Pumpkin roll is a classic and beautiful fall dessert that always impresses. This homemade pumpkin roll recipe yields a moist spiced pumpkin cake with a thick layer of tightly packed cream cheese frosting inside. We’re demystifying the cake roll-making process with helpful instructions and a video tutorial, plus you can review all of my helpful tips to ensure your pumpkin roll is a success.
One reader, Lari, commented: “This is such a great recipe! I’ve made it a few times. I’m not a pumpkin flavor fan at all (except pie), but this is wonderful. I brought it on a few occasions to holiday dinners—both Thanksgiving and Christmas—and always well received. Don’t be intimidated by the thought of rolling the cake!”
Like pumpkin pie, pumpkin roll is a classic fall dessert. But unlike its pie counterpart, its swirled presentation is particularly show stopping and impressive. While this rolled cake isn’t a difficult recipe, making jelly roll cakes can seem intimidating. After all, cake rolls look complicated. A rolled-up cake…what?
Tell Me About This Pumpkin Roll
- Flavor: This pumpkin roll is full of spiced pumpkin flavor that pairs beautifully with the tangy cream cheese frosting inside.
- Texture: Enjoy a soft and moist cake, plus cool, creamy, silky cream cheese frosting in every single bite. What a pair!
- Ease: Did you know that pumpkin roll is actually rolled… twice? The first time you roll the cake, it must be warm to establish the shape. You can see more on that in “Roll the Cake While It’s Warm” below. Cool the cake in this rolled-up shape, and then unroll, fill with frosting, and then roll back up.
- Time: The batter is fairly quick to prepare, and since this cake is so thin, it has a much shorter bake time than regular pumpkin cake. The shaped roll does need to cool down for a few hours before unrolling, frosting, and rolling back up, so be sure to leave enough time.
A Few Key Ingredients in Pumpkin Roll
- Flour: Because of the thick and wet batter, we use sturdy all-purpose flour instead of cake flour for the base.
- Cinnamon + Pumpkin Pie Spice: These are pumpkin’s favorite spices and you can use homemade pumpkin pie spice here! But instead of prepared pumpkin pie spice, you can use 1/4 teaspoon each of ground nutmeg, ground ginger, ground cloves, and ground allspice. Sometimes I use closer to 1 and 1/4 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice.
- Pumpkin: We can’t have pumpkin roll without pumpkin! If desired, you can use fresh pumpkin puree, but I really do recommend canned pumpkin puree if it’s available to you. I usually use Libby’s brand in this recipe. You’ll have some pumpkin puree left over in the can, and you can use it up in one of these recipes to make with leftover pumpkin puree.
**You’ll notice this pumpkin batter is made without butter or oil. Why? We’re keeping this cake light and spongy so it can easily roll up.
Here’s How You Bake & Shape Pumpkin Roll
The full printable recipe is below, but let’s walk through it so you understand each step before you get started.
- Make the pumpkin cake batter. Spread it into a lined 10×15-inch jelly roll pan, which is the only size pan that works for this recipe. Good news: a quality pan is inexpensive, and you’ll use it again if you bake pumpkin bars.
- Bake. You know it’s done when the cake springs back when you poke it with a finger.
- Prepare the kitchen towel or parchment paper. This is the most important step! While the cake is baking, lay a thin kitchen towel or parchment paper flat on the counter. Sprinkle it with confectioners’ sugar. Once the cake comes out of the oven, immediately invert it onto the towel/parchment. Peel the parchment paper off the warm cake, then, starting with the narrow end, gently roll the cake up with the towel/parchment on the bottom. The cake will be warm, since it just came out of the oven.
- Let the cake cool. Allow the cake to cool completely rolled up in the towel/parchment. I usually stick mine in the refrigerator for about 2 hours to speed it up.
Pumpkin Roll Cake Must Be Shaped While Warm
Let me explain why it’s important to roll the cake with a thin towel or parchment paper while it’s warm.
- We roll the pumpkin roll cake in a towel or piece of parchment to prevent it from sticking to itself.
- Rolling the cake while it’s warm allows it to cool in the rolled shape. That means no cracks, rips, or tears when you roll it up again with the filling inside.
Like many beginner bakers, you can master a pumpkin roll with this recipe. Then you can go on to confidently make other cake rolls, such as this epic vertical cake or even a yule log (Bûche De Noël).
Cream Cheese Frosting
As the rolled-up cake cools, prepare the cream cheese frosting. The recipe is a simple scaled-down version of my regular cream cheese frosting recipe. Now let’s fill the cake:
- Unroll the cooled cake. Take your time with this step. Gently unroll and flatten the cake out, then spread a thick layer of frosting evenly on top, leaving about a 1/2-inch border around the cake. Carefully and tightly roll the cake back up, without the towel/parchment this time. Some frosting may spill out the sides, and that’s ok!
