Pumpkin Roll
Spiced pumpkin sponge rolled with cream cheese filling, dusted and sliced for holiday tables.
Updated: Oct 7, 2026
Why you'll like it
- Ready in about 1 hr.
- Serves 10 — easy to halve or double.
- Medium level — everyday equipment only.
- Storage, freezing and reheating covered below.
Pumpkin roll is a showpiece USA holiday dessert, pairing thin spiced pumpkin sponge with tangy cream cheese filling in a neat spiral slice. This version whisks eggs with sugar until thick, folds in pumpkin puree and flour with warm spice, then bakes in a jelly-roll pan at 375 degrees in about thirteen minutes.
Helpful guides
Instructions
Heat the oven to 375 degrees and line a 15-by-10-inch jelly-roll pan with parchment, leaving overhang for lifting. Lay a clean thin kitchen towel flat and dust it evenly with 0.25 cup of granulated sugar. The sugared towel prevents sticking and imprints no lint on the delicate sponge during rolling.
Beat the eggs with 1 cup of sugar on high speed for 3 minutes until thick, pale, and ribboning off the beaters. Proper whipping traps the air that lifts this flour-light cake. Beat in the pumpkin puree and vanilla just until combined, keeping the foam puffy and light.
Whisk the flour, baking soda, pumpkin spice, and salt, then fold gently into the egg mixture in two additions. Stop as soon as streaks disappear, since deflated batter bakes flat and cracks when rolled. Spread evenly into the pan with an offset spatula, reaching all corners.
Bake for 12 to 14 minutes until the top springs back when pressed and a toothpick shows moist crumbs. Overbaking dries the sponge and guarantees cracks during rolling. Immediately invert onto the sugared towel, peel off the parchment, and roll towel and cake together from the short end.
Cool the rolled cake completely on a rack for 1 hour so it memorizes the curl. Beat the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth and spreadable. Unroll gently, spread filling to 0.5 inch from edges, and re-roll without the towel, wrapping the log snugly in plastic.
Refrigerate the wrapped roll at least 2 hours at or below 40 degrees until the filling firms. Cold filling slices cleanly instead of squishing out. Dust with powdered sugar just before serving and cut with a warm dry knife, wiping between slices for neat spirals.
Troubleshooting — fixes, not repeats
- If the cake cracks when rolled, it overbaked or cooled before rolling. Bake only to spring-back at 375 degrees and roll within 1 minute of the oven while steaming. A towel dusted thickly with sugar lets the hot sponge curl without sticking or tearing.
- If the roll sticks to the towel, sugar dusting was too thin or the towel too textured. Use a smooth thin towel with a heavy even sugar coat, and peel the parchment off the cake first. Stuck spots patch with powdered sugar dusting and hide inside the curl.
- If the filling squeezes out, it spread too thick or too close to the edge. Leave a 0.5-inch border, roll snugly without pressing hard, and chill the wrapped log 2 hours. Soft warm filling flows; cold filling stays in a clean spiral layer.
- If the spiral looks flat, eggs were under-whipped or batter overmixed. Beat a full 3 minutes to ribbon stage, fold flour gently, and bake promptly. Old baking soda also flattens lift, so check that it fizzes in vinegar before starting.
Make it your way
- For a chocolate pumpkin roll, replace 0.25 cup of flour with cocoa powder and fill with the same cream cheese mixture, keeping bake time identical.
- Add 0.5 cup of finely chopped pecans to the batter for crunch throughout the sponge.
- Fill with chocolate ganache instead of cream cheese for a richer dessert, chilling 3 hours before slicing.
Storage & reheating
Cool leftovers within 2 hours, then refrigerate in a covered container and use within 3 to 4 days. Reheat only the portion you will eat until steaming hot throughout — poultry and reheated rice should reach 165°F (74°C).
Freeze the wrapped unsliced roll up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Dust with fresh powdered sugar after thawing, since moisture melts the original coat.
FAQ
Can I use pumpkin pie filling?
No. Use plain pumpkin puree, since pie filling contains added sugar and spice that unbalance this batter and overfill the thin sponge. If only pie filling is available, reduce sugar to 0.5 cup and skip the pumpkin spice, though texture stays slightly softer and stickier.
Why roll the cake while hot?
The thin sponge is pliable only while warm and steamy; cooling flat sets starches that crack on bending. Rolling hot in a sugared towel trains the curl, and cooling in shape lets it unroll and re-roll with filling without breaking. Work within 1 minute of the oven.
Can I make pumpkin roll ahead?
Yes. Assemble up to 2 days ahead and keep wrapped and refrigerated. Dust with powdered sugar just before serving, since the coat melts in humidity. Freeze up to 2 months for longer storage, thawing overnight in the refrigerator before dusting and slicing cold.