Easy Pumpkin Roll Cake Recipe: Your Essential Fall Dessert with Cream Cheese Frosting
There’s an undeniable magic to the flavors of autumn, and nothing captures that essence quite like a homemade Pumpkin Roll Cake. Imagine a delicate, moist pumpkin spice cake, perfectly baked and then rolled around a luscious, creamy, and tangy cream cheese filling. Each slice reveals a beautiful swirl, promising a symphony of seasonal tastes that make it an absolute showstopper for any gathering.
This classic fall dessert is more than just a treat; it’s a tradition in many homes, including ours. Our Grandma’s delicious pumpkin spice roll cake recipe has been a cherished centerpiece during the holiday season, from Thanksgiving feasts to festive Christmas celebrations and every cozy moment in between. Its rich aroma and comforting taste instantly evoke warm memories and create new ones.
If you’re anything like us, you adore all things pumpkin! After mastering this amazing pumpkin roll, be sure to explore more of our favorite fall pumpkin recipes, including pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, a delightful pumpkin dip, fluffy baked pumpkin donuts, and our wonderfully moist chocolate chip pumpkin bread. Each offers a unique way to enjoy the incredible versatility of pumpkin during this special time of year.
No Jelly Roll Pan? No Problem!
Many traditional pumpkin roll recipes call for a specific jelly roll pan, which not everyone might have readily available in their kitchen. We understand that acquiring specialized bakeware for just one recipe isn’t always practical. That’s why we’re excited to share a method that makes this incredible dessert accessible to everyone!
Instead of a specialized jelly roll pan, this easy pumpkin roll recipe leverages a common kitchen essential: a standard half-sheet baking sheet. Chances are, you already have one of these versatile pans in your cupboard, making this recipe even more convenient and stress-free. Using a baking sheet ensures the cake bakes into the perfect thin, even layer necessary for a beautiful, crack-free roll, proving that you don’t need fancy equipment to create a show-stopping dessert.
Key Ingredients for Your Perfect Pumpkin Roll Cake
Crafting this delightful pumpkin roll cake requires a thoughtful selection of both pantry staples and seasonal heroes. Here’s a detailed look at the core ingredients you’ll need to create both the tender pumpkin cake and the rich, creamy filling. Ensure all cold ingredients like cream cheese and butter are at room temperature for the smoothest possible consistency in your filling.
For the Moist Pumpkin Cake Roll:
- Granulated Sugar: Provides essential sweetness and contributes to the cake’s tender crumb.
- All-Purpose Flour: The fundamental structural component of your cake.
- Baking Soda: Our primary leavening agent, ensuring a light, fluffy, and airy texture.
- Pumpkin Spice: The unmistakable taste of autumn! This warm blend typically includes cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves, bringing classic fall flavors to life.
- Kosher Salt: A small but mighty ingredient that balances and enhances all the other flavors.
- Large Eggs: Act as a binder for the ingredients, adding richness and helping with the cake’s structure.
- Pumpkin Puree: The star ingredient! It’s crucial to grab a can of pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, which contains added spices and sweeteners that would alter the recipe’s intended flavor profile.
- Vanilla Extract: A classic flavor enhancer that complements the pumpkin spice beautifully, adding depth and warmth.
- Confectioners’ Sugar (Powdered Sugar): Essential for dusting the tea towel used for rolling the cake, preventing sticking, and for a beautiful, elegant garnish on the finished dessert.
For the Rich Cream Cheese Filling:
- Confectioners’ Sugar (Powdered Sugar): Forms the sweet and smooth base for our luscious frosting. Sifting it can help prevent any lumps, ensuring a silky finish.
- Cream Cheese: Full-fat, brick-style cream cheese, softened to room temperature, is crucial for a stable, creamy, and wonderfully tangy filling.
- Unsalted Butter: Also softened to room temperature, butter adds richness and helps stabilize the cream cheese frosting, making it spreadable yet firm.
- Heavy Cream: A small amount adds extra creaminess and helps achieve that wonderfully smooth, luxurious texture for the filling.
- Vanilla Extract: Balances the tang of the cream cheese and further enhances the overall flavor of the frosting, creating a harmonious blend.
