Since my first taste of Pumpkin Roll its been one of my favorite desserts. The light and tender pumpkin cake along with the cream cheese frosting is the perfect after dinner (or breakfast) treat.
Enjoy this Classic Pumpkin Roll with cream cheese filling at your holiday table!
As I sit in my aisle seat of an overcrowded flight from? San Francisco to Philadelphia, I can’t help but marvel at how far I have come during my years of blogging. Before blogging I was more of a passive participant in the ever-changing area of technology, satisfied to let it pass me by, as those much younger embraced and pursued it always looking for the next best thing….sigh
Now I’m called a live stream pioneer and referred to as a social media influencer. Somewhere along the way, I embraced technology and social media.
But one thing that will never change is the fact that I am Chef and food blogger. Those are two professions that I hold dear and I feel define me as a person.
With that in mind and Thanksgiving just around the corner, my thoughts went to holiday traditions of my childhood, and our family trips to Vermont, and my first taste of Pumpkin Roll. I haven’t thought about those times for awhile, and I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed a slice or four of pumpkin roll. But with fall in the air (well not in Florida) its time for everything pumpkin to start appearing in the stores and on our table.
Making my first pumpkin roll was a challenge for me. Not being a trained baker I’ve always been afraid of making any type of roll cakes. As it turned out, the cake was easier to make than I
As it turned out, the cake was easier to make than I imagined and was every bit as delicious as I remembered. So if you’re looking for yet another delicious pumpkin dessert to grace your holiday table, I wholeheartedly recommend this cake!
Since my first taste of Pumpkin Roll its been one of my favorite desserts. The light and tender pumpkin cake along with the cream cheese frosting is the perfect after dinner (or breakfast) treat.
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar to sprinkle on towel
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
- 1 ounce package cream cheese softened, 8
- 8 ounces mascarpone Cheese or cream cheese
- 2 cup powdered sugar
- 6 tablespoons butter softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar for dusting
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees
- Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan; line with wax paper. Grease and flour paper. Sprinkle towel with powdered sugar.
- Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt in small bowl. Beat eggs and sugar in large mixer bowl until thick.
- Beat in pumpkin.
- Stir in flour mixture.
- Spread evenly into prepared pan.
- Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched. Immediately loosen and turn cake onto prepared towel, and carefully peel off the paper.
- Roll up cake and towel together, starting with narrow end.
- Cool on a wire rack.
- Whip cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter and vanilla extract in small mixer bowl until smooth.
- Carefully unroll cake; remove towel and spread cream cheese mixture over cake.***
- Re-roll cake, then wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour.
- Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.
First of all, congrats on “Most Valuable Foodie”! That’s awesome!
Second, yes, technology is great, and a shame if we let it pass us by. It is amazing at how many people in other countries speak English and read English blogs. We should be ashamed for being so oni-lingual. (IS that a word?)
Most of all, this is an awesome rendition to the original recipe!
technology is terrific. I am so glad to have seen in you in San Francisco. Enjoy the flight and the new tablet. GREG
Love the idea of this cake and have never made one either! Putting something crunchy in this is genius as it would make all the difference. It’s hard to believe we’ve been at this for so long, is it not? I think I dragged you into this on the third round and was so glad to have a chum along for the ride. Amazing to reflect on how much has happened to you in the last year let alone two. Congratulations on your FoodBuzz award; absolutely no surprise (so says a friend and one of your biggest fans)! Look forward to hearing the rest of your news this week.
This looks like a thanksgiving bookmark! I can relate to your thinking about technology and being a food blogger. As I started blogging I had no idea it would turn into a full on hobby which I am truly passionate about. I could say addicted but that always seems to me like a bad word:) passionate is much better! Congrats on your award and I hope I can make it to the festival next year. I cant wait to hear more about the weekend..
Take care,
Glad that you’re on the way back home. I hope the flight went smoothly and your back in your loved ones arms already.
This is a beautiful pumpkin roll, Chef. You’ve just re-created Hubby’s favorite dessert. I bet he’ll be all over that crunch layer too. I love the sound of it. Using vanilla wafers is genius.
You are truely deserving of the Most Valuble Foodie award! Congrats! That cake looks wonderful and moist. I really love your take on the original. I think it still keeps the essence of the original recipe but it is really a great twist. Congrats again on your award!
