This pumpkin roll recipe is the ultimate fall dessert. Moist and spiced pumpkin cake is wrapped around a rich and velvety cream cheese frosting. I’ll show you how to make a perfect cake roll that you can serve for Thanksgiving dessert!
In between all the pumpkin pie and pumpkin cookies, I bake this pumpkin roll at least a couple of times every fall. This classic cake roll recipe is a variation of my soft, moist pumpkin cake rolled up around the creamiest cream cheese frosting. It’s filled with cozy pumpkin spice and brown sugar. Plus, a gorgeous swirled cake is a guaranteed show-stopper at the Thanksgiving dessert table! I’m sharing my best tips for a perfect pumpkin roll every time.
About This Easy Fall Pumpkin Roll Recipe
- Easy to make. You’ll bake a thin pumpkin cake and cover it with cream cheese frosting. Then, the cake is rolled up, creating a beautiful dessert with layers of flavor. Once you’ve mastered the rolling method in this recipe, you can use it to make a yule log at Christmas!
- Bakery-worthy. This moist and creamy pumpkin roll tastes like it came from your favorite bakery. Your friends and family won’t believe that it was homemade, because it looks and tastes THAT good.
- Fall favorite. The warm spices, the hearty pumpkin, and the sweet vanilla and brown sugar are such cozy and iconic fall flavors.
Gather Your Ingredients
Here are all the ingredients that you’ll need to make this easy pumpkin cake roll. Scroll to the printable recipe card below the post for the exact measurements and recipe details.
For the Pumpkin Cake
- Eggs – The cake for a pumpkin roll is denser and spongier than your traditional pumpkin cake. This comes from extra eggs, which makes the cake easier to roll.
- Pumpkin Puree – I use a can of Libby’s for my pumpkin roll. You can use any puree as long as it’s unsweetened and unflavored (do NOT use pumpkin pie filling).
- Brown Sugar – Light brown sugar is best for this recipe. White sugar will work, too, though it doesn’t have quite the same depth of flavor.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice – You could also use a blend of individual spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, and cloves.
- Vanilla Extract – Always use 100% pure extract or an equal amount of vanilla paste, and not imitation vanilla.
- Dry Ingredients – All-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt. Make sure to measure your flour correctly using the spoon and level method or a kitchen scale.
Cream Cheese Frosting Filling
- Cream Cheese – Make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature so it’s easy to mix.
- Butter – Also at room temperature.
- Powdered sugar – If you don’t have powdered sugar, you can pulse regular sugar in a blender or food processor to make a fine powder.
- Vanilla Extract
How to Make a Pumpkin Roll Cake
While a rolled pumpkin cake may look impressive, it’s surprisingly easy to make from scratch. The cake also bakes a lot quicker than your typical pumpkin cake since it’s much thinner. Here’s an overview of the steps so you know what to expect:
- Prepare the cake batter. Beat the eggs, then add in the pumpkin, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, salt, and baking soda. Once smooth, slowly fold in the flour.
- Bake. Spread the cake batter evenly into a parchment-lined 10×15 jelly roll pan. Then, bake the cake at 350ºF for 15 minutes, until a tester comes out clean.
- Roll the cake while it’s warm. Remove the pumpkin cake and parchment paper. With the parchment paper still intact, carefully roll the warm cake into a log. Place the rolled cake on a wire rack, and leave it to cool. Rolling the cake right away is key, as it helps the cake roll hold its shape.
Add the Cream Cheese Filling
- Make the filling. While the cake cools, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Then, add the powdered sugar and vanilla, and mix to make the creamy frosting.
- Fill the cake roll. Gently unroll the cooled cake and then spread the cream cheese filling evenly over the cake, leaving a 1-inch border around each edge. Now, roll the cake back up around the filling, this time without the parchment paper.
- Chill and serve. Refrigerate the pumpkin cake, covered, for 30 minutes. Dust the cake with powdered sugar before slicing a serving.
Tips for Success
- Roll while warm. The key to assembling this restaurant-quality dessert is to first roll the cake without the filling. When you do that, it’s important that the cake still be warm. When the cake is warm, it is much easier to roll, so get to rolling as soon as you’re able to safely handle the cake.
- Keep the parchment paper on. It’s also important to keep the parchment paper on when you roll the pumpkin cake the first time. Then you can remove the parchment paper as you’re rolling the cake with the filling, which will make it much easier.
