Pumpkin Roll Cake

A Pumpkin Roll Cake is a popular and delicious fall recipe that can be made at home with just a few ingredients. It’s easy to make, but the presentation of this dish looks like you spent hours on it! 

Making a pumpkin roll cake is easier than you think. Some other easy desserts that are huge when it comes to the presentation are our Caramel Apple Pie Cookies and our Ice Cream Layer Cake. 

Easy Pumpkin Roll Recipe

A Pumpkin Roll is a delicious pumpkin cake which is light and fluffy, filled with rich cream cheese frosting. Sounds like a dream, right!

Don’t worry if you don’t know how to make this treat for your family this holiday season; it’s easier than you think. All you need are simple ingredients that most people already have in their kitchen storage (flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, eggs) and some fun fall spices (cinnamon, nutmeg).

You’ll start out with a super moist cake mixed with pumpkin puree. This makes for a crazy moist, and flavorful pumpkin cake!

Then, you add the cream cheese frosting filling in the middle, and roll it up. Yep, it’s really that simple!

Some people think that a roll cake is out of their scope. BUT, I am here to show you how to make a roll cake and that it is in fact easy! 

Ingredients

There are two main steps in making the pumpkin roll.

First off, you’ll need to make the pumpkin cake. Next, you’ll make the cream cheese filling. Eventually, you’ll put the two together!

For ingredient’s sake, I find it easiest to break them up into two pieces.

Ingredients for the cake:

• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ⅔ cup pumpkin puree
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ⅓ cup powdered sugar (for dusting the rolling tea towel)

Ingredients for the cream cheese frosting:

• 1 – 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
• 3 tablespoons salted sweet cream butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon clear vanilla flavoring
• 2 cups powdered sugar

How to Make a Pumpkin Roll Cake:

1. Whisk together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set it aside.
2. Stir together the pumpkin puree and the lemon juice.
   
3. Beat the eggs and sugar until the egg mixture is light and frothy.
4. Add the pumpkin mixture and the vanilla. Mix until well combined.
   
5. Fold in the flour mixture. 
6. Evenly spread the pumpkin batter in the prepared baking pan. Bake for 12 – 14 minutes. 
   
7. Lay out a thin tea towel and dust with ¼ cup powdered sugar. You will also need a large cutting board for the dusted cake transfer.
8. When the cake has finished baking, remove from the oven. Run the tip of a sharp knife around the edge of the baking sheet.
9. Carefully flip the dusted tea towel on top of the baked cake.
10. Place the large cutting board on top of the tea towel.
    Pro-Tip: The cake pan will still be very hot, so protect your hands. Be certain to leave a small tail of the tea towel on the short edge of the cake for rolling the cake.
    
11. Quickly flip the baking pan over so that it is now laying on top of the tea towel/cutting board.
12. Slowly peel away the parchment paper.
13. Lightly dust the top of the cake with powdered sugar.
14. Flip the small tail of the tea towel over the short edge of the cake. 
15. Carefully begin rolling one end toward the other. Once rolled, transfer to a cooling rack to finish cooling completely.
    
16. Beat together the softened cream cheese, clear vanilla and the softened butter until smooth.
17. Add the powdered sugar. Cover and chill in the refrigerator until ready to fill the roll.
    Pro-Tip: Remove the filling from the refrigerator 10 minutes before assembling the cake roll.
    
18. Once the cake is completely cooled, slowly unroll the cake.
19. Spread the filling over the surface of the cake, try to avoid the very edges of the cake.
20. Once filled, slowly and with even pressure, begin to roll the cake back up. Wrap the pumpkin roll in plastic wrap to ensure it holds its shape. Chill in the refrigerator for 4 hours to overnight.
21. Just before serving, unwrap the pumpkin roll. 
    
22. Slice off the ends off the roll and serve.
    

Tips:

• You can add chopped nuts to the top of the cake roll just before you bake.
• You can add ¼ teaspoon cinnamon to the cream cheese filling.
• Be sure to not use any fabric softener when you wash the tea towel. It will transfer to the cake and make the flavor “off”. 
• Do not use a terry cloth tea towel. The terry cloth will leave lint that will transfer to the surface of the cake.

How to Store or Freeze:

This recipe only gets better, in the fact that it is very easy to store in the fridge or freezer, and it keeps well in both!

Store any leftovers tightly wrapped in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can freeze the plastic-wrapped, uncut pumpkin roll for up to 3 months. Be sure to wrap aluminum foil around the plastic-wrapped pumpkin roll before freezing.

You know what that means? You can make it well in advance so that it’s ready when you need it!

To do so, simply wrap your pumpkin roll tightly in plastic wrap. Making sure it is covered very thoroughly! When you are ready to eat it, make sure if it’s frozen that you put it in the fridge at least 1 day before serving so that it has time to thaw out. Bring it to room temperature to serve.

More Great Pumpkin Recipes

• Pumpkin Spice bites
• Pumpkin Delight
• Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes
• Pumpkin Dump Cake
• Pumpkin Spice Chex Mix
• No-Bake Pumpkin Pie
• Instant Pot Pumpkin Cheesecake
• Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
• Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake

Post Updated: Originally Posted September 4, 2019