What a great twist to throw into a maple cake! Can you believe I’ve never made a pumpkin roll? I love them, yet never made one! Definitely better get on that… 🙂
It was a pleasure meeting you Saturday night, Dennis. Glad we had a chance to chat and learn more about you. You’re so delightful, and definitely deserving of Most Valuable Foodie! Hope our paths cross again! -Nikki
AH, the simple classics never fail…so tempting.
Congratulations Chef Dennis! I can’t wait to read and see what you did in Foodbuzz festival and hear about your next journey. I love this beautiful pumpkin roll with crunchy texture as a surprise. 🙂
Maybe you could fill me in on your announcement as close to now as possible…I can’t wait! I really am excited to hear about your weekend! Next year Taylor said she wants me to go and she wants to go with me. 🙂 She created a delicious caramel apple pie recipe today using a technique she saw on Iron Chef. Anyway, I might have to consider taking this to Thanksgiving! I love the idea of a crunch layer adding another note of goodness to the already delightful pumpkin roll!
I hope you have a good week!
So much congrats on a well-deserved Most Valuable Foodie win Dennis! This pumpkin roll looks amazing, and a perfect addition to any Thanksgiving table =)
Can’t wait to hear about the great time you had at the Foodbuzz Festival and what’s in store for you!
Later in the week?! You’re killing me!!! At least we got the Foodbuzz news! Dennis if there was ever any doubt that you deserved this award…? Well there isn’t. You are seriously one of the reasons blogging “took off” for me. Your encouraging words and thoughtful comments to me and many others are like little pockets of sunshine. You deserve every bit of accolade!
Congrats on the award-I knew you were a shoe in!
Also, this is a great twist on that traditional recipe. Your roll turned out perfect-would have never known this was not something you have made in the past.
Looking forward to reading more info on the festival!
Nice! I’ve had a killer pumpkin cream roll recently, but I feel that the crunch layer would add a lot to the experience. 🙂
So wonderful to meet you at Foodbuzz. Congratulations on your win! Well deserved. Can’t wait to make this recipe, too, even without chocolate 🙂
What a gorgeous cake, Dennis!
Congrats on your well-deserved award! I actually would have been shocked if you hadn’t gotten that one. I’m looking forward to hearing about your news later this week!
What a delicious pumpkin roll! My family would adore this one…I need to break out the pumpkin a couple more times before I start the Christmas baking.
And congratulations on your Most Valuable Foodie Award!!! You have been such a great asset to us all!!
Isn’t it crazy how food blogging can change lives and open eyes? It’s such an amazing hobby! Glad to have you as a food blogging friend!
I think I salivated on my keyboard a bit upon first opening this post. WOW! This looks amazing. The crunch layer sealed the deal for me. 🙂
Congratulations! And, well deserved!!! This is a dessert I’ve only had a couple of times in my life – but I certainly wish it was more since it’s fantastic. I love what you’ve done with the crunch layer!
Dennis… so many things to say about this post, first of which is that it’s genius!!! A pumpkin roll was one of my favorite recipes to make as a kid, so I’m nostalgic already. Thanks for participating, as always, in the swap, and a HUGE congratulations to you for the FoodBuzz award!!! I’m honored to know you and inspired by every post. 🙂
Congratulations on your award. You definitely have done more for foodbuzz members than anyone else I know. I am looking forward to hearing about your weekend.
The crunch is a delightful addition to pumpkin roll. I know I’d certainly line up for a slice!!
I always love seeing the recipe in your vintage recipe swap! It makes me want to raid my grandma’s old cookbooks and go to town!
Congrats and being named most valuable foodie! You certainly do a lot for those us us newer bloggers–thank you 🙂
I’ll take a slice or four of your cake! I love how maple syrup sent you on a nostalgic trip though past holiday seasons and led to something that actually challenged your chef skills.
Congratulations again on the award! I really enjoyed meeting you at the festival!
Congratulations on the award. I hope you’ve had a fantastic trip! The cake looks terrific and the crunch layer sounds like the perfect addition.
Yes, I love that you combined pumpkin and maple too! AND I love that you conquered the roll cake. Looks real good!
Love your vintage recipe swap, you all come up with such great variations.
