Pumpkin Roll (2024)

Published: July 15, 2020 · Modified: Oct 28, 2020 by John Kanell

This pumpkin roll cake melts in your mouth and is a perfect make ahead dessert. I love the combination of fall spices and pumpkin with tangy cream cheese frosting.

What You’ll Need for This Recipe

Pumpkin Puree: Use 100% pumpkin, not the canned pumpkin pie mix.

Spices: I’m using my favorite fall spices but you can swap things out as desired. If you want to use two teaspoons of pumpkin spice that will work too!

Eggs: Use large eggs and make sure they’re room temperature.

How to Make a Pumpkin Roll

1. Heat oven to 375F then line a 10×15 jelly roll pan with parchment paper. Leave an inch of excess on the two short sides so you can pull the cake out after baking. Combine the flour spices, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl then whisk together and set aside.

2. Add the eggs and sugar to a large bowl then whisk or beat until lighter in color and smooth. I like to really give this part a good beat so the sugar starts to dissolve in the eggs.

3. Add the pumpkin puree and vanilla then mix until combined.

4. Add the dry mixture into the wet and gently fold in until just combined, you can use a whisk to finish off the mixing if you see any stubborn clumps of flour.

5. Transfer the batter onto your lined pan then push the batter to the edges and smooth out. Don’t worry if it seems quite thin, the batter will puff up in the oven, but do try and smooth out the top well. Bake at 375F for 13-15 minutes, the cake is done when it springs back to the touch.

6. While the cake bakes dust a thin cotton kitchen towel with powdered sugar. Once the cake is ready grab the paper edges and lift it out then quickly invert it onto the sugared towel. Just do it in one confident motion and you’ll be fine. Roll the cake tightly and then set aside to cool completely on a wire rack.

7. To make the cream cheese filling beat the room temperature cream cheese and butter until smooth then add the vanilla and sift in the powdered sugar. Beat on high for a 2-3 minutes until smooth and lighter in color.

8. Unroll your cooled cake and spread the cream cheese frosting into a smooth layer on top. Roll the cake back up, wrap in plastic and chill for at least an hour so the frosting sets up and the cake holds it’s shape when cut. When ready to serve dust with powdered sugar and cut using a sharp serrated knife.

Pro Tips for this Recipe

• Measure your flour correctly! Adding too much flour to the recipe is the most common mistake. The best, and easiest way to measure flour is by using a scale. If you don’t have one then fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off.
• Work quickly once your cake is out of the oven. The longer you leave it to sit the harder it will be to roll it.
• Don’t worry about the edges looking perfect, you’ll trim the log before serving and snack on those delicious end pieces.
• You can lay some strips of parchment paper over the cake before dusting with powdered sugar to create a pattern.
• A pumpkin roll is a great make ahead dessert! Store in the refrigerator for up to three days or in the freezer for three months.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my roll crack?

Roll cakes can crack if over-baked or if you wait too long to roll it. You need to roll them up right after they come out of the oven.

How long does pumpkin roll last in fridge?

Your roll cake will last three days in the refrigerator. Make sure to wrap well in plastic so it doesn’t dry out.

Does it need to be refrigerated?

That delicious cream cheese filling in this pumpkin roll recipe needs to be refrigerated, so don’t leave the cake out for very long.

How do you keep a roll cake from sticking?

Dust your towel with powdered sugar and use a thin cotton towel, not the super plush ones. If you don’t have a towel handy then you can roll the cake in the parchment paper you baked it in then peel and remove when cool.

Can you freeze it?

Yes, a pumpkin roll will freeze well! Wrap well in plastic and foil and store frozen for up to three months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator.

If you’ve tried this Pumpkin Roll recipe then don’t forget to leave a rating and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!