Preparation

• Make the pastry cream:
  In a medium sauce pan combine the sugar, cornstarch and salt.
  Gradually stir in the half-and-half and cook over medium heat until the mixture has come to a light boil and thickened.
  Cook the cream for 1 more minute.
  Now stir half of the cream into the beaten egg yolks.
  Add the cream and egg yolk mixture back into the medium sauce pan.
  Bring the cream back to a light boil, reduce the heat to low and cook the cream for 2 more minutes.
  After the 2 minutes are up remove the pan from the heat, stir in the almond extract and strain the pastry cream through a fine mesh strainer into a small mixing bowl.
  Place the small mixing bowl into a ice water bath and let the pastry cream cool for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  Directly cover the pastry cream with plastic wrap. Make sure the plastic is touching the top of the cream to stop a film forming on top of the pastry cream, you do not want a film.
  Chill the pastry cream in the refrigerator until it is cold.
  Make the cake:
  Preheat your oven to 375°F, 350°F if using a convection oven.
  Line a 10 x 15 inch jelly roll pan with parchment paper, grease the parchment paper.
  In a small bowl combine the flour, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, salt and cloves.
  With your stand mixer, with the wire whisk attachment, in your small bowl beat the egg yolks on high speed until they are light yellow and thickened, about 5 minutes.
  Add in the maple syrup and whip until just combined.
  Now take the small bowl off of your mixer, clean the wire whisk attachment and connect your large bowl to your mixer.
  Add the egg whites to the large bowl and whip them on medium speed until soft peak form.
  Gradually add in the sugar and whip the egg whites until they are stiff.
  Now take the large bowl off of the stand mixer and with a large spatula fold the egg yolk mixture into the egg whites. Make sure to fold and not stir the egg whites, you do not want to take the air out of the egg whites, stirring will deflate the egg whites and make the cake turn out flat.
  After the egg yolks are folded in sprinkle the flour mixture over the egg whites and fold them in one tablespoon at a time until you have all of the flour added in and the mixture is just combined.
  Spread the cake batter into your lined jelly roll pan and bake the cake for 12-15 minutes until it springs back when touched.
  While the cake is baking take a large, lint free, kitchen towel and cover it with powdered sugar.
  When the cake is done immediately invert it into the prepared kitchen towel and peel the parchment paper off.
  Now while the cake is hot roll the cake into a spiral in the kitchen towel, make sure to roll with the short side in, and let it cool until it is at room temperature.
  Once the cake and the pastry cream are cooled unroll the cake and spread the pastry cream on the inside of the cake roll. Be sure to keep the cream 1 inch from the edges of the cake.
  Re-roll the cake, place it on your serving dish and trim off the end edges.
  
  Make the glaze: In a small bowl add the powdered sugar, maple syrup and enough milk to bring the glaze to drizzle consistency and mix until well combined.
  Drizzle the glaze over the cake roll and decorate with almond slices.
  The cake will keep for 2-4 days covered in plastic wrap in the refrigerator.