Our homemade Pumpkin Roll is an airy fall pumpkin sponge cake around velvety cream cheese filling. It’s an impressive dessert, but don’t be scared away by the presentation! It’s actually so easy to make with our fail-proof jelly roll technique and you can use a regular baking sheet.
This pumpkin cake roll is a lighter crumb cake based on our popular Pumpkin Cake and Cream Cheese Frosting. One bite and you’ll see why our readers can’t get enough pumpkin spice flavor.
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We start cranking out pumpkin recipes early and even stock up on Libby’s canned pumpkin puree so we can enjoy recipes like Pumpkin Pancakes and Pumpkin Waffles year-round. This Pumpkin Roll is a classic and a star among pumpkin recipes. It’s simple to make but it’s a show-stopper for the holidays.
Pumpkin Roll Video
See Natasha use her simple jelly roll technique to make this pumpkin roll. You won’t believe how easy it is to wow all your friends and family.
Pumpkin Cake Roll Recipe
Our pumpkin roll is the perfect finish to a Fall gathering and looks great on a Thanksgiving or Christmas dessert table because its rolled presentation adds such a fancy touch.
Traditionally, cake rolls are made in jelly roll pans, but when I polled my audience, nearly 80% of you said you would prefer using a standard-sized 13×18 baking sheet because that’s what you have on hand. Therefore, I wrote this for the bigger pan, but you can easily make it in a jelly roll pan for a thicker cake.
Ingredients
It’s easy to whip up this delicious cake with only a few ingredients that you probably have on hand. It’s the perfect way to bring Fall onto your table.
For the Pumpkin Roll
- Powdered sugar – prevents the cake from sticking to the rolling tea towel. Dust by hand or use a fine-mesh strainer to sift the sugar over the towel.
- Flour – all-purpose flour is sifted in this recipe to give the cake an extra light crumb, but enough strength to roll without breaking
- Baking soda and baking powder – we use both leavenings to give the cake an even rise
- Spices – Cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt create that Fall flavor. Salt brings out the flavor of the ingredients.
- Eggs – room temperature, to help the cake rise in the oven
- Sugar – holds moisture and sweetens for a light and moist cake layer
- Pumpkin Puree – we love Libby’s brand of pumpkin puree which has the richest color and flavor. If using homemade pumpkin puree, drain it well.
Pro Tip
We only use 3/4 cup of pumpkin puree here, so if you’re using store-bought, we suggest you plan to make soft Pumpkin Cookies with the rest of your can.
Cream Cheese Filling
- Cream Cheese – We prefer full-fat cream chees and be sure it’s room temperature so it mixes evenly.
- Butter – unsalted, softened butter
- Powdered Sugar – sweetens the frosting without being overly sweet
- Vanilla extract – flavors the filling, so be sure to use real extract or make your own Vanilla Extract for the best taste
Variations
We love the simplicity of this pumpkin roll recipe, but if you’re feeling adventurous, you can try adding chopped walnuts or pecans over the batter before it’s baked, like in Libby’s pumpkin roll recipe. You can also add chopped nuts or raisins on top of the frosting before re-rolling it up.
How to Make a Pumpkin Roll
Pumpkin rolls are lighter than a traditional cake, so you’ll need to whip the butter and sugar to trap in the air. Add the rest of the ingredients on low speed so as not to deflate the cake. Just follow these easy step-by-step instructions for the perfect pumpkin roll.
Prepare the Pans
- Preheat the oven to 375 ̊F. Grease your 13x18x1 rimmed cookie sheet with butter and line with parchment paper. Then grease and flour the parchment. This cake is very thin once baked, so you want to be sure it doesn’t stick. Dust a clean tea towel with 1/4 cup powdered sugar.
Make the Pumpkin Cake Roll
- Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt into a medium mixing bowl. This helps keep the crumb light.
- Beat eggs and sugar in a second large mixing bowl with an electric mixer (or stand mixer with a whisk attachment) for 5 minutes until it’s light, fluffy, and thickened. Add the pumpkin puree on low speed then add flour mixture on low speed, mixing just until incorporated.
- Spread batter evenly into the prepared pan with an offset spatula. It will be very thin. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until it springs back when touched. Immediately, turn the cake onto the sugared towel and carefully remove the parchment. Roll the cake and towel gently into a log starting at the shortest end. Let cool completely seam-side down on a wire rack for about 1 1/2 hours.
