Pumpkin Roll Cake Recipe
This pumpkin cake roll is a classic fall dessert made with a light, warmly spiced pumpkin cake, crunchy pecans, and a sweet cream cheese filling. Rolled into a pretty spiral and finished with a dusting of powdered sugar, it looks impressive on a dessert table without requiring complicated decorating.
I love recipes like this during the fall because they feel special enough for Thanksgiving and other holiday gatherings, but the ingredients are simple and familiar. The combination of pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, pecans, and creamy filling gives you all those cozy fall flavors in every slice.
If you love rolled cakes, try my banana roll next. The chocolate yogurt cake and lemon raspberry bundt cake are also fall favorites.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Beautiful presentation: The cream cheese spiral makes every slice look impressive without any fancy decorating skills.
- Classic fall flavors: Pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg give the cake plenty of warm seasonal flavor.
- Creamy filling: The tangy cream cheese filling balances the sweetness and spices in the pumpkin cake.
- Great for entertaining: Make the cake roll ahead of time and keep it chilled until you’re ready to serve dessert.
Ingredients
This is a list of the ingredients that you need to make your grocery shopping easier. You can find the full list of the ingredients and amounts needed in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Pumpkin Cake
- Eggs: Room-temperature eggs whip up with plenty of volume and help create the light, flexible texture needed for rolling the cake.
- All-purpose flour: Flour provides the structure for the thin pumpkin cake without making it overly heavy.
- Cinnamon: Cinnamon adds a warm, familiar spice that pairs perfectly with pumpkin.
- Baking powder: This gives the cake lift so it stays light and tender.
- Ground ginger: Ginger adds a little warmth and depth to the spice mixture.
- Ground nutmeg: Nutmeg rounds out the fall spices with its warm, slightly nutty flavor.
- Granulated sugar: Sugar sweetens the cake while helping the beaten eggs create a light texture.
- Pumpkin puree: Pumpkin gives the cake its signature flavor, color, and moisture.
- Lemon juice: A little lemon juice adds acidity and helps brighten the pumpkin and spice flavors.
- Powdered sugar: Powdered sugar keeps the warm cake from sticking to the kitchen towel and is also used as a finishing touch.
- Pecans: Finely chopped pecans add crunch and a rich, nutty flavor to the cake. Walnuts can also be used.
Cream Cheese Filling
- Cream cheese: Softened cream cheese creates the thick, tangy base of the filling.
- Butter: Softened butter makes the filling rich, smooth, and easy to spread.
- Vanilla: Vanilla adds sweetness and extra flavor to the cream cheese mixture.
- Powdered sugar: Powdered sugar sweetens and thickens the filling while keeping it smooth.
How to Make Pumpkin Cake Roll
This is a quick overview of the step-by-step instructions for making this recipe. You can find the complete list of instructions in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, ginger, salt, and nutmeg.
- Beat the eggs on high speed until thick and light in color.
3. Gradually beat in the sugar until light and fluffy, then stir in the pumpkin and lemon juice.
4. Mix in the flour mixture on low speed just until combined.
5. Spread the batter in the pan, sprinkle with nuts, and bake for 12 to 15 minutes.
6. Turn the hot cake onto a sugared towel and roll it into a spiral starting at the short end of the cake. Cool completely.
7. In a clean mixing bowl beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together. Gently add the powdered sugar until ingredients are creamed.
8. Unroll cake and spread filling within 1 inch of the edges of the cake. Roll up and place on a serving plate. Cover and chill. Before serving sprinkle with additional powdered sugar and top with pecans.
Substitutions and Additions
- Dress it up: Add a little extra powdered sugar just before serving for an easy snowy finish that’s especially pretty on a holiday dessert table.
- Use walnuts: Swap the pecans for finely chopped walnuts for a slightly different nutty flavor.
- Skip the nuts: Leave the pecans out for a nut-free version with the same pumpkin and cream cheese flavors.
- Add more spice: Add a pinch of cloves or allspice to the batter if you prefer a bolder pumpkin-spice flavor.
Tips for Making Pumpkin Spice Roll Cake
- Roll the cake while it is still warm. A warm cake is more flexible and less likely to crack when shaped.
- Dust the kitchen towel generously with powdered sugar so the warm cake doesn’t stick to the fabric.
- Make sure the cream cheese and butter are softened before preparing the filling so they blend together smoothly.
- Allow the rolled cake to cool before adding the filling. A warm cake can soften or melt the cream cheese mixture.
- Don’t overbake the cake. Since it is thin, it cooks quickly, and an overbaked cake will be drier and more likely to crack.
- Use finely chopped nuts so you can roll and slice the cake more easily.
FAQs
Do you have questions about this recipe? Here are the answers to the most commonly asked questions for this recipe.
Cracking usually means the cake baked too long or cooled before rolling. Roll it into parchment while it’s still warm and flexible.
Yes, this cake can be made a day or two ahead. Keep it wrapped and chilled until you’re ready to serve.
Homemade puree works well if it’s well drained. Excess moisture can make the cake heavy and harder to roll.
Use a sharp knife and wipe the blade clean between cuts. Chilling the cake thoroughly before slicing also helps the cream cheese filling stay firm and gives you neater spirals.
