Celebrate autumn with a pumpkin roll

(A pumpkin roll with cream cheese filling. The amount of filling in version pictured is a heavier than the traditional dessert. The cake was made using canned pumpkin spiced with cinnamon and ginger. Photo by Alex Darus)

Pumpkin is a predominant autumn ingredient in the U.S. The type of squash is not only popular for carving, but it is used in many savory and sweet dishes.

One dish often served during the fall season is the pumpkin roll. The dessert, which is essentially a Swiss roll, is made of a cream cheese-based filling rolled inside of a thin pumpkin cake. The filling is made of cream-cheese, butter and powdered sugar. The cake is moist and contains cinnamon and ginger to complement the pumpkin flavor. It’s very sweet but can be enjoyed at the end on a meal or with a cup of coffee first thing in the morning.

While bakers can use fresh pumpkin to make the cake, it is easier to purchase canned pumpkin at a local grocery store. Libby’s, which is owned by the Nestlé Company, almost completely dominates the canned-pumpkin market. In 2015, 90 percent of the North American canned pumpkin market was controlled by Libby’s, according to the Agricultural Marketing Resource Center. That same year, 90 percent of Libby’s canned pumpkin sales took place between October and January. Canned pumpkin can include many varieties of winter squash, according to the FDA.

In the past five years, pumpkin production has generally increased according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In 2016, more than 66,000 acres of pumpkins were harvested in the U.S., which totaled more than $200 million in production.

The majority of pumpkin production occurs in six states — Illinois, California, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan and New York — according to the USDA.. In 2015, farmers in those high-production states produced more than 750 million pounds of pumpkins. The USDA does not distinguish between 'carving pumpkins' — which are grown mostly for decorations — and smaller 'pie pumpkins,' which are grown for eating. Pie pumpkins are usually around 5 to 10 pounds, according to the Agricultural Marketing Resource Center.

When making a pumpkin roll, it is important to make sure the cake is flat and stays moist to avoid cracking during the rolling process. The easiest way to roll the dessert is to put the cake into a towel and roll it up before adding the filling. Once it is completely cool, unroll it and spread on the filling before rolling it for the last time in the towel. Then, wrap it up in plastic and make sure to store in the fridge so the dessert stays moist.