Welcome home Chef Dennis! Can’t wait to hear all about your FoodBuzz Fest adventures : thanks for the constant tweeting! I’d say you’re doing pretty darned well with all this technology, and I for one am psyched that you’ve taken it all up with such gusto! This recipe is beautiful, definitely Rockwellian, which is my new favorite word.
Such a great post, Dennis! I have only been blogging since February but I, too, say it with pride and conviction. I love this community!
This is really beautiful. I love vintage recipes like this. This post also reminds me that I need to add “tablet” to my christmas wish list. I can’t go another day without one.
congrats on your Foodbuzz award, and this great recipe! I love the memories attached to it and I would love to make it!
Wow this looks beautiful and perfect for Thanksgiving!
So good to see you this weekend! And again, congratulations on the award. It was well deserved and couldn’t have gone to a nicer blogger!
Dennis, I can’t say enough how happy I am to be part of this group with you. I hope your trip to SF was great, and congrats again on the award! You deserve it. And pumpkin roll? You’re playing into my childhood nostalgia…as pumpkin rolls were one of my favorite things about this time of year. It looks like yours turned out perfectly! As always, thanks for your thoughtful contributions.
I’ve made roll cakes before, but never with pumpkin and never with a crunchy crust, this is so creative! I also wanted to mention that when I first started a food blog a little over a year ago, you were the first person to comment on one of my posts that was not my mom 🙂 I am so grateful to be involved in this recipe swap and I was excited to see that you are a member. That first comment might not seem like a big deal, but it was huge for me! (this was the post ): http://www.caffayway.com/2010/06/27/roasted-red-potatoes-with-garlic-and-rosemary-balsamic-dressing/
Thanks again and congratulations on the big win at the FoodBuzz festival.
Congratulations on winning the award. It would have been a shame not to, you’re such a supportive blogger and, I can probably speak for many of us, your encouraging comments made us keep going.
Can’t wait to read all about the festival. I wish I could have made it too, unfortunately every year is exactly on my daughter’s birthday and as much as I love blogging she comes first:)
Your pumpkin roll sounds like a great addition to the Thanksgiving dinner! Thanks for sharing
Congratulations on your FoodBuzz win!
Now, on to the dessert… I’m sort of bummed that I never had a pumpkin roll in my childhood to be nostalgic about. I love pumpkin but I am not too into pumpkin pie. This seems like a fantastic replacement for the Thanksgiving dessert table. Lovely job with the swap.
Congrats and so well deserved!! I love your pumpkin roll and I would definitely add the crunch! 🙂
This looks fabulous! I love that it’s a rolled type of cake, a great change from the ordinary sheet and layer cakes 🙂
The pumpkin roll looks amazing and congratulations on the award….it’s well deserved and I’m thrilled for you!
I just made my first pumpkin roll last week but wish I had seen this first. I like your recipe better 😉
And woot woot! Well deserved win for most valuable foodie!!!
Hi Chef Dennjis,
Congrats for being voted as the “Most Valuable Foodie” You deserve it and we look forward to your sharing at the Foodbuzz Festival 🙂 It must be a memorable one. Rest well and this pumpkin crunch roll looks delicious. Have bookmarked it . I love pumpkin very much and this is great way to use up remnant pumpkin for this roll 🙂 Have a rested day,
Elin
Chef,
Congratulations on your award! You have been such an amazing mentor to us all, and you certainly live up to your award.
Love the Pumpkin Roll Cake, especially with the crunch layer! I’m bookmarking this one.
Congrats on the Foodbuzz award!
Dennis,
So great to see you last weekend, and so happy to participate in the swap with you these many months.
Of course, I knew you’d win MVF. I was rootin’ for you for sure.
X
S
Yum, Yum,YUM! As always Chef, I am loving your swap!
Congratulations Dennis on your FoodBuzz award! That is so wonderful! And I would absolutely add the crunch layer in the pumpkin roll cake…sounds like a perfect holiday cake to impress friends and family with!
Oh good lord. I need a piece of this cake. I am such a sucker for roll cakes!!!!
Congrats on winning Foodbuzz award.
This looks beautiful with the cranberries and I might be inclined to even make a cranberry sauce to serve it on…but then I have such a huge crush on cranberries I could put then everywhere this time of year.