Other Delicious Pumpkin Recipes You May Enjoy
Pumpkin Roll Cake Recipe with Pecans
Equipment
- jelly roll pan
- Hand or stand mixer
Ingredients
Pumpkin Cake
- 3 eggs room temperature
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- powdered sugar
- 1 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts
Cream Cheese Filling
- 1 8- ounce cream cheese softened at room temperature
- 1/3 cup butter softened at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Grease a 15 x 10 x 1 inch jelly roll cake pan. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper; grease paper. Set aside. Lay clean dish cloth on a flat surface and sprinkle generously with powdered sugar.
For The Pumpkin Roll Cake
- In a small bowl whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, ginger, salt and nutmeg.
- In a large bowl beat eggs on high speed until thick and light yellow (5 minutes). Gradually add granulated sugar and continue to beat until light and fluffy. Stir in pumpkin and lemon juice. Beat in flour mixture on low just until combined.
- Spread batter in prepared pan and sprinkle with chopped nuts. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Immediately loosen edges of cake from pan and turn cake onto prepared kitchen towel (a second set of hands are helpful at this point). Remove waxed paper. Roll towel and cake into a spiral starting from the short side. Cool on a wire rack.
Cream Cheese Filling
- In a medium mixing bowl beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla until smooth and well combined. On low speed gradually beat in the powdered sugar.
- Unroll cake and spread filling within 1 inch of the edges of the cake. Roll up and place on a serving plate. Cover and chill. Before serving sprinkle with additional powdered sugar.
Notes
How To Store
Storage: Keep the pumpkin cake roll covered in the refrigerator. Because the filling contains cream cheese and butter, the finished cake should remain refrigerated between servings. Reheating: This dessert is meant to be served chilled or slightly cool, so reheating isn’t necessary. If it has been refrigerated for a while, you can let individual slices sit briefly at room temperature before serving. Freezing: Wrap the chilled cake roll tightly in plastic wrap, followed by a layer of aluminum foil or an airtight freezer-safe covering. Thaw it in the refrigerator before serving, then add a fresh dusting of powdered sugar.Nutrition
Disclaimer
Please note that the nutritional information provided are guidelines and may vary based on the brand of products used. For your specific nutritional goals use My Fitness Pal or Verywell Fit recipe calculators. All content within this site is not intended as medical diagnosis or treatment and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical expertise.
oh, and my mom used 9×13 pans when she made hers. They were delicious and perfect. Is it just the size of the roll that changes by using the bigger pan?
Yes! It may be a little thicker and need to cook a few minutes longer, but still delicious!
Can pumpkin pie spice be used in this recipe instead of the separate spices?
Absolutely! Much easier if you have a pumpkin splice mix.
This pumpkin roll looks divine! Not only pumpkin delicious but such a beautiful looking treat! Definitely a must make! I just LOVE pumpkin!
Yay! The season of pumpkin is here!!! I love pumpkin and have always wanted to make a jellyroll! Thank you for the great step-by-step instructions to make this do-able! What a wonderful recipe!!
I have always wanted to make a pumpkin cake roll. Your addition of the pecans has me over the moon!! I am excitedf or pumpkin season!!
Pumpkin cake roll is a staple for Fall and I can’t wait to make this and take it to Brooks’ office and wow all his co-workers!
your tip about loosening the cake was a game changer! I actually had a great looking roll as well as great tasting one! Its the first time Im ever made it look pretty! THANK YOU!!
Sounds like a perfect dessert!! I love all the “fall” flavors- theres something so warm and comforting about recipes like this! Thanks so much for sharing!
This looks amazing, the perfect recipe to start off my fall baking!
Our boys LOVE pumpkin rolls! I can’t decide if it’s because they are so fun to make or just plain tasty; maybe both?! Your version looks wonderful and we will certainly be trying it once the pumpkins on the vine start to ripien!
Oh, you lucky ducks to have fresh pumpkins this year! Be sure to post some photos of those beauties!
This is as cute as is delicious! And I so envy your rolling skills, Sandra 🙂 Awesome Halloween idea!
Really the only jelly rolls cakes I like are the pumpkin ones, so this is looking amazing to me. Love love love, and I would lick that bowl clean too. And you’re right, jelly rolls really are not that difficult to make, much easier than one would think. Outstanding 🙂
Sandra, this gorgeous pumpkin roll cake will look perfect as a centre piece for my Thanksgiving dining room table. Don’t you just love decorating your house with food… LOL It looks so moist and delicious. Pinning and sharing!
I would love and make one for Thanksgiving
This looks so heavenly! Such a perfect fall dessert. I know we’d love it!
You know, as much as I love to bake, I have never made a cake roll. I love pumpkin roll with cream cheese frosting though, I need to try your recipe!!
I seriously have a thing for a good pumpkin cake roll, but I have never made one myself. It really intimidates me, lol. But you have made it look so easy that I will have to give this recipe a try soon. 🙂
I haven’t made a cake roll in years. Yours looks so incredibly good, I want to run to the kitchen to make it.
Big fan of all things pumpkin — yet I don’t think I’ve ever had pumpkin roll! That is going to need to change asap.