Essential Baking Supplies for Your Pumpkin Roll
Having the right tools can make all the difference in ensuring a smooth baking experience and a perfect pumpkin roll cake. Here’s a list of the kitchen essentials you’ll need to gather before you start:
- Non-Stick Spray: Crucial for ensuring your cake doesn’t stick to the parchment paper or pan, guaranteeing an easy release.
- Parchment Paper: Absolutely vital for easy removal and rolling of the warm cake. Do not skip this step, as it’s key to preventing tears and sticking.
- Half-Sheet Baking Sheet (18×13-inch): Our secret weapon! This common, versatile pan replaces a specialized jelly roll pan, providing the perfect dimensions for a thin, evenly baked cake.
- Clean Tea Towel or Kitchen Towel: Used for the initial rolling of the hot cake, which is a critical step to help prevent cracks. Make sure it’s a lint-free towel.
- Sifter: Handy for evenly dusting powdered sugar onto your towel and for the final elegant garnish on the finished roll.
- Mixing Bowls (Large and Medium): Essential for combining your cake batter ingredients and for preparing the rich cream cheese filling separately.
- Whisk: For thoroughly combining dry ingredients and initially mixing wet ingredients to ensure uniformity.
- Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer: Essential for achieving a smooth, lump-free cake batter and, more importantly, a perfectly whipped, airy cream cheese filling.
How to Make the Best Pumpkin Roll Cake from Scratch
Step One: Prepare Your Baking Pan and Oven. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). This temperature is ideal for baking a thin cake quickly and evenly, ensuring a tender texture. Line a standard half-sheet baking pan (approximately 18×13 inches) with parchment paper. Ensure the parchment paper extends slightly over the edges to act as “handles” for easy lifting. Generously spray the parchment paper with non-stick cooking spray; this double layer of protection is key to preventing your delicate cake from sticking to the pan or paper.
Step Two: Combine Dry and Wet Ingredients for the Cake Batter. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients: granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, baking soda, fragrant pumpkin spice, and kosher salt. Whisking them thoroughly ensures that all leavening agents and spices are evenly distributed throughout the mixture. Then, add the wet ingredients: the three large eggs, the rich pumpkin puree (remember, pure pumpkin, not pie filling!), and the aromatic vanilla extract. Using your whisk or a hand mixer on low speed, mix until the ingredients are just combined and no streaks of dry flour remain. Be careful not to overmix, as this can develop the gluten in the flour and lead to a tough, less tender cake.
Step Three: Spread the Batter Evenly. Gently pour the perfectly spiced pumpkin batter onto your prepared baking sheet. Using an offset spatula or the back of a large spoon, carefully spread the batter into an even, thin layer across the entire surface of the parchment paper. A consistent thickness is vital for ensuring even baking, allowing the cake to cook through without drying out, and, most importantly, for making the cake pliable enough to roll without cracking or breaking.
Step Four: Bake to Perfection. Transfer the baking sheet with the batter to your preheated oven and bake for 12-15 minutes. The cake is ready when the top springs back lightly when gently poked with your finger and no longer feels sticky to the touch. Keep a close eye on it, as oven temperatures can vary, and a thin cake bakes quickly. Overbaking can lead to a dry, brittle cake that is difficult to roll without cracks.
Step Five: Dust Your Rolling Towel. While your pumpkin cake is baking, prepare your “rolling station.” Lay a clean, lint-free tea towel or kitchen towel flat on your countertop. Generously dust the entire surface of the towel with confectioners’ sugar using a sifter. This layer of sugar is essential; it prevents the hot cake from sticking to the towel, acts as a protective barrier, and creates a slightly sweet, non-sticky exterior as you perform the crucial initial roll.
Step Six: Invert the Hot Cake onto the Towel. The moment your cake comes out of the oven, it’s a race against time! Immediately and carefully invert the hot cake directly onto the prepared, sugar-dusted tea towel. Gently peel off the parchment paper that was lining the baking sheet. If the cake sticks at all, a thin offset spatula can help coax it off the paper without tearing the delicate cake.