- Refrigerate. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes before slicing and serving. Refrigerating the cake for this short amount of time ensures a neater slice and tastier bite.
See Your Pumpkin Rolls:
So many of you have tried this recipe. Feel free to email or share your recipe photos on social media @sallysbakeblog.
More Perfect Pumpkin Recipes
- Pumpkin Muffins & Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies & Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
- Pumpkin Bread
- Brown Butter Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies
- Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Pumpkin Bundt Cake
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie
- Recipes to Make With Leftover Pumpkin Puree
For even more inspiration, here are my 30+ favorite pumpkin dessert recipes.
PrintDelicious Homemade Pumpkin Roll
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours, 45 minutes
- Yield: 10-12 slices
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
How to make the BEST pumpkin roll! It’s moist, pumpkin spiced, easy, and filled with cream cheese frosting.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (94g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon store-bought or homemade pumpkin pie spice*
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2/3 cup (150g) canned pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- for rolling: 3/4 cup (90g) confectioners’ sugar
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 6 ounces (170g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1/4 cup (4 Tbsp; 56g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 and 1/2 cups (180g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Read the instructions through before beginning. Make sure you are prepared for step 7 immediately when that cake comes out!
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray a 10×15-inch baking pan with nonstick spray or grease with butter, so the parchment paper sticks. Then line it with parchment paper so the cake seamlessly releases in step 5. Spray or grease the parchment paper too. We want an extremely nonstick surface for this cake roll.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, pumpkin, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla together until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until combined.
- Spread batter evenly into prepared pan. Give the pan a shake to make sure the batter is level and reaches the corners. Bake for 17–18 minutes, or until the cake springs back when you poke it with a finger.
- Meanwhile, lay a thin kitchen towel flat on the counter. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar. Once the cake comes out of the oven, immediately invert it onto the towel. Peel off the parchment paper, then, starting with the narrow end, begin rolling the cake up with the towel. Do this slowly and gently. The cake will be warm, as it just came out of the oven.
- Allow the cake to cool completely while rolled up in the towel. I stick mine in the refrigerator for about 2 hours to speed it up.
- Remove the cake roll from the refrigerator and allow to sit on the counter for a few minutes to warm back up a bit as you prepare the frosting.
- Make the frosting: In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese for 1 minute on high speed until completely smooth and creamy. Beat in the butter until combined. Add the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla and beat on medium-high speed until combined and creamy.
- Gently and slowly unroll the cake. Flatten it out and spread frosting evenly on top, leaving about a 1/2-inch border around the cake. Gently and slowly roll the cake back up, without the towel this time. Make sure you’re rolling it tightly. Some frosting may spill out the sides—that’s ok!
- Loosely cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes before slicing and serving. Dust with more confectioners’ sugar, if desired.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: You can prepare the cake through step 7 and chill the rolled up cake/towel in the refrigerator for up to 1 day before continuing with step 8. Prepared cake roll, with frosting, freezes well for up to 2–3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before slicing and serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 10×15-inch Baking Pan | Parchment Paper | Whisk | Glass Mixing Bowls | Rubber Spatula | Towel | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand)
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: You can find pumpkin pie spice in the baking aisle of most grocery stores or make your own homemade pumpkin pie spice. If you don’t have either and want to use individual spices, use 1/4 teaspoon each: ground ginger, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, and ground allspice. This is in addition to the 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon—you will still add that.
- Adapted from Libby’s.
Hi
I am planning to make the pumpkin roll and Yule log this holiday season.. do I really need 2 different size jelly roll pans for them? Thanks. Love your recipes!
Hi Liane, unfortunately the batters yield different volumes so I recommend using the specific size pans that each recipe calls for. If you want to stick with the 10×15 inch pan you need for this pumpkin roll, you can try this red velvet cake roll and use that for the yule log. It will just be a smaller yule log.
I’ve been trying out some different pumpkin recipes and this one just blew me away! It was probably one of the best things I’ve made! My husband was disappointed when he came home to another pumpkin recipe but when he tried it he said “never mind! Keep making pumpkin stuff!” You have the best recipes. Thank you!
Sally,
I made this last night and when unrolling, my cake cracked. What can i do to prevent this next time? I used a tea towel to roll it up just as described lined with powdered sugar. please help!!
Hi Kris, Any chance you chilled the roll in the refrigerator? If so, we would perhaps let it sit at room temperature for a little bit so it’s not cold – that will help avoid some of the cracking. Thank you so much for giving this recipe a try!
Hi Sally, Can I use a 12X17″ pan if I increase all the ingredients by 1/4? I think the cooking time would be about the same because the thickness would be close to the same as the original recipe.
