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This delicious Pumpkin Roll recipe combines moist pumpkin spice cake and a secret ingredient cream cheese filling. You’ll love my easy no-mess rolling tips!
Most everyone is familiar with Libby’s pumpkin roll. It’s the gold standard of pumpkin roll cake recipes.
You know I love to take the best classic recipes and make them my own. I made a few little tweaks to the recipe to really make this pumpkin cream cheese roll beyond amazing, including a secret ingredient in the filling that makes all the difference.
Also, I really hate to use a kitchen towel to make Swiss roll cakes, so read on to find out how to simplify the rolling process, leave out the towel, and make for really easy clean up!
How to make the cake:
- First step is to bake the cake. The batter for this pumpkin spice roll is very wet. You’ll need to spread it across the base of your jelly roll pan and it will be a very thin layer.
- I love to top the cake with a layer of nuts. The crunch is the best part! If you have nut allergy concerns, you can omit the nuts or replace with pumpkin seeds.
- The cake should only take about 15 minutes or less to bake. While it’s in the oven, make the cream cheese filling.
- As soon as that cake comes out of the oven, you’ll need to roll it up so that it cools in the rolled shape.
- Once the cake is cool, you can spread the filling on top, then roll it back up. You will need to then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour. This will make slicing a breeze and it will hold it’s shape fabulously!
How to roll a pumpkin roll:
If you’re looking for an easy pumpkin roll recipe, you’ve found it.
I’ve never liked swiss roll recipes that tell me to roll the cake up in a towel. Call me crazy, but even if a towel is straight out of the washing machine, I never consider it 100% clean. At least, not enough to press against my food.
Also, if you use a clean, crisp white kitchen towel, prepare to never have it look that good again if you wrap it around a moist pumpkin cake.
The trick is to use parchment paper!
You bake the cake right on the parchment, roll it up in the parchment, and then peel it right off the parchment for the final roll. No mess. No fuss.
The trick to rolling this pumpkin Swiss roll to to just move slowly and carefully. It may split a little as you can see in my photos, but it will all work out in the end!
Freezing directions:
This cake makes a great make ahead fall dessert.
To freeze, just wrap tightly in plastic wrap and freeze whole.
Be sure to allow it to thaw fully before slicing and then you can easily slice and serve the chilled cake.
If you love pumpkin cake recipes as much as I do, you might also want to try my Pumpkin Cupcakes, Layered Pumpkin Cake, or my Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bundt Cake!
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Ingredients
CAKE:
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 cup walnuts chopped
FILLING:
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- powdered sugar optional for decoration
Instructions
To make the cake:
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a 15×10-inch jelly-roll pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium sized bowl, combine 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, beat together 3 large eggs, 1 cup granulated sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until combined. Mix in 2/3 cup pumpkin puree. Stir in flour mixture. Spread evenly into prepared pan. Sprinkle with 1 cup walnuts.
- Bake for 13 to 15 minutes in preheated oven, or until top of cake springs back when touched. While the cake is cooking, start making the filling.
- When the cake is done cooking, with cake still on parchment paper, immediately roll up the cake and parchment together while the cake is hot, starting with the narrow end. Cool on a wire rack.
To make the filling:
- In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, 8 ounces cream cheese and 1/2 cup butter until smooth. Add 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon orange zest, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and mix until smooth, scraping as needed.
To assemble cake:
- Carefully unroll cake. Gently spread filling over cake.
- Reroll cake while peeling away the parchment paper as you roll.
- Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour.
- To serve, slice with a serrated edge knife. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.
Notes
- If using a dark-colored pan, begin checking for doneness at 11 minutes. If using a stone or ceramic pan, bake time will take longer.
- You may also use a kitchen towel lined with powdered sugar to roll the cake, but I just think parchment paper is the easiest and cleanest method.
- Try your best to prevent cake from splitting as your roll, but if it does, it will still turn out!
- If you have nut allergy concerns, you can omit the nuts or replace with pumpkin seeds.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Instead of orange zest, I added coffee extract to my filling and pumpkin spice seasoning. It was similar to like a pumpkin spice latte and was a big hit with my people.
Fantastic recommendation!
I love this version. The addition of orange zest seems to offset the super richness and sweetness. Always a hit!
If you flip baked cake out of cookie sheet on to a powdered sugar dusted tea towel, the nuts will be on the outside of the roll. This makes it prettier.
Love this recipe! First time with orange zest. It definitely turns up the flavor. Don’t over zest it though. Thanx so much for the recipe (;
Forget comment 😂about pan size. Found it and my glass pan won’t do. Lol.
Maybe another holiday. 😍
definitely need to get a jelly roll pan!
I don’t have a dark baking pan. Can I use a 9×13 glass pan? Lined with parchment. Didn’t see pan size? Will read it again. Thanks sounds good.
do you use cooking spray on .parchment paper
Nope! Not needed.
This has been my base recipe for my pumpkin roll this fall! I’ve added in about a half a teaspoon more pumpkin pie spice for a little more flavor in the cake and I love it! I’m still working on getting the roll not to split, but I’ve found that scooping some of the filling that is squeezing out as I roll it, with a spoon, has been super helpful!
Good recipe but if you like the traditional pumpkin roll leave out the orange zest. Very overwhelming orange flavor and I cut back on the zest.
I’ve made this recipe twice and love the orange zest. I have gotten rave reviews about the taste, but I can’t for the life of me roll this cake without it cracking. Do I need to let it cool more before rolling it up initially? I started rolling it almost as soon as it came out of the oven. When I unrolled it from the parchment paper this time, it was cracked before I even put the filling in. Is there something I’m doing wrong? Could I be underbaking the cake? Thanks for any advice!
It cracks just a bit for me, too, as you can see in the pictures. Are you at a higher altitude?
How long can you wait before refilling with the cheese? I made the roll but now I’ve been called away.
You can wait for it to be totally cool.
Roll it medium cooled. Too hot and it sweats. All the way cooled, and it cracks. Go about half way cooled – while it is still a little pliable.
I’m so relieved to see this comment! I rolled mine straight out of the oven and it was an absolute mess trying to add filling!! Thank you for sharing!!