Easy Pumpkin Roll Recipe

Sharing is caring!

My easy pumpkin roll recipe is great for fall. Pumpkin roll is also fun year round for a sweet treat! I love giving a pumpkin roll as a gift during the holidays as well.

I’m going to show you how I make an easy pumpkin roll. Anyone can do it! I used to think that any kind of cake roll recipe was not for me…it just seemed like more work than it was worth!

Once I tried, I was hooked! This delicious pumpkin roll recipe is no exception, give it a try I’m sure you will love it.

This post contains links to products I like and think will be useful to you. If you click through and make a purchase I make a small commission at no cost to you!

What will I need to make pumpkin roll?

You will need a few things to make a great pumpkin roll recipe. Along with the ingredients I’ll list below you will also need a hand mixer or stand mixer, parchment paper, and cooking spray.

I usually bake my cake for pumpkin rolls and cake rolls in a jelly roll pan so that they are nice and thin! This jelly roll pan work great.

Ingredients list for pumpkin roll cake:

Here’s what you will need to make this tasty cake. You will also need the pumpkin roll filling ingredients needed below. Find the full amounts and ingredients list is included in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post. You can also find shopping links, nutritional estimates, and more!

For this part of the recipe you will need cake flour, pumpkin puree, white sugar, brown sugar, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger!

Filling ingredients for an easy pumpkin roll:

To make the filling for this recipe you will need butter, cream cheese, and confectioners (powdered, 10x, bakers) sugar.

You can find the full list of ingredients and amounts in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post! This is a really easy filling that can be prepared in just a few minutes and it’s easy to customize to your flavor preferences.

How to make a pumpkin roll:

Here’s a step by step guide on how to make this delicious pumpkin roll recipe. It’s easy to prepare and perfect for sharing! We make this all year long but it is always a fall favorite.

In a medium-size bowl, mix together pumpkin, brown and white sugars, cake flour, and spices. 

Separate eggs. Add egg yolks to cake mixture.

Beat egg whites on medium-high for 2-4 minutes, or until stiff peaks form.

Gently fold egg whites into the cake mixture. Do not over mix.

Line a jelly roll pan with parchment paper, up over the edges as well, and cover with cooking spray.

Then spread the batter evenly on top of the parchment paper.

Bake at 375° for 15 minutes.

While the cake is in the oven, beat together cream cheese, butter, and confectioners sugar until creamy and smooth. Set aside.

Remove cake from the oven. Lift or slide parchment-lined cake onto a cooling rack. Allow cooling slightly. Roll cake inside parchment paper and set aside to cool completely.

Unroll cooled cake and spread cream cheese filling, completely covering the cake.

Re-roll cake without the parchment paper. Sprinkle with confectioners sugar and store in the fridge until ready to slice and serve.

For best results, allow the cake to set up in the fridge overnight.

How to make the perfect cake roll:

You can apply this technique to any cake recipe that you are making. If you just need to know how to make a cake roll this is where you should start!!

Remove cake from the oven. Lift or slide parchment-lined cake onto a cooling rack. Allow cooling slightly. Roll cake inside parchment paper and set aside to cool completely.

Unroll cooled cake and spread cream cheese filling, completely covering the cake.

Re-roll cake without the parchment paper. Sprinkle with confectioners sugar and store in the fridge until ready to slice and serve.

For best results, allow the cake to set up in the fridge overnight.

Kitchen essentials for tasty desserts:

When you head into the kitchen to make some of these great recipes you’ll want to have the best tools on hand.

I like half sheet baking pans that are quality (hello no noisy pops or sloshed cookie dough from twisting), I line my cookie sheets with silicone baking mats. These are great for all kinds of baking and not just cookies! My husband loves them for making biscuits, pizzas, and more!

Of course mixing bowls, a mixer, spatula, and some whisks should be on your list if you don’t have ones that you love. I also like to have a set of cooling racks so that my recipes can properly cool before they’re scarfed down by my family!

Tips for the best cake rolls ever:

If you want to make the best cake rolls you need to remember a few things! Here are my tips to make sure your cake rolls come out perfectly every time.

• Don’t forget the parchment paper. It’s so much easier to roll the cake when it’s just baked on parchment.
• Don’t let the cake get too cool before you roll it. It needs to be baked completely and then cooled only slightly. Warm cake is less likely to crack, break, etc.
• Go slowly when unrolling and rerolling the cake to add your filling. The cake is only going to take so much before it does crack, crumble, and fall apart.
• If your cake seems too dry after it is cooled add a more wet filling like jelly, etc. You can also use a simple syrup to keep your cake moist for days!
• Do not skip the set up! Cake rolls come out beautifully after they have had time to set up in the fridge overnight. If you need the cake for the same day try and give it as much time as you can for best results!

Do you have other great dessert recipes I can try?

Here are some of my other favorite dessert recipes. Give them a try and let me know what you think!

• Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cheesecake
• Churro Donut Holes with Caramel Dipping Sauce
• Nutella Cookies Recipe
• No Bake Pumpkin Pie Bites
• Simple Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
• Orange Julius Cupcakes
• Super Easy Stuffed Strawberries

Printable Pumpkin Roll Recipe: