin roll is dairy-free, sugar-free, and vegan, though I'm afraid it is not gluten-free. I have also included more common ingredients below for those who do not have any dietary restrictions.

Ingredients

(Makes 12 servings)

Pumpkin Sponge Cake:

1 cup real pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 cup non-dairy milk (or 2% milk, lactose-free if needed)
1/2 cup pure maple syrup (or honey)
1/4 cup avocado oil
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1, 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1, 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
bakers' monk fruit sweetener to dust (or confectioners’ sugar) (optional)

Ermine buttercream:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1, 1/2 cups golden monk fruit sweetener (or light brown sugar)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1, 1/2 cups non-dairy milk (or 2% milk, lactose-free if needed)
1, 1/2 cups plant-based butter, softened
1, 1/2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F / 180°C. Prepare a 15-inch x 10-inch jelly roll pan or sheet pan by spraying it lightly with cooking spray then lining it with parchment paper leaving overhanging paper on the short ends to help lift and roll the cake afterward.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together he pumpkin puree, milk, maple syrup, avocado oil, and pure vanilla extract.

In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, spices, and salt.

Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Pour the batter onto the jelly roll pan, smooth the surface, and ensure it reaches the sides of the pan. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until a skewer poked in the middle comes out clean. Once baked, remove from the oven and immediately cover tightly with pan cover or aluminium foil. It is important to retain as much moisture in the cake as possible to make rolling it after cooling easier, and to avoid cracks or breaks. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

In a saucepan over medium heat add the flour, salt and sweetener. Whisk as the milk is slowly added. Continue whisking as the flour mixture begins to bubble and become very thick. Cook for at least 5 more minutes (still whisking) to ensure the flour is cooked sufficiently. Undercooked flour will negatively flavour the frosting and prevent it from final thickening.

Transfer the flour mixture into a medium bowl, and using clingwrap, cover the bowl pressing the clingwrap to the surface of the mixture to prevent a skin from forming. Set aside and allow the mixture to come to room temperature (about 90 minutes). Avoid using the refrigerator as the mixture must be at room temperature for the next step of the preparation.

Once the flour mixture has cooled, begin making the frosting. Add the butter to a stand-mixer equipped with a whisk attachment. Set the speed on high and whip the butter until it becomes light and fluffy (about 5 minutes), scraping down the sides of the bowl when necessary. Add the pure vanilla extract and continue whipping until incorporated. Turn the speed down to medium and begin adding the flour mixture slowly, a spoonful at a time. When it has all been added, turn the speed up to high again and whip until it becomes vary light, airy, and fluffy (about another 5 minutes).

At a 45° angle, carefully trim roughly 1/2-inch at the short ends of the sheet cake to taper them somewhat. This will make rolling and finishing the cake cleaner. Lift one end of the sheet cake and peel back the parchment paper by a few inches. Take a 1-foot length of clingwrap and slip one edge between the bottom of the cake and the parchment paper and lay it back down. That will be the outer edge of the roll.

Spread the frosting in an even, thick layer across the sheet cake, stopping 1-inch short of the long sides. (There will be frosting left over, which can be pipped onto the roll afterwards as decoration, to fill any obvious gaps on the sides of the roll afterwards, or used in other desserts.) Lift the short end of the cake opposite of the end with the clingwrap. Using the parchment paper to assist, begin rolling the cake over the frosted surface. Be firm but gentile, trying not to break the cake. Release the parchment paper from the backside of the sheet cake as it is rolled. When the end of the cake is reached, slide the roll back towards you, pulling the clingwrap onto the pan and enabling you to continue rolling the cake onto the clingwrap without lifting the roll off the pan. Wrap the roll tightly in the clingwrap and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours (or overnight) until the frosting and cake are set. Refrigerate any leftover frosting.

Before serving unwrap and place seam-side down on the serving plate. Pipe the excess frosting on top to decorate, or dust lightly with powdered sweetener. Slice and serve.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: