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 a 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 the 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 a while, 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 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!
If you need a Gluten-Free version of this delicious dessert you can find it here, Gluten Free Pumpkin Roll.
How do I store a finished pumpkin roll?
Once filled and rolled, wrap the finished pumpkin roll tightly in a piece of plastic wrap and then again in a layer of foil. Make sure that the ends are sealed well, this important. After properly wrapping the pumpkin roll you can keep them in the refrigerator for 2-3 days or you can freeze them for up to a month.
When ready to serve the pumpkin roll, remove it from the freezer or refrigerator and allow the roll to come to room temperature before serving.
More Recipes You’ll Love!
- The Original Pumpkin Crunch Cake
- Pumpkin Praline Cheesecake
- Holiday Pie Recipes
- Cranberry-Blueberry Cheesecake
Pumpkin Roll
Ingredients
Pumpkin Roll
- 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
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounce package cream cheese softened
- 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
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees
- Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan; line with parchment. 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.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 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.
Notes
Nutrition
Genevieve | Fitty Foodlicious says
Oh my, give me this for breakfast on Thanksgiving day with some hot coffee. This pumpkin roll looks delicious and so easy to make.
Kushigalu says
Drooling over this delicious pumpkin roll. Great holiday flavors. Pinned to make this for my family soon.
Gail Montero says
This is certainly one of my favorite fall treats and you make it so easy to execute! Love the spices you used, too! So tasty!
Jacqueline Debono says
As a child I was crazy about Swiss roll cakes but I have to confess I’ve never made one. This pumpkin version looks beautiful. I think I will give it a go because I’d love to serve this to guests during the holidays!
Julie says
What an amazing pumpkin roll! I was looking for one to make for my family and love how this one turned out. SO delish.
Linda says
Roll cake is my favorite and this pumpkin cake will be a new favorite this fall. And the amount of that cream cheese filling is just right!
Capri says
This is everything I’ve been wanting in a pumpkin dessert! I almost ate the whole thing by myself! Thanks for the great recipe!
Jar of Lemons says
Definitely a classic!
Stine Mari says
This pumpkin roll is so moist and tender, I love the amount of cream cheese filling in there!
Kechi says
This looks phenomenal; I am drooling. Also, I enjoyed reading about your life before social media influencer!
Great post.
Christina says
This was so delicious!
Sula says
You had me at Cream Cheese Frosting! YUM
FOODHEAL says
Perfect for holidays, this pumpkin roll look airly and super soft
Sarah James says
Your Pumpkin Roll looks delicious Dennis. I love the sound of the vanilla cheese frosting with the spicy pumpkin sponge.
Jere Cassidy says
I heard you speak at a conference and I appreciate how open you are about what you know. And, then there is your food that is always delicious and easy to make. Now for this cake, I am crazy about pumpkin and I love the simplicity of roll-up cakes. This is perfect for fall.
Chef Dennis Littley says
Thank you Jere! I miss going to conferences, but the upside of staying home is I remembered I like to cook!
Leslie says
I can’t remember the last time I had a pumpkin roll. It’s a favorite of mine. I don’t even think I have a recipe for it. I’ll have to use this bc it looks scrumptious!
Fred N says
Oh my Chef Dennis this pumpkin roll looks great! We plan on going to Lake Tahoe for our Thanksgiving celebration so I might just add this to the menu. Thanks for sharing!
Swathi says
This Classic pumpkin Roll and Cream Cheese Rolls looks delicious I would love to try it.
Debra says
Tasty and so pretty too!
Natalie says
A pumpkin roll is something that my family loves very much. I love your recipe and I will give it a try for sure. That filling with mascarpone sounds so delicious.
FOODHEAL says
This pumpkin roll is airly and soft, I can imagine it’s packed with great flavors… Thank you chef for such a great recipe
jill says
This pumpkin roll will be so impressive on my holiday table! Thanks for sharing!
Alexandra says
This is the perfect fall dessert! The cream cheese filling is so delicious!
Audrey says
I am loving the pumpkin recipes! This is so delicious and a classic.
Ramona says
This pumpkin roll looks absolutely amazing. I have some baked delicious pumpkin and I’ll be making this tomorrow.
Amy says
That looks so good! Definitely making it for the cooler weather and xmas!
Martha Turek says
Just double checking, is it 8oz mascarpone & 8oz cream cheese for the filling ? Or just 8oz of one or the other ? Thanks !
Chef Dennis Littley says
I use 8 ounces of each, because I love the filling. You can use less if you want a lower calorie version.
Martha Turek says
Thank you ! Going to use both…what’s a few more calories on Thanksgiving ?! lol. 😊
www.sufremiz.az says
nice recipe mestan
www.sufremiz.az says
I will prepare it
Lindy55 says
Using waxed paper makes me nervous…is it necessary or can I use parchment?
Chef Dennis Littley says
yes you can parchment paper
Gabriella M Lester says
Where does it say waxed paper????
Chef Dennis Littley says
I changed it to parchment. You can use either.
Vicki Finn says
I’ve actually never made a pumpkin roll and I grew up and live in New England! I also never would have thought to use mascarpone cheese in the filling.
Natalie says
This pumpkin roll look so delicious. I love the spices you used here. I never tried adding pumpkin in roll cake. I will definitely give this recipe a try.
