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Pumpkin Roll Cake

Pumpkin roll cake with a tender spiced sponge rolled around a smooth cream cheese filling, then chilled for clean slices. The cake bakes in a jelly roll pan and is rolled while warm to lock in the spiral.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 13 minutes
chilling 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 43 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 340
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For pumpkin cake
  • 0.75 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.5 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp salt
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.67 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 tsp vanilla
For cream cheese filling
  • 8 oz cream cheese Softened
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 6 tbsp unsalted butter Softened
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 0.5 tsp cinnamon
Powdered sugar for dusting
  • 0.25 cup powdered sugar For dusting

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 stand mixer

Method
 

Bake the pumpkin sponge
  1. Preheat the oven to 375F. Grease a 15x10 jelly roll pan and line with parchment.
  2. Beat the eggs and granulated sugar until thick, then add the pumpkin puree and vanilla. Mix just until combined.
  3. Fold in the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt. Fold gently until no dry streaks remain.
  4. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Bake for 11-13 minutes, until the surface springs back when touched.
Roll and cool
  1. Invert the cake onto a powdered sugar-dusted kitchen towel. Peel off the parchment while the cake is warm.
  2. Roll the cake in the towel from the short end. Cool completely while rolled.
Fill, re-roll, and chill
  1. Beat the cream cheese smooth, then beat in powdered sugar, softened unsalted butter, vanilla, and cinnamon until silky. Beat just until spreadable.
  2. Unroll the cooled cake and spread the cream cheese filling evenly. Re-roll the cake without the towel.
  3. Refrigerate for 1 hour to set the spiral. Keep chilled until slicing.
Serve
  1. Dust the top with powdered sugar. Slice and serve.

Notes

Pro tip: roll the cake while it’s warm and flexible, and only peel the parchment after inverting so the sponge doesn’t crack. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days; freeze the fully filled and chilled cake slices up to 2 months (thaw overnight in the fridge). For a lighter option, use reduced-fat cream cheese in the filling while keeping the same technique for a stable roll.