As we enjoy the fall season, we have another fall treat for you to try! This classic pumpkin roll recipe is made with a delicious pumpkin cake and heavenly cream cheese filling…and it’s surprisingly easy to make.  

Pumpkin Roll Ingredients: 

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 

• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (*or see below for substitution) 

• 1/4 teaspoon salt 

• 3 large eggs 

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

• 1 cup granulated sugar 

• 2/3 cup pumpkin puree 

• optional: powdered sugar (to sprinkle on at the end!) 

Cream Cheese Filling Ingredients: 

• 1 (8 ounce) brick cream cheese, room temperature 

• 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted 

• 6 tablespoons butter, softened 

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

You will also need: 

• 10 x 15-inch jelly roll pan: The specific size of the pan is important here, so that the cake can be nice and thin. 

• Parchment paper: I like to buy these pre-cut sheets, but you can also definitely cut your own. 

How To Make A Pumpkin Roll: 

Alright, let’s begin with the pumpkin cake. Simply: 

1. Make your pumpkin cake batter. You can either do this in a stand mixer, or by hand in a large mixing bowl. Whisk together the dry ingredients until combined, and set aside. Then in a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until thick. Stir in the vanilla and pumpkin puree until combined. Then fold in the dry ingredients until they are just combined, being careful not to overmix the batter. 

1. Transfer batter to the baking sheet. Cover your jelly roll pan completely with parchment paper, leaving some extra room on the long (15-inch) sides so that you can easily lift the cake out after baking. (If the parchment paper is sliding around, just sprinkle a few drops of water underneath it, which will help it to stick to the pan.)  Then spread the batter evenly on top of the parchment. 

1. Bake. This part goes quickly since the cake is so thin. 

1. Remove cake from pan. This part needs to move quickly, so be ready. As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, run a knife around the edges of the pan (if needed) to loosen the cake. Then carefully grab the edges of the parchment paper to lift the cake out of the pan and slide it over to a flat, heat-proof surface. (I recommend using oven mitts since the cake will still be very hot.) 

1. Roll the cake. Then holding onto the parchment, carefully roll up the cake — from short end to short end — until it forms a complete roll. (See video above for an example.)  Transfer the rolled cake to a wire cooling rack and let it cool completely to room temperature, seam-side-down so that they cake does not unroll. 

While the cake is cooling, make your cream cheese filling. To do so, simply: 

1. Stir together your ingredients until smooth. It’s ok if there are a few tiny lumps of cream cheese. But in general, you want the filling to be pretty smooth. Also, it’s crucial that your ingredients are all room temperature so that the cream cheese filling can be nice and sturdy. Otherwise, the filling will be too thin and will ooze out of the pumpkin roll. (If it seems too thin, just add more powdered sugar.) 

1. Refrigerate until ready to use. To keep it nice and fresh. 

Once the cake has cooled, it’s time for the fun part. To assemble your pumpkin roll: 

1. Gently unroll the cake. Place the cake back on a flat surface and gently unroll it until the cake is mostly flat again, going slowly so that the cake doesn’t break. (If it does a bit, don’t worry, it will still taste delicious.) 

1. Spread on the cream cheese filling. Using a spatula, spread the cream cheese filling out evenly on top of the cake, leaving a 3/4-inch border around all sides of the cake so that the filling doesn’t spill out while the cake is being re-rolled. 

1. Re-roll the cake. Then go ahead and roll the cake back up again, carefully peeling off the parchment paper as you roll until it until it is completely released. 

1. Wrap the cake. Wrap the finished pumpkin roll tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate it for at least an hour until chilled. 

1. Dust with powdered sugar. When you’re ready to serve the cake, remove and unwrap it. Then lightly dust the entire roll with powdered sugar. Then… 

1. Slice and serve!  I like to take a small slice off of the ends just before serving, to reveal those beautiful swirls and make it a bit prettier. Then voila! Your homemade pumpkin roll will be ready to enjoy!