Michele says
I haven’t made a pumpkin roll in ages. You def reminded me how much I love them. Yours came out SO perfect! Perfect recipe for Fall!
Jona Shares says
I am checking new recipe to try out and I find this interesting. Will try to make this and I hope I can successfully make this.
Debbie says
I mean what is Thanksgiving without a pumpkin roll? I’ll be honest I have never made one but looking at your pictures sure makes me want to. I love that your filling has cream cheese and mascarpone cheese , what a divine combination.
SHANIKA says
This recipe looks so perfect for the Fall and Holiday season! I so need to give this a try! That cream cheese and mascarpone filling looks amazing!
Kim @ Three Olives Branch says
This pumpkin roll looks amazing! Such a great idea for fall dessert, especially Thanksgiving. I’ve always worried about it cracking but love your steps and tips!
Sam | Ahead of Thyme says
I am so happy it is officially fall and pumpkin season. This pumpkin roll looks amazing and would look great at Thanksgiving. Can’t wait to try it!
Eva says
Roll cakes have a Christmas feel to me, so I find it very interesting made in the fall.I have a slight pumpkin obsession, despite having a hard time finding decent ones here in Sweden,so I always enjoy most pumpkin recipes vicariously on food blogs. Thank you!
Shelley says
I have to admit, I’m always a little stand-offish about attempting rolled cakes, too (mainly because I’m afraid they’ll crack and not roll well). But you really lay the process out so clearly and made it seem totally do-able. And with such delicious results! Pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting is a beloved fall dessert of mine, too – and so much prettier when it’s presented in a beautiful roll like this!
Aleta says
WOW this pumpkin roll looks absolutely delicious! Pumpkin cake filled with cream cheese frosting?! Yes please!
Lynndee says
I bought a pumpkin roll at the store last year and I really enjoyed it. It was so good. I’m going to make one here at home this time following your recipe. Yum!
Rena says
I’m going to surprise my husband with this! My ex-mother-in-law used to make these every year for my son and current hubby years ago and they went crazy for them every year.
Vyjay Rao says
Loved reading this post, especially about your reminisces. But needless to say, the piece de resistance was reading about the classic Pumpkin roll. I am sure you have mastered the recipe to perfection. Looks really enticing.
Ruth I says
Another great pumpkin recipe uncovered! By the looks of it, I can tell it will taste great! Enough sweetness and pretty healthy too.
Karen Morse says
You’ve come a long way! And I must say, I enjoy the recipes that you share with us. This pumpkin roll looks so good and it’s perfect for the season. I’d love to make it one of these days.
Liz Cochico says
Gotta make this pumpkin roll. It looks so cramy and yummy. My kids would love this for sure.
Terri Steffes says
I have yet to make a pumpkin roll. I really want to try one, but I have to admit, watching that British cooking show really has me scared to try! Ha!
Pam says
I love pumpkin rolls! They’re such a classic fall baked good, and so comforting.
Tasheena says
I’ve actually never tried this before. I love the way it turned out. Looking forward to making this for my family.
Amber Myers says
I love pumpkin rolls! I admit, I’ve never made one on my own but I might have to try it out. I love my pumpkin stuff.
Ben says
That pumpkin roll may be great for a holiday table, but there’s no way I’m waiting that long. LOL. I’m probably going to make it this weekend.
Sarah Bailey says
Do you know I don’t think I have ever had pumpkin roll! I totally need to change that as I am all for a seasonal treat.
Melissa Chapman says
You say you are not a regular baker but that roll came out perfect. This looks too good to wait until the holidays to make so i might try it sooner.
Deborah von Donop says
oh my, sooo many pumpkin recipies’. Yes, I have been following your blog for many years now, and yes, you were a pioneer. Hard work and consistency is your hustle. So pleased to join you on this journey. I need to follow your lead and have a hard time getting in front of that camera. Keep it up!
cait says
ive never made this before but this is something my family would love- def will try this weekend! YUM!
Alli Smith says
I remember the first time I made a pumpkin roll. It was a keeper and I usually make one every year for Thanksgiving. It looks so good and I’d love a nice big slice with a cup of coffee.
Ice Cream n Sticky Fingers says
My grandmother used to make a cake that was similar to this but I don’t recall if it was pumpkin or chocolate. It looks so good and I love that desserts like these trigger my memory of her. I’m not a fan of pumpkin but I could take any cake and turn it into a fun cake roll.
Theresa says
Tis the season for all things pumpkin! I saw pumpkin rolls at the grocers yesterday and thought about buying one. I think I’m going to make your recipe instead this weekend since we are stuck in the house after my husband’s knee surgery. This will be a great recipe to help pass the time.
Ruth I says
The awesome things about Fall is the pumpkin desserts! I can’t wait to try this rcipe. I love rool cakes as I think it’s more flavorful than regular ones. Yum!
Beth says
My sister-in-law always makes this for Thanksgiving. The only problem is we have a big family, so if I don’t grab a piece early enough, I won’t get one. This year I will try making my own.
Beth says
My sister-in-law usually makes pumpkin roll for Thanksgiving, and it is one of my favorite desserts. The only problem is there is a big crowd, so if I don’t grab it early, I might not get a piece. I will have to try making my own this year.