Step Seven: Roll the Cake While Hot. Starting from one of the shorter ends of the cake, use the tea towel to help you tightly roll the cake into a log. The warmth of the cake is crucial here; it makes the cake pliable and prevents it from cracking as it cools and sets. Roll it up as snugly as you can without tearing. Once rolled, let the cake cool completely, still wrapped in the towel, on a wire rack for about 60 minutes. This cooling process allows the cake to “set” in its rolled shape, making it much easier to unroll and fill later without breaking.
Step Eight: Prepare the Cream Cheese Filling. While your cake is cooling, it’s time to whip up the star of the show – the rich and tangy cream cheese filling! In a medium bowl, using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the softened cream cheese, unsalted butter, confectioners’ sugar, a splash of heavy cream, and vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed until the mixture is smooth, wonderfully creamy, and completely free of any lumps. Ensuring your cream cheese and butter are at proper room temperature is paramount to achieving this silky-smooth consistency.
Step Nine: Unroll and Fill the Cake. Once the cake is completely cool and has held its shape, carefully unroll it from the tea towel onto a clean surface (you can use a fresh piece of parchment paper or a large cutting board for this). Using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon, spread an even, generous layer of your decadent cream cheese frosting over the entire surface of the cake. Be sure to leave a small perimeter (about ½ to 1 inch) uncovered around the edges. This margin helps prevent the filling from oozing out excessively when you re-roll the cake.
Step Ten: Re-roll, Chill, and Serve. Now, carefully and tightly roll the cake back up into a log, this time without the towel. Transfer the rolled cake to a serving platter, ensuring the seam is facing down for a neat appearance. Cover the pumpkin roll tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour (or ideally, longer, up to several hours or overnight) to allow the filling to set completely and the flavors to meld beautifully. When you’re ready to serve, unwrap the chilled pumpkin roll, give it a final elegant dusting of confectioners’ sugar, slice it into generous portions using a sharp knife, and enjoy this spectacular fall treat!
When ready to serve, unwrap the pumpkin roll, dust generously with fresh powdered sugar, slice into beautiful spirals, and serve!
Storage Tips for Your Pumpkin Roll Cake
Proper storage is essential to maintain the freshness, flavor, and texture of your pumpkin roll, especially given its creamy filling. Here’s how to keep it delicious for days or even months:
Refrigeration:
Since the pumpkin roll cake contains a cream cheese filling, it is crucial to keep it refrigerated to ensure food safety and maintain its quality. After assembling, wrap the entire roll tightly in plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container. This prevents it from drying out, becoming stale, and absorbing any unwanted odors from your refrigerator. When stored properly, your pumpkin roll will stay fresh and delicious for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. We highly recommend chilling it for at least an hour before serving to ensure the filling is firm and the slices are clean and well-defined.
Freezing for Longer Storage:
For those times when you want to make ahead or save some for later, pumpkin roll cake freezes beautifully! To freeze, wrap the entire roll (or individual slices, if preferred for easier portioning) very tightly in plastic wrap, followed by an additional layer of aluminum foil. This double wrapping helps prevent freezer burn and preserves its texture and flavor. Store in the freezer for 2-3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy, simply transfer the frozen pumpkin roll to the refrigerator overnight to defrost slowly. Once thawed, you can dust it with fresh powdered sugar before slicing and serving for that perfect finish.
Pro Tips for Achieving the Perfect Pumpkin Roll Every Time
Even seasoned bakers appreciate a few tricks to elevate their creations. Here are some invaluable tips to ensure your pumpkin roll cake is not just good, but absolutely perfect – from baking to presentation:
- Roll Immediately to Prevent Cracking: This is arguably the most crucial tip! The cake is at its most pliable and flexible right after it comes out of the oven, while it’s still hot. Rolling it immediately in the sugar-dusted towel helps it “learn” the rolled shape. If you wait too long, even a few minutes, the cake will cool and become stiff, making it significantly more prone to cracking when you try to roll it. Be cautious, as the cake will be hot!
- Achieving the Ideal Frosting Consistency: The cream cheese filling needs to be just right – not too thin that it oozes out, and not too thick that it tears the cake.