Hi Joyce, that definitely seems like it could work. Let me know if you try it.
What is the proper storage hold or expiration?
You can prepare the cake through step 7 and chill the rolled up cake/towel in the refrigerator for up to 1 day before continuing with step 8. Prepared cake roll, with frosting, freezes well for up to 2–3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before slicing and serving.
I made this today for our Thanksgiving dinner. It was easy to make but the icing was way too sweet. Next time I would reduce the sugar to one cup.
could I use a 12×17 pan? all I have and don’t want to buy another one. thanks
Hi Abby, We do recommend sticking with the 10×15 inch size. A larger pan would make the cake very thin.
Abby, I did the math, your pan is 1.36 times larger than a 10×15, multiply all of the ingredients by that amount and you should be golden!
This recipe is perfect as is, however my son hates anything cream cheese. Do you think it would taste good and work if I substituted the vanilla cream filling from your chocolate roll instead.
Hi Pat, You can use the vanilla buttercream, or even marshmallow creme or Swiss meringue would work. Enjoy!
I have not made this yet but I have a commercial convection oven, how long should I bake it for and what temp thanks
Everything I bake, bakes much quicker than regular oven
Hi Alice! All of the recipes on this site are written for conventional settings. Convection ovens are fantastic for cooking and roasting. If you have the choice, we recommend conventional settings when baking cakes, breads, etc. The flow of air from convection heat can cause baked goods to rise and bake unevenly and it also pulls moisture out of the oven. If you do use convection settings for baking, lower your temperature by 25 degrees F and keep in mind that things may still take less time to bake.
Hi Sally! So so excited to start fall baking and your recipes will definitely be a staple
I was wondering if I could add crushed pecans to this cake?
Thank you!
Absolutely! I think 3/4 – 1 cup (about 100-130g) chopped pecans in the batter would be delicious. Or you can add them on top of the frosting before rolling up.
Hi Sally! I absolutely love your recipes! They are my go to for everything and always come out perfectly! I made this today and the only issue I had was with the cream filling. It was thin, ran out the sides, and pushed out the end. I did substitute lactose free cream cheese due to an allergy in the family. Could that have caused an issue? Do you have any recommendations to help next time? Xanthum gum or cream of tartar? Thank you!
Hi Tiffany, we’re sorry to hear the filling didn’t turn out well! Unfortunately, we don’t have any experience with lactose-free cream cheese, but that is very likely the cause of the problem. We always call for full-fat block-style cream cheese because other types of cream cheese have a higher water content, and tend to end up runny when used in recipes.
easy to follow and I loved how my swirl came out, thank you!
Hi Sally! I just made this as a gift for my mom. I’m wondering, once made and refrigerated how long is it good for? It says how long it’s good in the freezer but not in the fridge. Thanks!
Hi Ashley, You can store the roll in the refrigerator for a full day before slicing and serving. Hope your mom loves it!
Okay. She isn’t serving this at a meal. It’s just for her and my dad. I advised her to freeze half of it and eat the rest within a few days? Does that sound about right?
Yes, that’s perfect!
This turned out amazing! I have made many of your recipes and I have never been let down. Thank you!!
Thanks for the recipe! I have used this recipe for the past three or four years now for Thanksgiving and my family loves it!
When I made this and it was delicious! However, it cracked and broke when I unrolled the cake. I’ve tried it a second time and took it out a little early so it wouldn’t be dry, but it stilled cracked. I used a 10×15 pan and cooled completely in a towel. What am I doing wrong?! Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Hi Angela, We are so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Any chance you chilled the roll in the refrigerator? If so, we would perhaps let it sit at room temperature for a little bit so it’s not cold – that will help avoid some of the cracking.
It worked! I bought a specific 10×15 pan for roll cakes only :). I chilled it for about an hour and let it set for a couple hours while I finished up the rest of my baking. It was delicious and beautiful! I should have taken a picture. Thank you so much for answering my question!
Hi Sally!
Can I use a 9×13 inch quarter sheet pan instead of a jelly roll pan for this recipe?
Thank you!
Hi Jessica! The jelly roll pan is important for this recipe – your pumpkin cake will be a bit too thick if baked in a 9×13 pan.
I’ve used that size for this recipe and other cake roll recipes and have had no issues. I didn’t want to 1. Buy another pan 2. Search all over the place for a jelly roll cake pan. Hope you give it a try because it does work. Promise. Good luck. Happy baking…
I wouldn’t sub it out for something like say cheesecake, but here I’m thinking low fat cream cheese might not be noticed if I wanted to use it instead of full fat? What do you think?