Pro Tip
The secret of how to roll a pumpkin roll is simple: roll the cake up immediately while hot and pliable (watch the video tutorial above to see my technique). Then, let it cool completely rolled up and it will keep its form. If the cake is unrolled before cooling, the cake could crack or be gummy and the icing could melt.
Make the Filling & Assemble
- Beat together cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl on low speed to combine. Then, beat on high for 2-3 minutes until fluffy.
- Unroll the cooled cake carefully. Spread the filling evenly over the surface and carefully re-roll the cake without including the towel. Serve dusted with powdered sugar.
Common Questions
How to Serve a Pumpkin Roll
For the best presentation, cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes after rolling. Then, remove the plastic, dust it with powdered sugar, and slice each end to make it a uniform log. Refrigerating makes it much easier to get a clean cut.
Make-Ahead
It’s easy to make this pumpkin roll recipe ahead. Simply bake it and roll it in the tea towel, and then once completely cooled, wrap it in an airtight plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator for a day or two until ready to fill and serve.
- To Refrigerate: Wrap the filled pumpkin roll in plastic and store it in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Freezing: Wrap the finished cake roll in plastic wrap and foil. Place in the freezer for 2-3 months.
- To serve: Thaw in the fridge overnight and dust with powdered sugar before serving.
You’ll love the airy Autumn-spiced pumpkin cake roll and creamy filling. It’s the perfect finish to a festive Fall gathering, so try this easy pumpkin roll recipe, today.
More Pumpkin Recipes
If you love this Pumpkin Roll recipe, then you won’t want to miss these other pumpkin dessert recipes:
- Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Pumpkin Pie
- Easy Pumpkin Bread
- Mini Pumpkin Pies
- Pull-apart Pumpkin Bread
- Pumpkin Cupcakes
Pumpkin Roll Recipe
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar, to dust the towel, plus more to serve
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
- 3 large eggs, room temp
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
Filling Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Prep Ahead
- Preheat the oven to 375 ̊F. Grease a 13x18x1* rimmed cookie sheet with butter and line with a large sheet of parchment paper that goes up the sides of the pan. Grease and flour the parchment paper also. On a work surface, lay out a clean thin kitchen towel and generously dust the top with 1/4 cup powdered sugar.
Make the Pumpkin Cake Roll
- In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, powder, cinnamon, pumpkin spice, and salt. Set aside.
- In a second large mixing bowl, beat together the eggs and sugar for 5 minutes on high speed with an electric mixer until lightened in color, fluffy and thickened. Add the pumpkin puree and with the mixer on low speed, continue mixing until incorporated. Add the flour mixture and continue mixing on low speed until just incorporated and no streaks of flour remain. Scrape down the bowl and finish folding a few times with a spatula.
- Spread the batter evenly into the prepared cake pan and bake for 12-14 minutes or until the top springs back when touched. Note: a dark-colored pan will bake faster. Immediately turn the cake onto the prepared towel then peel back the parchment paper. Starting with the short end of the cake, gently roll the warm cake and the towel into a log. Set seam-side down and let cool completely on a wire rack for about 1 1/2 hours.
Make the Filling
- In a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of your stand mixer, beat together cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract on medium speed until combined. Then increase to high speed and beat 2-3 minutes until fluffy, scraping down the bowl as needed.
Assemble the Pumpkin Roll
- Unroll the cooled cake and use an offset spatula to spread the cream cheese frosting evenly over the surface. Carefully re-roll the cake using the towel to help you keep a tight roll. Trim the ends for a prettier presentation if desired and dust the top and sides of the cake with powdered sugar. Slice and serve.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
Hi!! If adding nuts to the batter, how much do you recomend? Thanks!!
Hi Jenifer! I think up to 1 cup is a good amount.
I made the roll today but don’t want to fill it until tomorrow. Do I leave the towel in place while I refrigerate overnight?
Hi Renee! If you’re not filling it today you can keep the cake roll out at room temperature until tomorrow. If you refrigerate it, you should bring it to room temperature again when you unroll it so that it doesn’t break easily. Yes, you can keep the towel in place. Once it’s fully cooled, I would also put it in an airtight container or wrap it well so it doesn’t dry out.
Did people actually use a 13″ x 18″ baking pan? I didn’t have enough batter to even adequately cover my 12″ x 17″ Nordic pan and had to transfer the parchment filled with batter to a smaller 10 x 15 pan! The finished product was indeed good – but what a fiasco!