- If your frosting is too thin: It might ooze out of the cake, making for a messy presentation. Gradually add a bit more confectioners’ sugar, a tablespoon at a time, and beat until it reaches the desired thickness.
- If your frosting is too thick: It can be difficult to spread evenly and may tear the delicate cake as you try to apply it. Add a touch more heavy cream, about a teaspoon at a time, and mix until smooth and spreadable. Remember, the frosting will naturally stiffen a bit more when chilled in the refrigerator, so keep that in mind when judging consistency.
Aim for a consistency that holds its shape when piped or spread but is still easy to apply smoothly without resistance.
- The “Picture-Perfect Swirl” Trick: For those stunning, bakery-worthy slices with a perfectly defined spiral, here’s a professional secret: before serving, use a sharp, thin, serrated knife to carefully slice about ½ inch off each end of the chilled pumpkin roll. The ends often have a less defined swirl, and trimming them will reveal the beautiful, uniform spirals of cake and cream cheese filling throughout the rest of the roll. This small step makes a huge difference in the final presentation!
- Ensure Ingredients are at Room Temperature: For the cream cheese filling, it is absolutely vital that your cream cheese and unsalted butter are properly softened to room temperature. This is essential for achieving a smooth, lump-free frosting that blends seamlessly and spreads easily. Cold ingredients will result in a clumpy, difficult-to-mix, and inconsistent filling.
- Don’t Overbake the Cake: A slightly underbaked cake is always preferable to an overbaked one when it comes to rolling. An overbaked cake will be dry, brittle, and almost guaranteed to crack when you attempt to roll it. Watch for the “springs back when gently poked” indicator and remove it from the oven promptly. The edges might be slightly firmer, but the center should remain flexible.
- Use a Lint-Free Towel: When dusting and rolling the cake, ensure your tea towel is clean and, most importantly, lint-free. You don’t want any stray fibers sticking to your beautiful pumpkin cake!
More Tasty Thanksgiving & Fall Desserts
- Soft Apple Cookies
- Pumpkin Crisp
- Apple Pie Crescent Rolls
- Pumpkin Cream Cheese Layered Dessert
- Pecan Pie Cheesecake
- Apple Pie Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies
- Apple Pie Cupcakes
Pumpkin Roll Cake
Author: Jaclyn
Ingredients
Pumpkin Cake Roll:
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 large eggs
- ⅔ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- confectioners’ sugar for rolling
Cream Cheese Filling:
- 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 Tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 375° F. Line a half sheet pan (18×13-inch) with parchment paper and non-stick cooking spray.
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In a large bowl, whisk to combine sugar, flour, baking soda, pumpkin spice, and salt. Add in the eggs, pumpkin puree, and vanilla. Mix until just combined.
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Pour the batter onto the prepared baking sheet and spread it into an even layer.
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Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the top of the cake springs back when gently poked and is no longer sticky.
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While the cake is baking, lay a clean tea towel/kitchen towel out and sprinkle generously with confectioners’ sugar.
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When the cake has finished baking immediately turn it out onto the towel and remove the parchment paper.
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Starting at the shorter end, use the towel to roll the cake tightly into a log. Let the cake cool fully while wrapped in the towel, about 60 minutes.
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Using a hand mixer, beat confectioners’ sugar, cream cheese, butter, heavy cream, and vanilla until smooth and well combined.
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Carefully unroll the cake and spread with an even layer of cream cheese frosting, leaving a small perimeter (½-1 inch) uncovered around the edges.
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Roll the cake back up (without the towel) and transfer to a serving plate. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for one hour, or until ready to serve. When ready to serve, unwrap the cake and dust with powdered sugar. Slice and serve.
Notes
To avoid cracking be sure to roll the cake as soon as it comes out of the oven. Be careful as it will be hot!
If the cream cheese frosting/filling is too thin, add a bit more confectioners’ sugar. If it is too thick, add a touch more cream. You want the frosting to be thick enough to hold and not ooze out of the cake, yet not too stiff that it will tear the cake when you are spreading it on. Keep in mind that it will stiffen up a bit while in the refrigerator.
For a picture-perfect swirl, slice about ½ inch off each end of the cake before serving. This will give you a picture-perfect roll cake.
Nutrition
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