Don’t be intimidated by the gorgeous looks of this pumpkin cake roll. It is actually quite simple to make! With just a few proper tools and the right technique, you can serve a homemade pumpkin roll to your friends and family this holiday.
I used to be so amazed by pumpkin rolls and their beauty! I thought that it must be so hard to make something so pretty! But it’s honestly not hard at all! 😁 Don’t be fooled like I was for so many years!
The more powdered sugar on top the better, but that’s just my opinion. 🤷♀️
Tools Needed to Make a Pumpkin Roll
A list of kitchen tools and gadgets you’ll need to create this recipe (affiliate links below):
Recipe and Instructions
Be sure to read all the way through the instructions before starting. Be prepared is a great motto to live by. 😄
Begin by bringing your cream cheese and butter to room temperature to soften. This will allow for easy mixing and a smooth icing consistency. Nothing is worse than cream cheese or butter lumps in your icing. 😕
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
Line a 10 x 15-inch jelly-roll pan with parchment paper. I like to use the precut 10 x 15 sheets of parchment paper. However, you can use a roll of parchment and cut it to the size you need. You may wish to leave just a little extra over the edges to make it easier to grab the sheet cake out of the pan, as we will be doing this while it is still hot.
Bake the Cake
To prepare the batter you will want to combine all of the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients separately.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and all of the spices.
In a large mixing bowl, beat together the eggs and sugar until well combined and thick. Beat in the vanilla extract and pumpkin puree.
Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir until just combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared 10 x 15 baking sheet. The batter will be thick and you will need to smooth it out with a spatula.
Bake the cake for 12-15 minutes. The cake should spring back up when pushed on in the center with your finger.
I like to take a knife or toothpick and gently pull the edges of the cake away from the sides of the pan to unstick it all the way around.
Immediately remove the cake from the pan and onto a heat-safe surface. I like to grab the parchment paper under the cake and quickly slide it out of the pan.
Immediately roll up the cake tightly from short end to short end, keeping the parchment paper on. Be careful not to burn your fingers. The cake will still be very hot! 🔥
Allow the cake to cool completely to room temperature.
Prepare the Cream Cheese Filling
While your pumpkin cake is cooling, you can begin to prepare the cream cheese frosting that will be used to fill your cake roll.
Start by whipping just the cream cheese with an electric mixer until fully smooth and no lumps are present.
Next mix in the butter until combined. Add in the vanilla extract.
Slowly add in the powdered sugar until fully incorporated.
The filling should be at a medium consistency. Add a little more powdered sugar if it is too thin. You may also need to add a little bit of milk or water if the filling is too thick.
Prepare the Cake Roll
Once your cake is completely cool, carefully unroll it.
Evenly spread out the cream cheese filling onto the pumpkin cake.
Carefully and slowly, roll up the pumpkin roll while peeling away the parchment paper.
Tightly wrap the pumpkin roll in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
If desired, sprinkle the top of the pumpkin cake roll with powdered sugar just before serving. This is optional but highly recommended. 😉
I also recommend cutting off the outer edges of the pumpkin roll before serving. This will not only give you a better presentation but also remove the tougher part of the cake. I find that the edges tend to be a little bit tough and chewy when compared to the rest of the cake which is super soft and light.
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Are you taking your pumpkin roll to a party or family gathering? Put it in a bakery box! I like to line mine with parchment paper for a nicer/cleaner presentation.
Pumpkin Cake Roll
Ingredients
For the Pumpkin Cake
- 3/4 cup Flour all-purpose
- 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
- 1/4 tsp Nutmeg ground
- 1/4 tsp Ginger ground
- 1 tsp Cinnamon ground
- 1/4 tsp Cloves ground
- 1/4 tsp Allspice ground
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 3 large Eggs
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 cup Granulated Sugar
- 2/3 cup Canned Pumpkin Puree
For the Cream Cheese Filling
- 1 (8oz.) block Cream Cheese softened to room temperature
- 6 tbsp Unsalted Butter softened to room temperature
- 1 cup Powdered Sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- Powdered Sugar for Decoration optional
Instructions
Bake the Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 ° F. Line a 10 x 15-inch baking pan (jelly roll pan) with parchment paper.*
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt in a medium mixing bowl.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together the eggs, vanilla, and granulated sugar. Beat in the pumpkin puree.
- Fold in the dry mixture to the wet mixture until fully combined.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 13-15 minutes. The cake should spring back up when poked. Immediately remove the cake (along with parchment paper) from the pan and onto a heat-safe surface.** Slowly roll up the cake from short-end to short-end. Carefully place the rolled cake onto a wire rack and cool completely.
Prepare the Cream Cheese Filling
- The cream cheese filling should be prepared while your cake roll is cooling.
- With an electric mixer blend just the cream cheese until fully smooth. Then, blend together the cream cheese with the softened butter. Once the butter and cream cheese are fully combined together, slowly add in the powdered sugar until it is all mixed in. Add the vanilla extract. ***
Prepare the Cake Roll
- Once the cake roll has cooled to room temperature, gently unroll the cake.
- Spread the frosting evenly over the cake. Re-roll the cake, while slowly peeling away the parchment paper.
- Wrap the pumpkin roll tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Slice and enjoy!****
- Optional: Sprinkle the pumpkin roll with powdered sugar before serving.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Libby's.
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