How to Make a Pumpkin Roll at Home (with Cream Cheese Filling!)
When I was pregnant with my oldest, I became obsessed with pumpkin rolls. In July. Which meant I needed to learn how to make them myself because as much as the holidays tend to creep up into summer, there were still no pumpkin rolls to be found in stores in July. So I called up my aunt (who is a jelly roll/pumpkin roll pro), got all the tips/tricks/hints, and set out on a quest to master a pumpkin roll. From the get go, they TASTED good, but it took a couple of tries to make them LOOK good.
Now, there’s something that fully, undeniably signals autumn in our house when we make a homemade pumpkin roll. The soft, pumpkin spice sponge cake wrapped around a sweet and tangy cream cheese filling is the perfect combination of cozy and indulgent. Whether you’re making it for a fall get together, Thanksgiving dessert table, or just because it’s July and you’re craving it (I see you), this classic treat is surprisingly simple to make at home with the right set of tricks up your sleeve and a little patience. Here’s everything you need to know!
Ingredients
For the Pumpkin Cake:
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ginger
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- Powdered sugar (for rolling)
For the Cream Cheese Filling:
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 4 tbsp butter, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
1. Preheat & Prepare the Pan
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a 10×15-inch jelly roll pan with parchment paper and lightly grease it. Sprinkle a clean kitchen towel (a flour sack one like these works best) with powdered sugar and set aside—this will be used for rolling the cake.
2. Make the Pumpkin Cake
In a large bowl, beat the eggs on high speed and gradually add the sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the pumpkin puree and lemon juice.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and spices. Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly. Bake for 13–15 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly touched.
3. Roll the Cake
As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, carefully invert it onto the prepared towel. Peel off the parchment paper. Starting from one short end, gently roll up the cake with the towel inside. It will be hot, but the quicker this is done the better and the less likely for the cake to crack. The roll should be tight but doesn’t need to be SUPER tight where you’re squishing the cake. Remember you’ll have filling inside the finished product so if it’s slightly loose, that’s okay. Let it cool completely on a wire rack.
4. Make the Cream Cheese Filling
In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract, and beat until creamy. There you go – simple, perfect, cream cheese frosting.
5. Assemble the Pumpkin Roll
Once the cake has completely cooled, gently unroll it. Spread the cream cheese filling evenly over the surface, leaving a small border around the edges. Carefully re-roll the cake (without the towel this time), and wrap it in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 1 hour before serving. Ta-da!
6. Serve & Enjoy
Before serving, dust the pumpkin roll with a light sprinkle of powdered sugar for that beautiful bakery-style finish. Slice and enjoy!
Tips for Success
- Use parchment paper and a sugared towel to prevent sticking.
- Don’t skip the rolling with the towel step while the cake is warm. It helps set the shape and prevents cracking later.
- Chill before slicing for the cleanest cuts and best texture.
Make-Ahead & Storage
Pumpkin rolls can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to 3 months. They freeze really well! Wrap it tightly in plastic and then foil if freezing. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
A homemade pumpkin roll is such a cozy fall favorite in our house. With just a few simple ingredients and a little technique (don’t forget patience!), you’ll have a beautiful dessert that looks impressive and tastes even better. Try it out with our pumpkin spice latte or a nice iced coffee with pumpkin cream cold foam for an all around pumpkin experience. Happy baking!
Pumpkin Cake Roll
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 eggs
- 2/3 cup pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 3/4 cup flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ginger
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp salt
- powder sugar for rolling
Filling
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 4 tbsp butter softened
- 1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 and line 10×15 jelly roll pan with parchment paper. Lightly grease the parchment paper. Sprinkle a clean kitchen towel with powdered sugar and set aside.
- Beat eggs on high speed for 3-5 minutes, gradually adding sugar. Stir in pumpkin and lemon juice.
- In a separate bowl, add flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt. Fold into pumpkin mixture until just combined.
- Spread into greased jelly roll pan. Bake 13-15 minutes or until top springs back when touched.
- Turn out onto towel sprinkled with powdered sugar. Remove parchment paper. Starting at the narrow end, roll towel and cake together. Allow to fully cool on wire rack.
- In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Slowly add the powdered sugar and vanilla, beat until creamy.
- Once cooled, unroll the cake and gently spread the cream cheese filling evenly over the surface, leaving a small boarder at the edges.
- Carefully reroll the cake (without the towel) and wrap it in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 1 hour before serving.