- Don’t over-bake. You really want to take your pumpkin cake out of the oven before it overbakes. If the cake is in the oven too long, it will get dry and dense, which will make it crack and fall apart when you try and roll it. Keep a close eye on the cake, and take it out of the oven as soon as a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Use room-temperature eggs. I always recommend using room-temperature eggs when baking cakes. When eggs are at room temperature, they’re able to mix with ingredients better. That makes your cake smoother and lighter and will help it stay together when you roll it.
How to Store a Pumpkin Roll
- Refrigerate. This is an easy dessert to store. All you have to do is place the pumpkin roll in an airtight container, and it will last in the fridge for at least 3 days. It’s just as delicious the next day!
- Freeze. You can freeze this creamy pumpkin roll for an easy make-ahead holiday dessert. Wrap the roll in plastic wrap and make sure that it’s airtight. Store the pumpkin roll on a flat surface in the freezer for up to 1 month, then thaw at room temperature before eating.
More Pumpkin Desserts
Pumpkin Roll
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: serves 10 1x
- Category: Cake
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Dessert
Description
This pumpkin roll recipe has moist and spiced pumpkin cake wrapped around a rich and velvety cream cheese frosting. It’s easy to make and perfect for holiday dessert tables!
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cake:
- 3 large eggs
- 2/3 cup pumpkin puree (like Libby’s)
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour
For the Filling:
- 6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/4 cup butter, room temperature
- 1 2/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Make the Pumpkin Cake:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Line a 10×15- inch jelly roll pan with parchment paper, leaving about an inch of extra parchment paper at the ends, for easy removal. Very lightly coat the parchment paper with nonstick spray, then set aside.
- Put the eggs in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, and mix on medium until lightly beaten.
- Add in the pumpkin, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, baking soda, and salt and mix for 1 minute, or until smooth.
- Turn the mixer to low and add in the flour. Mix for 30 seconds or until smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Evenly spread the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake the cake for 15 minutes, or until the cake is set and a toothpick comes out clean. As soon as the cake comes out, while it’s still hot, use the parchment paper to remove it from the pan and place it on a heat-safe surface.
- Leave the parchment paper on the cake and roll it up carefully, starting with the narrow end. When done, place the cake seam-side down on a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the Pumpkin Roll Filling:
- While the cake is cooling, prepare the filling. Add the cream cheese and butter to the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix together on medium speed for 1 minute or until smooth.
- Add in the powdered sugar and vanilla and mix for another minute until creamy, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.
Assemble the Pumpkin Roll:
- When the cake is cooled, carefully unroll it. Using an offset spatula, spread the cream cheese filling evenly onto the cake, leaving an inch of unfrosted cake on each edge.
- Carefully roll the cake up tightly, but pull the parchment paper away from the cake as you do so. Once the cake is rolled, place it on a baking sheet or serving dish and cover it with an airtight lid or plastic wrap. Place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, or until ready to serve.
- Dust the pumpkin roll with powdered sugar, then slice and serve.
Notes
- You can store the pumpkin roll in an airtight container or covered in plastic wrap in the fridge for 3 days.
- To freeze, tightly cover the pumpkin roll with plastic wrap, making sure it’s airtight. Place on a flat part of the freezer for up to 1 month, then thaw at room temperature before eating.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 258
- Sugar: 25.2 g
- Sodium: 264.9 mg
- Fat: 12.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 34 g
- Protein: 4.2 g
- Cholesterol: 85.2 mg
Your recipe was well written and super easy to follow, and the results were attractive and delicious. Thank you for helping an old man get bragged on at thanksgiving!
Thank you so much!
So delicious! I made this even easier by using canned cream cheese frosting. So simple, so good!!
Great Pumpkin roll with no cracks. Lovey and light and the Pumpkin Spice gives it a nice sense of warmth for this time of year. Similar to that of carrot cake.
I’m from Scotland and would only comment to say the frosting does not work well with the amount of icing sugar noted. I simply added more until the frosting thicken. I popped it in the fridge to allow it to firm some more before adding it to the roll.
As soon as I unroll mine to filling in it cracked all over and stuck to the paper is there something I am doing wrong
If you overcook the cake it might cause it to crack. This is a sponge cake, so cook only until it springs back when touched lightly. Check before the allowed baking time. Using the parchment also helps prevent cracking, but I have used waxed paper in a pinch but removed it as soon as the cake was out of the oven, before rolling it up. This is a great recipe.