Gingerbread Cake Roll

Ingredients

• 1 recipe Almond Pastry Cream
• 4 eggs 1/2
• cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/3 cup molasses
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• Powdered sugar
• 1 recipe Maple Glaze
• 1/4 cup chopped almonds, toasted

Directions

1. Prepare Almond Pastry Cream; chill as directed. Separate eggs. Allow egg whites and yolks to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, grease a 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Line bottom of pan with waxed paper or parchment paper; grease paper. Set pan aside. In a medium bowl stir together flour, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, salt, and cloves; set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a medium mixing bowl beat egg yolks with an electric mixer on high speed about 5 minutes or until thick and lemon color. Beat in molasses just until combined.
3. Thoroughly wash beaters. In a large mixing bowl beat egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form (tips curl). Gradually add 1/2 cup granulated sugar, beating until stiff peaks form (tips stand straight). Fold egg yolk mixture into beaten egg whites. Sprinkle flour mixture over egg mixture; fold in gently just until combined. Spread batter evenly in the prepared baking pan.
4. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Immediately loosen edges of cake from pan and turn cake out onto a clean kitchen towel sprinkled with powdered sugar. Remove waxed paper. Roll towel and cake into a spiral, starting from a short side of the cake. Cool on a wire rack. Meanwhile, prepare Maple Glaze.
5. Unroll cake; remove towel. Spread cake with Almond Pastry Cream to within 1 inch of the edges. Roll up cake; trim ends. Drizzle with Maple Glaze and sprinkle with almonds. Cover and chill for up to 6 hours.

Maple Glaze

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1 - 2 teaspoons milk

Directions

1. In a small bowl combine powdered sugar and maple syrup. Stir in enough milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, to make a glaze of drizzling consistency.

Almond Pastry Cream

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 4 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups half-and-half or light cream
• 4 egg yolks, lightly beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Directions

1. In a heavy medium saucepan combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Gradually stir in half-and-half. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 1 minute more. Gradually stir half of the mixture into the egg yolks. Return yolk mixture to the pan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cook and stir 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Strain into a bowl. Stir in almond extract. Place bowl with the pastry cream in a larger bowl of ice water; let stand 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cover surface with plastic wrap. Chill for 4 hours or until cold; do not stir.