This easy pumpkin roll recipe with the best cream cheese filling is the perfect fall dessert. It’s moist and simple to freeze and serve with my tips for how to roll a pumpkin roll successfully every time.
Cake rolls can seem daunting to make, but I’m here to tell you they’re actually easy when you have a few tricks up your baking sleeve. Here, I’m sharing an important tip for baking it in the pan, an easy rolling trick, and how to make THE BEST pumpkin roll with or without nuts. This easy pumpkin roll recipe is one recipe that made me fall in love with pumpkin-flavored everything. The first is the classic pumpkin pie. Then there are my light-as-a-pillow pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and of course, pumpkin bread—a true beacon of fall. The warm, inviting trifecta of cinnamon, nutmeg, and pumpkin wafting from the oven makes me a firm believer that you can’t have too much pumpkin this time of year.
What’s in This Pumpkin Roll Recipe
This classic pumpkin roll recipe roll is made with simple ingredients—many of which you likely already have on hand.
Here’s what you’ll need to make this pumpkin roll recipe:
- Eggs
- Granulated sugar
- Pumpkin puree—use 100% pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling which is pre-sweetened
- Lemon juice
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Spices
- Kosher salt
- Chopped nuts—pecans, walnuts, or almonds
- Powdered sugar
- Cream cheese
- Butter
- Vanilla extract
How to Make This Pumpkin Roll Recipe
Assembling this pumpkin roll can be a bit finicky, but with a few tricks up your sleeve, you should have no trouble creating this tubular stunner.
Here’s how to make it:
Prep your pan. First, prepare your sheet pan with a layer of parchment paper. Don’t skip the parchment paper! It will make transferring this thin sheet cake a whole lot easier to manage. I like parchment paper like this that’s pre-cut so I don’t have to leave anything to guesswork.
Make your batter. Whisk together the pumpkin roll cake batter in a large bowl and spread it in a thin, even layer over the prepared baking sheet. If you like nuts, you’ll want to sprinkle them on top of the batter before baking and lay the nut side of the cooked cake onto the powder-sugared towel as described below. Chopped, toasted pecans are my favorite but walnuts also work great.
Bake it up. Bake in a 375°F oven for 12-15 minutes. Use a paring knife around the edges of the cake to loosen it from the pan.
Rolling and Frosting
- Grab a towel. I like a light flour sack kitchen towel (one without any nap) for this. Generously sprinkle the towel with powdered sugar, then invert the still-warm sheet cake to the towel. The powdered sugar helps prevent the cake from sticking to the towel.
- Give it a roll. Working quickly but gently, roll the cake up tightly in the towel. Rolling at this stage, while the cake is still warm is crucial so the cake cools and sets in that tubular shape you want. Rolling it while warm will also keep your pumpkin roll from cracking.
- Make your cream cheese frosting. Mix the powdered sugar, cream cheese, butter, and vanilla in a small bowl until smooth.
- Unroll and ice. Once the cake has cooled, gently unroll it and spread with the best part of this dessert: the cream cheese frosting. I use an offset spatula to make it smooth. It’s one of my favorite kitchen tools.
- Roll and chill. Roll the pumpkin roll back up again and chill until ready to serve.
- Slice and serve. When ready to serve, dust with powdered sugar, slice, and serve.
What is the Secret to Rolling a Pumpkin Roll
There’s a trick to baking the pumpkin roll. My Mom uses flat baking sheets with no sides to them (the kind you could find in pretty much any grocery store). I, however, use these high-side baking pans.
Another secret to a successful pumpkin roll is to leave a gap between the batter and the edge of the baking sheet when spreading the batter. That way as it bakes, the expanding cake doesn’t touch and glue to the sides of the pan. This will make it so much easier to lift from the pan.
Why Did My Pumpkin Roll Crack?
Fret not, if you read the instructions carefully, your pumpkin roll shouldn’t crack. Cracks tend to happen if you attempt to roll your cake after it’s cooled. The key is to always roll while your cake is still warm. The moisture and warmth from the cake will help it stay together.
How Long is a Pumpkin Roll Good For
This pumpkin roll cake should be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. I recommend waiting to slice the cake until you’re ready to eat it, as the edges tend to dry out over time in the fridge.
Can I Freeze a Pumpkin Roll?
Yes, this pumpkin cream cheese roll freezes well. Once you’ve assembled and chilled your cake, slice it and wrap each slice in plastic wrap. Place on a baking sheet to freeze, then store the slices in a large freezer bag once they’ve hardened. When you’re ready to eat the frozen pumpkin roll cake slices, place them in your fridge to thaw for about 2-3 hours.
How to Make THE BEST Pumpkin Roll Recipe
Ingredients
- Pumpkin Cake
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup canned pumpkin puree
- ½ small lemon juiced
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour sifted
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup nuts chopped (optional)
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1-8 ounce package cream cheese brick-style , softened
- 4 tablespoons butter softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the eggs for 5 minutes, then gradually add sugar. Stir in the pumpkin and lemon juice until well blended.
- In a medium size bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt. Fold into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Take care not to over mix the batter so it stays light.
- Spread the mixture onto a 10×15-inch baking sheet or jelly roll pan lined with parchment paper, leaving a ½ inch space from the sides of the pan. Top the pumpkin mixture with the chopped nuts if desired.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes. Use a paring knife around the edges of the cake to to loosen it from the pan.
- Generously sift powdered sugar on a clean, fine napped dish cloth or flour sack. After removing the pumpkin cake from the oven, immediately invert onto the powdered sugar covered dish cloth. Sprinkle with more powdered sugar and roll the cake up in the dish towel. Allow to cool completely.
- While the cake is cooling, make the frosting. Mix the powdered sugar, cream cheese, butter and vanilla in a small bowl until smooth. Once the cake has cooled, gently unroll it. Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the cake. Roll up again and chill. Slice into pieces and serve or freeze.
