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Pumpkin Roll

September 27, 2018

This Pumpkin Roll cake is an easy and beautiful dessert to make in the fall. It’s a pumpkin spice cake rolled with a cream cheese buttercream filling.

Roll cakes were often in the fridge during my childhood, so they have a special nostalgia for me.

Pumpkin Roll

My mom would buy them from the store, and they always looked so elaborate and fancy, but they’re actually quite simple to make yourself.

This pumpkin cake is adapted from a recipe that’s fairly old and well-loved around the country, from the back of a Libby’s Pumpkin can. I’ve tweaked it ever so slightly over the years that I’ve made it, but it’s still easy to pull off.

Because the cake is a very thin layer of batter on a sheet pan, it bakes very quickly.

I like doing a classic cream cheese frosting in the center, since it goes so well with the spiced pumpkin flavor, but you could fill it with any sort of frosting or filling.

Pumpkin Roll Recipe

The main trick to a perfect roll cake is rolling it up in a towel right after baking, to set its shape and prevent cracking.

(And psssst, if you’re looking for a chocolate cake roll, that one is my favorite. It’s not as easy to make as the pumpkin roll, but very doable).

How to Make a Pumpkin Roll:

To start, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground allspice, and ground cloves:

Libbys Pumpkin Roll

In a separate bowl, combine eggs, granulated sugar, and pumpkin.

Canned or fresh both work great, but I like the flavor of fresh more when I have it readily available.

Homemade Pumpkin Roll Recipe

Whisk until smooth:

Best Pumpkin Roll Recipe

Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and stir until no flour streaks remain, and you have a smooth batter:

Pumpkin Roll with Cream Cheese Filling

Spread into a large rectangle on a silicone mat or parchment lined half sheet tray:

Roll Cake - Easy Pumpkin Roll Recipe

Bake for about 13 minutes until springy when touched:

Pumpkin Roll Cake Recipe

While the cake is still warm, dust the top with confectioner’s sugar, then place a piece of parchment on top of the cake.

Flip it over, then peel the silicone mat off and roll the cake in the parchment paper:

Pumpkin Roll Cake

Just like with any roll cake, this gives the cake “muscle memory” and makes it more likely to hold the roll shape and less likely to crack later on.

While that cools, make the cream cheese filling.

It’s made with room temperature cream cheese and butter, confectioner’s sugar, and vanilla:

Easy Pumpkin Roll

Spread the filling evenly over the cake, leaving room at the edges (because as you roll, the filling will spread a little bit):

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Roll

Roll the cake back up, tightly, and refrigerate for 30 minutes:

How to Make a Pumpkin Roll

Refrigerating is important for firming up the frosting, so you get clean slices.

Trim the ends off, then cut into thick slices:

Pumpkin Roll Cake

Pumpkin Muffins are another one of my favorite fall baked goods, as well as Homemade Pumpkin Butter and Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies. Enjoy!

The full recipe is below, and there’s also a full video below the recipe card if you’d like more guidance.

Can the Pumpkin Roll be frozen? Yes, this cake freezes well. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 months.

Can the Pumpkin Roll sit out at room temperature? It’s fine for a few hours, but after that it should be refrigerated or frozen.

How long can it be refrigerated? It will last about one week.

Pumpkin Cake Roll with Cream Cheese Filling
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4.86 from 7 votes

Pumpkin Roll

This Pumpkin Roll cake is an easy and beautiful dessert to make in the fall! It’s a pumpkin spice cake rolled with a cream cheese buttercream filling.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword pumpkin roll
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 10
Calories 343kcal

Ingredients

For the cake:

  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/4 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/8 tsp ground allspice
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2/3 cup fresh or canned pumpkin puree
  • confectioner's sugar for sprinkling

For the filling:

  • 8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
  • 8 tbsp butter softened
  • 1 cup confectioner's sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375F. Line a half sheet pan with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
  • In a small bowl, whisk to combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, allspice, and salt.
  • In another bowl, whisk to combine the eggs, sugar, and pumpkin.
  • Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and mix until no flour streaks remain.
  • Spread into a rectangle about 15×10 inches on the sheet pan, then bake for 13 minutes, until the cake springs back to the touch.
  • While the cake is still warm, sprinkle the top with confectioner’s sugar flip it into a piece of parchment paper. Peel the silicone mat off the cake, then roll the cake up. While it cools, make the filling.
  • With a hand mixer, whip together the cream cheese, butter, confectioner’s sugar, and vanilla extract.
  • Unroll the cake, then spread the filling evenly, leaving a border at the edges.
  • Roll the cake up and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  • When ready to serve, trim the edges off, slice, and serve!

Notes

Recipe adapted from the classic Libby's Canned Pumpkin Roll recipe

Nutrition

Calories: 343kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 264mg | Potassium: 118mg | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin A: 3200IU | Vitamin C: 0.7mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 1mg

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