Hi Elizabeth, The cream cheese frosting will be thinner with a low fat cream cheese, we recommend sticking with full fat for best results!
Hi Sally! I cannot wait to try this. I see in some of the comments that skipping the dish towel step and rolling in the parchment paper works well, do you recommend this method? Also, is it possible to bake this cake in a 9×9 inch pan if I’m not planning to roll it?
Thank you!!
Hi Jess, We prefer using a kitchen towel, but let us know how it goes if you use parchment instead! For an un-rolled pumpkin cake, we recommend our favorite pumpkin cake recipe instead. Happy baking!
Wow! Had left over pumpkin purée from making Sally’s pumpkin cookies w/cranberries, chocolate chips& walnuts so decided to try this recipe! I used the dish towel method, refrigerated the roll overnight so I could pick up cream cheese for the filling today & it came out perfect! Just sat the roll out from fridge while I made the cream cheese filling & it was easy to roll back up & no cracking or tears! Delicious tasting & looks great on a pretty fall colored dessert plate! Thank you Sally!!
This is such a hit! Made one and split it between a neighbor and us yesterday. What to do with the leftover puree?? Wait, make another today and freeze it. I’ve also made this gluten free and it turns out perfect.
Hi Karla, We are so glad everyone enjoyed it!
What changed did you do to make it gluten free? What kind of flour?
I do lots of baking, some gluten free bread, and the flour mix I really like is Bob’s Red Mill gluten free! Should work great for your recipes! Hope this helps
What flour did you use for gluten free? I am new on that journey and would love to do the same with this recipe!
This was my first time ever making this, it was amazing. You have the best recipes and the thoroughness makes a not so good baker like me, look talented 🙂 thank you for all of your great recipes!
I’m going to try recipe today. Is pumpkin puree the same as 100% pumpkin
Yes it is, Jeanette. Enjoy!
I hope it’s ok to ask a question if so I was hoping someone might have an idea of what size HxLxW holiday gift box is needed for a pumpkin roll baked in a 10×15 jelly roll pan?
If you slice the roll before you wrap it, you’ll have more options for the size holiday box. It depends on if you’re putting in the whole roll or dividing up the slices.
Skip the tea towel and line your pan with parchment paper before baking, leaving long ends on the short side of the pan. After baking, grab the long ends and gently lift out of the pan, and roll immediately.
I love this recipe so much I can’t wait to make it over and over and over and over man I need it already like 1000 times actually ever only about 10
Hi Sally, I’m thinking about making this cake and was wondering if I could add chocolate chips to it? If so, how would you recommend I do that? Could I add some to the batter or while I’m spreading the frosting? Thank you so much for all your amazing recipes!! They seriously are always a hit and make me feel like a real baker
Hi Darla, Either way would work. You can add chocolate chips to the batter or you can sprinkle some mini chocolate chips on the filling before rolling it up. Enjoy!
I would put the chocolate chips in with the frosting. The chips may melt and cause the cake not to roll properly.
This is such a great recipe! I’ve made it a few times. I’m not a pumpkin flavor fan at all (except pie) but this is wonderful. I brought it a few occasions to holiday dinners – both Thanksgiving and Christmas and always well received. Don’t be intimidated by the thought of rolling the cake!
I am ridiculously excited at how well this turned out. The directions were spot on. The cake and filling are not too sweet and pair lovely with a cup of coffee.
Hi, Sally! Thank you for taking such care to provide your readers with trusty recipes! I’ve baked several of your recipes—my friends and family have high expectations now. ha!
I had so much fun baking this pumpkin roll. I’d never made a cake roll before, but it was simpler than expected! I have a question. During refrigeration, the powdered sugar coating became clumpy/chunky. Is this normal? I did my best to brush it off the outside. Do you usually dust with more powdered sugar right before serving to hide the imperfections?
Thanks so much for your help!
Hi Emily! Thank you so much for this kind comment. I don’t usually add more powdered sugar on top of the roll, but you certainly can. Are you sifting it on top? That will help avoid any large clumps.
Oh, of course! Next time, I’ll be sure to sift the powdered sugar evenly across the towel or parchment paper (before flipping the warm cake onto it), rather than spreading the powdered sugar by hand. I’m sure that will solve the problem! Thank you for the hint!
Hi Emily, I’m not Sally (I love her site and recipes by the way), but I would recommend that you may want to wait until you get ready to serve the “roll” before you dust the cake with powdered sugar. That way it will not absorb into your cake and will look freshly “dusted”. Just a thought.
Blessings,
Jeanne
I stopped doing the step of flipping it onto a kitchen towel and just rolled it in the parchment paper after it came out of the oven. A lot easier and worked great!
Could you cut the rectangular sponge into 3 pieces and stack instead of rolling with icing between layers