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A no-fail pumpkin roll filled with cream cheese frosting makes for a wonderful Fall dessert.
EASY PUMPKIN ROLL RECIPE
Have you ever wanted to make a pumpkin cake roll, but been too afraid to try?
Making my mom's famous Pumpkin Roll has been something I wanted to try for years. Truth of it is, I've been overwhelmed because it just seemed so complicated.
Guess what? It's so much easier than you think!
This tutorial will show you how easy it is to make a fancy, but simple cake roll.
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE THIS PUMPKIN CREAM CHEESE DESSERT
- pumpkin roll recipe below
- cream cheese frosting (homemade is the best! recipe also below)
- baker's half sheet size 13x18 (this one from Amazon is what I use). It's what I use for all my baking!
- tea towel
- patience (because yeah, it will take a bit of time to chill once you've made it)
If you are like me and love anything pumpkin, try making a Pumpkin Roll. I have a feeling that I might just make these for every Fall gathering we go to. The combination of pumpkin and homemade cream cheese frosting is my favorite.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO MAKE?
You will only be spending about 20 minutes hands-on time to make this homemade pumpkin roll. The hard part comes in waiting for the cake roll to set up and chill.
HOW TO MAKE A PUMPKIN ROLL
Following the recipe below, you'll mix the cake batter and pour into a baker's half sheet. It will be thin and you'll see tiny bubble in the cake. That's normal!
(You can pour directly onto a well-greased pan or use baking paper on the bottom to make it remove even easier.)
After baking for 12-15 minutes, you'll remove from the oven and let cool for just a few minutes, until it's not too hot to touch.
Prepare a clean tea towel by placing it on the counter and dusting liberally with powdered sugar.
Then, gently remove the cake from the pan, place on the towel, and roll up starting at one of the short ends like this:
Let the cake cool completely in the towel, about 15-20 minutes.
Prepare the cream cheese filling. And then you'll gently unroll the towel, spread the cream cheese frosting on top of the cake, making sure to go to the very edge of the cake.
Then roll the cake back up in the same direction as before. Wrap in plastic wrap tightly and chill for a few hours or a few days until ready to eat!
CAN THIS PUMPKIN ROLL BE MADE IN ADVANCE?
Yes, definitely! Once you have finished adding the cream cheese layer and rolling it up, wrap it in plastic wrap.
At this point, you can put it in the fridge to chill for 2-3 hours to eat the same day. The longer the better!
Of course, there is no stopping you from eating it without being chilled.
But... the flavors of pumpkin and cream cheese in this fall dessert are so much better when they have time to set up and chill together.
DOES THIS FREEZE WELL?
Yes, you can freeze it and pull it out to thaw until you are ready to serve.
MORE PUMPKIN RECIPES
If you're like me and love all things pumpkin, be sure to try out these other pumpkin recipes:
What are you waiting for? Here's the recipe!
Enjoy this pumpkin roll recipe with cream cheese filling.
Print📖 Recipe

Pumpkin Roll With Cream Cheese Frosting
- Total Time: 3 ½ hours
- Yield: 1 cake roll, (about 15, ½" slices) 1x
Description
No-fail pumpkin roll with a light cream cheese filling.
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- ⅔ cup pumpkin
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- ¾ cup flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 3 tsp. nutmeg
- ½ tsp. salt
- nuts (optional)
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- ½ tsp. vanilla
Instructions
- Beat eggs on high speed for 3 minutes. Then add in sugar and mix another minute until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, mix pumpkin and lemon juice. Stir in flour and remaining ingredients and mix well. It will be thick.
- Fold both bowls together until incorporated. The pumpkin mix will look foamy.
- Spread on a greased cookie sheet. To make it really easy to remove, place wax paper onto the sheet. I use a baker's half sheet (size 13x18 inches). (Optional, you can sprinkle with nuts.)
- Bake at 350 for 10 to 15 minutes.
- While baking, prepare a tea towel the size of the cookie sheet by placing it on the counter and sprinkling powdered sugar.
- Lay a clean tea towel on the counter. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
- Gently remove the cake from the pan onto the powdered sugar towel. Roll up starting with the short end. Let cool completely in the rolled-up towel.
- Beat all the cream cheese frosting ingredients together.
- Unroll the cake, gently spread the frosting onto the cake roll. Roll the cake back up, this time without the towel. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours until completely set.
- When ready to eat, use a sharp knife to gently cut the pumpkin roll into slices.
Notes
You can make this in advance and freeze or keep in the fridge for a few days.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Desserts
Keywords: pumpkin roll, pumpkin cake
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