The Best Pumpkin Roll Recipe

The best pumpkin roll recipe is a wonderful cake with sweet cream cheese filling and topped with powdered sugar.

And homemade pumpkin roll is the perfect treat for pumpkin season.

The recipe is sort of like a giant Swiss roll made with pumpkin puree, and it’s delicious.

Moist Spiced Pumpkin Cake

The easy pecan-filled recipe is the perfect treat for the fall season (with a lovely pumpkin latte) and the Thanksgiving holiday. 

Moist spiced pumpkin cake features all of your favorite seasonings in one dessert.

Where I Got The Recipe

I worked quite a few years as a payroll clerk for a pipeline contractor, and we worked away from home.

The office manager’s wife brought us treats on a daily basis, and it sure gave us the comforts of home. 

The pumpkin roll cake recipe is one that she brought in several times, and I fell in love with it.

It’s absolutely delicious, and I feel like the fall season is not complete without making it. 

Watch How To Make The Delicious Pumpkin Cake

What Tools Are Needed For The Easy Pumpkin Roll Recipe? 

• Oven 
• Jelly roll pan 10″ x 15″
• Medium bowl
• Hand mixer
• Spatula
• Large rectangular kitchen towel
• Parchment paper
• Non-stick cooking spray

What Ingredients Are Needed For The Pumpkin Roll?

Wet Ingredients

• Eggs
• Pumpkin 
• Lemon juice
• Butter
• Cream cheese
• Vanilla extract

Dry Ingredients

• Sugar
• Self-rising flour
• Baking soda
• Cinnamon
• Ginger
• Nutmeg
• Chopped pecans
• Powdered sugar

Full printable recipe with measurements and instructions at the bottom of the post in the recipe card.

How To Make The Homemade Pumpkin Roll Recipe

Pumpkin Roll

1. Spray a jellyroll pan with non-stick cooking spray. Cover with parchment paper and spray with non-stick spray again.
2. Add the eggs to a medium-sized bowl and whisk.
3. Next, add the sugar and mix well.
4. Add the pumpkin, lemon juice, flour, and baking soda and mix well.
5. Now, add the cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg and stir.
6. Next, add the chopped pecans. 
7. Pour the pumpkin cake batter into the jelly roll pan and bake for about 15-20 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
8. Allow the cake to cool for a few minutes.
9. Sprinkle the powdered sugar over the kitchen towel, then gently flip the entire cake over onto the towel and roll it up. Make the cream cheese frosting while the cake cools.

Rich Cream Cheese Frosting

1. Add the softened butter, softened cream cheese, and vanilla extract to a large mixing bowl. Mix until creamy. 
2. Next, add the powdered sugar and mix the ingredients well. 
3. Unroll the pumpkin cake and spread the cream cheese frosting on the inside, making sure to spread to the edges. 
4. Re-roll the pumpkin roll and place it in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to firm up a little. 

Step By Step Instructions

Start by adding the eggs to a medium-sized bowl and beat them.

Next, pour in the sugar and mix the two ingredients together. 

Add the canned pumpkin puree to the bowl. 

Next, add the self-rising flour and baking soda to the bowl.

Add the cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg to the bowl and mix. 

Finally, add the pecans to the batter and mix.

I bought a bag of chopped pecans. These pecans were a little large, so you can use them like this or chop them up smaller.

Pour into the prepared pan and bake for about 15 to 20 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Before you add the pumpkin roll batter to the jelly roll pan, spray it with a non-stick spray and cover it with some parchment paper.

Then spray the parchment paper again, so the pumpkin roll won’t stick when you’re ready to peel off the paper. 

While the pumpkin roll bakes, grab a large rectangular cotton kitchen towel and sprinkle powdered sugar all over it. 

For this recipe, I used a fairly thin kitchen towel on a flat surface because it makes it easier to roll it up.

Once the cake cools for a few minutes, gently flip it over onto the towel with powdered sugar and roll it up. It doesn’t need to be super tight. 

Now, you can move on to the frosting while the cake cools in the towel.

Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

Grab a separate mixing bowl and add the softened butter.

Next, add the softened cream cheese and vanilla extract. Mix the ingredients together until they are creamy. 

Add the powdered sugar and mix well. 

Now, unroll the cooled cake and spread the cream cheese inside. Be sure to spread to the edges.

Then, roll the pumpkin cream cheese roll back up and refrigerate for about 30 minutes to stiffen a little before serving. 

But, if you’re like me and can’t wait, slice a piece, but be gentle because it’s a very tender pumpkin cake and will tear more easily while warm. 

Why Does My Pumpkin Roll Always Crack?

Mine will sometimes crack, too (like in the picture above).

But, if you roll the pumpkin roll in the towel while it is still warm, it will lessen the chances of cracking.

However, if it does crack, do not worry. It will still taste delicious. 

How Long Does The Pumpkin Roll Last?

The pumpkin roll will last for about one week in the refrigerator, or you can store it in the freezer for up to one month.

Be sure to wrap the pumpkin cake roll in plastic wrap or keep it inside of an airtight container to keep it as fresh as possible. 

But, make sure you cool the pumpkin roll before placing it inside of an airtight container or wrapping it with plastic wrap, or you will get condensation inside.

More Delicious Pumpkin Recipes

Oh, the list is endless. Here are a few pumpkin desserts that you can make:

• Pumpkin pie is, of course, one of the most popular desserts around the holidays. 
• Pull-apart pumpkin bread with cinnamon icing is probably one of my all-time favorite pumpkin desserts. It’s easy to make, and it’s a fun recipe. It requires biscuits, pumpkin puree, powdered sugar frosting, and our favorite fall spices. 
• Pumpkin bread with maple cream icing is a special treat. The moist pumpkin bread is packed with flavor, including maple syrup.
• Pumpkin streusel muffins with icing are a great snack with a pumpkin latte. 
• Pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting are a cross between a bar and cake. It’s perfect for this time of year.
• Pumpkin roll bars from Six Sisters’ Stuff are a delicious recipe with pumpkin spice flavors, cream cheese filling, and plenty of goodness.

Pumpkin Roll Filling Variations

There are a lot of different ways to make the filling for pumpkin rolls.

You can add some maple syrup to the cream cheese, melted white chocolate, chopped pecans or walnuts, chocolate chips, or even a chocolate and cinnamon filling.

You can even make a pumpkin cake roll with whipped cream filling!

Pumpkin rolls are a lot of fun and very versatile.

The Easiest Pumpkin Roll Recipe

This is such an easy jelly roll cake to make. It has a ton of flavor and is perfect for fall.

If this is your first time making the moist pumpkin roll recipe, you will love it. People consistently ask for one in the fall each year.