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Pumpkin Roll

This recipe details how to make a classic pumpkin roll. A thin pumpkin cake is baked, rolled warm in a towel to create its shape, cooled, then unrolled and filled with a rich cream cheese frosting before being rolled up again and chilled. It's a festive and delicious dessert.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Course Snack
Cuisine American
Servings 16 people
Calories 1390 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Electric Mixer Stand mixer or handheld
  • 1 Jellyroll Pan Approx. 17 1/2 by 12 1/2 inches
  • 1 Wire Rack For cooling the cake
  • 1 Tea Towel Clean, large towel for rolling
  • 1 Sifter Or fine-mesh sieve

Ingredients
  

Main

  • Two 3-ounce packages cream cheese room temperature
  • 1 stick butter 1/2 cup, room temperature
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2/3 cup canned pumpkin
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup pecans finely chopped
  • 1 cup confectioners' sugar plus more for sprinkling

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 17 1/2- by 12 1/2-inch jellyroll pan.
  • With an electric mixer, beat the eggs, granulated sugar, pumpkin and lemon juice until smooth. Sift together the flour, ginger, salt, baking powder and cinnamon.
  • Add the sifted ingredients to the egg mixture and blend until fully combined. Spread the batter in the jellyroll pan. Sprinkle the dough with the chopped pecans. Bake until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 14 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for 5 minutes.
  • Invert the cake onto a wire rack. Sprinkle some of the confectioner' sugar on a large tea towel and carefully transfer the warm cake to the towel, folding the sides of the towel over the cake. Roll the cake up in the towel and cool in the refrigerator thoroughly for about 45 minutes.
  • With an electric mixer, combine the confectioners' sugar, cream cheese, butter and vanilla and beat until smooth. Carefully unroll the cooled cake and spread the mixture on top of the cake. Gently re-roll the cake up and refrigerate it until you're ready to slice and serve. Dust with confectioners' sugar just before serving.

Notes

Ensure cream cheese and butter are genuinely at room temperature for a smooth, lump-free filling. Do not overbake the cake; it should be just done so it remains pliable enough to roll without cracking. Rolling the warm cake immediately after a short cooling period in the pan is crucial. Dusting the towel generously with confectioners' sugar prevents the cake from sticking. Allow adequate chilling time after both the initial roll and the final roll with the filling to ensure the cake holds its shape and the filling sets properly.