Congratulations on your Most Valuable Foodie Award! Can’t wait to hear all about the conference!
Love it! Congrats on your award – you really are the MVF! I have been following you since I started blogging and never miss an “ask Chef Dennis.” Well deserved.
First isn’t Google Analytics amazing. I love tracking data like that. Second, this pumpkin roll looks amazing. The crunch is what really does me in.
I want to congratulate you once again, as I am one of the bloggers that followed your advice and learned a lot from you:) I share your amazement with technology and feel extremely fortunate to live in this age when borders and distances are erased with a click of a button – that never seizes to astound me:)
Your pumpkin roll looks divine and I can only imagine the nice surprise of the crunchy layer. My mom made rolls fairly often and counted them in easier desserts, but I always stayed away from them thinking that they were too challenging, until I ventured in the unknown territory and made a few successful ones:)
Have a great weekend!
I’m with Barb and cranberries. But my crush this season is also on any thing pumpkin. This roll looks so moist and delicious!! Finally making it around to see the Vintage Recipe swap posts. 😉
Congratulations on most valuable foodie!!! And congrats on such a stunning cake! My niece is scared of pumpkin roll cakes and I told her we will definitely be making one to push her past her fear. I may have to use your recipe! Thanks for sharing!!
you truly are our most valuable foodie 🙂 congratulations friend, well deserved indeed. Such an inspiration you are in so many ways – on a side note, what kind of tablet do you have????
p.s. incredible pumpkin roll
I have been saying I will make a pumpkin roll, and still have not. I remember one Christmas I made it for my family, man did my Uncle love it:-) I love the crunch layer in your pumpkin roll, what a fun idea, adding another texture:-) Beautiful, Hugs, Terra
I have been dying for a cream filled cake roll and its been on my mind to make one. Thanks for sharing this! You always make such beautiful looking recipes! And indeed, you are a great blogger. I read your post on the food blogging ethics and loved it! Great to be part of such a talented group!
Hello, I just found your blog recently, and just cooked your Pumpkin Crunch recipe over the weekend and just had to write to thank you for sharing such a delicious recipe! it was wonderful and made me feel less homesick lol. I’m a Vermont girl (loved to learn that you enjoyed your trips to Vermont!) but I now live in Scotland. I’ve been over here for 17 years next week, and while I go home to VT at least once a year, this past year I have been so overwhelmingly homesick…this pumpkin roll reminded me so much of home that I could close my eyes and almost believe I was with my family back there…thank you especially for that! =) I’m going to make this for my family when I go home later this year. The only thing I didn’t have to follow your recipe completely was the can of pumpkin, so I had to make my own from roasting a pumpkin and then evaporating all the excess liquid to get the right texture, but I don’t imagine that doing that will have changed the actual flavors of this recipe, if it did, it would have been only a minor change. So once again, thank you for this great recipe and thanks for making me home to VT, I can’t tell you how much that means!! I hope you’re well and that you are having a wonderful week!
Hi Shelly
what a wonderful comment! Thank you so much for stopping by, and if I can take you home for just a moment that I have done more than I could have ever dreamed of! In one of my last posts, I mentioned how certain foods bring back memories form other times so easily, we do tend to associate food with many of the good times in our lives.
I can’t imagine roasting your own pumpkin would have done anything but improve the flavor, and I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed it! If you have any more pumpkin left and want a really, really good cake, check out my pumpkin crunch cake, I only make a few time a year but people are always asking for it.
Thanks again for such a beautiful comment, I truly appreciate it, and have wonderful day in Scotland!
Cheers
Dennnis
I’ve been eyeing this since you first posted it, and I just printed it and set out all the ingredients. It will be on my table tomorrow. Happy Thanksgiving.
Chef Dennis, I just posted about blogging and tech challenges yesterday and would love to have you read that post and comment on it. I love the look of your pumpkin roll and must try it.
I’ve always been afraid of attempting rolls like this one, but you just gave me the nudge to try. Yummy, I’m salivating over here!
Loving the addition of mascarpone to your filling! The best! And your pumpkin cake looks so perfectly spongy and light!! I need to try your recipe. Mine never turns out looking this beautiful!
thanks Maria, I was surprised how easy it was to make this roll my first time. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did