I was wondering about the size of the cookie sheet since we don’t have that size. We have a few pans that are sizes smaller. I don’t really want to spend the money on a cookie sheet right now when I have other kitchen items I would like to have.
I would love to make this with Almond Flour, what would the ratio be to regular flour? My hubby was recently diagnosed with diabetes and I’m trying to make it for the holidays. I already purchased monk fruit to replace the sugar.
Hi Pamela. I’m so sorry, I have never tested that to be able to provide instructions.
Can you confirm that the cake doesn’t need vanilla extract? Thanks
Hi Georgiana! That’s correct, it has a nice flavor from the spices. You can add it if you’d like.
Can I make pumpkin roll ahead and best way to freeze?
Wrap the finished cake roll in plastic wrap and foil. Place in the freezer for 2-3 months.
Can I use pumpkin instead of pumpkin puree for this recipe?
Hi Wendy! I haven’t tested this recipe with fresh pumpkin. Due to a higher water content in fresh pumpkin, it will likely affect the texture and overall result.
Can I use whipped cream cheese instead of block
Hi Judy, while whipped cream cheese may work, the texture outcome will be slightly different than if using a block. Since whipped cream cheese is less dense, it will but more air filled and fluffier, but should work. I hope you love this recipe.
My first time making a cake roll. It turned out perfect and everyone that tried it said it was delish!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Mary!
My first attempt at the flip went horribly wrong. So, since I still had the ingredients out, I made another cake. This time-perfection. I got a bit crazy but try it! As soon as the cake came out I dusted it with the powdered sugar. I put the towel on top, then the rack. I covered all that with another baking sheet and flipped it all together. The cake was sugared and the parchment came right off.
This is the best pumpkin roll. I make it every fall. Just delicious 😋 im wondering, am i able to turn this into a 8 inch single layer cake?
Hi Terry, I haven’t tried this recipe in that size pan, but I recommend using THIS Adapt Baking Recipes to Fit Different Pan Sizes Guide.
Natasha girl, you’re my go-to for ALL desserts, and this one was no exception. Fantastic directions, easy to follow and always delicious. Thank you for the reliably excellent recipes!
Aw, thank you, Bri! So glad you’re loving them!
Delicious! The video is so helpful. I am making two today for our Thanksgiving feast with family tomorrow. Thank you, Natasha and Happy Being Grateful Day to ALL!
Hi Jana! You’re very welcome. I’m so glad you love this recipe. Have a blessed thanksgiving!
Is tripling this recipe okay? I know that sometimes doubling or tripling a recipe can make it not turn out just right..
Hi Donna! I haven’t tried it myself. You’d need a larger pan or multiple pans to bake it and it’s best to bake right away.
This was my first time making a pumpkin roll. Love watching your video first before making the roll. It turned out great! I made your Chocolate Lasagna last night and have it in the freezer ready for Thanksgiving. I’ve never been disappointed in any of your recipes I’ve tried. They’ve taken me outside my comfort range, but love trying new foods.
That’s wonderful, Leigh! Thank you so much for sharing.
Hi, I love your recipes. Im going to try this one because you add 3/4 cup of pumpkin. Just want to make sure that is correct. I know i have seen 2/3c with all the same ingredients you have thank you
Hi Kat! That’s correct. I hope you love the recipe!
Followed the recipe exactly, and it turned out so well! The cake didn’t crack at all, and it looked beautiful. And tasted great. I never thought I’d be able to make a cake roll, but it wasn’t that hard!
I’m so glad to hear that, Rebecca!
Help….just took out of oven and there are big craters in the bottom of the cake. Looks like the surface of the moon. What did I do wrong? It smells heavenly…can’t wait to finish!
Hi Julia, it’s hard to say without being there. Pumpkin rolls are lighter than a traditional cake, so you’ll need to whip the butter and sugar to trap in the air. Add the rest of the ingredients on low speed so as not to deflate the cake.
Tomorrow will be the 3rd time I’ve made this pumpkin cake roll this fall. I’ve made it all for different occasions so different people ate it. They all loved it. I followed your instructions to a T. It turned out beautiful. I will be making for Thanksgiving also!
Hello Cindy, nice to know that this has become your go-to recipe! Thanks a lot for sharing.