Impress your guests with this pumpkin roll! A soft, spiced pumpkin cake filled with sweet cream cheese frosting. A classic, cozy fall dessert that’s easier to make than it looks!

Few desserts say “fall” quite like a classic pumpkin roll! That perfect swirl of soft, spiced pumpkin cake wrapped around a creamy, sweet filling. It’s elegant enough for a Thanksgiving table yet easy enough for a cozy weekend bake!

Ingredients 

Yield: 10–12 slices
Oven: 375°F (190°C), rack center
Time: 25 minutes prep + 11–14 minutes bake + cooling

Sponge (Pumpkin Cake)

• ⅔ cup (160 g) pumpkin purée, thickened (see Step 1)
• ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) neutral oil (sunflower/avocado)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ¾ cup (95 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp fine sea salt
• 1¾ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• Pinch ground cloves (about 1/16 tsp)

For Rolling

• ¼–⅓ cup (30–40 g) powdered sugar, for dusting towel/parchment

Filling 

• 8 oz (225 g) cream cheese, soft but cool
• 4 tbsp (56 g) unsalted butter, soft
• 1½ cups (180 g) powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch fine sea salt

Optional: 2–3 tbsp (20–30 g) very finely chopped toasted pecans (fold in at the end)

Finish

• Extra powdered sugar for dusting

Optional: Very fine orange zest or a line of cinnamon over the top

How To Make The Best Pumpkin Roll

Spread the pumpkin purée thinly on a plate. Microwave 60–90 seconds (or bake at 300°F/150°C for 8–10 minutes) until the surface looks slightly matte and darker. Scrape into a bowl and cool 5 minutes.

Drag a spoon through; the trench fills slowly, not immediately.

Heat to 375°F (190°C). Line the jelly-roll pan with parchment, leaving a little overhang at the short ends. Lightly mist or wipe the parchment with a thin film of oil.

Lay a clean, lint-free towel on the counter and dust generously with ¼ cup powdered sugar (or) place a second sheet of parchment down and dust that. Keep nearby.

In a medium bowl whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves until the color is uniform. It results in no spice clumps.

In a large bowl, beat eggs and granulated sugar 2–3 minutes (hand mixer medium-high) until pale and thick. Ribbons should fall from the beaters. Beat in oil, vanilla, and the thickened pumpkin until smooth.

Sift half the dry mix over the pumpkin mixture. Fold with a spatula 8–10 strokes. Sift in the rest; fold just until no flour streaks remain. Batter should be light and pourable.

Pour into the lined pan. Use the offset spatula to push batter into corners and level to an even thin sheet. Rap the pan once on the counter to pop big bubbles.

Bake 11–14 minutes. Done = edges look set and pull slightly from parchment; the top springs back when touched lightly; a toothpick near the center comes out with a moist crumb, not wet batter. Don’t overbake. Dry cakes crack.

Working quickly, run a knife around the edges. Invert the hot cake onto your sugared towel/parchment. Peel off the baking parchment. Dust the warm top lightly with a whisper of powdered sugar (prevents sticking).

Starting from a short side, roll the cake up with the towel/parchment inside. Make sure it is snug but not tight. Place seam-side down on a rack to cool 45–60 minutes until the cake is barely warm.

Beat cream cheese and butter 1–2 minutes until creamy. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt; beat just until smooth and spreadable. If it feels loose, chill 10 minutes; if too stiff, rest it 5 minutes at room temp.

Gently unroll the cake. If small cracks appear, ignore them. The filling bridges everything. Spread filling evenly to the edges, leaving a ¼-inch border on the last edge (so the swirl doesn’t squeeze out). Add pecans if using.

Re-roll the cake (this time without the towel), again from the short side. Wrap snugly in parchment or plastic wrap. Chill at least 1 hour (or up to 2 days) to set the shape and make slicing clean.

Unwrap, place seam-side down, dust with powdered sugar, and slice with a long serrated knife using gentle sawing motions. Wipe the blade between cuts for museum-quality spirals.

Serve Like You Mean It!

• Classic: Dust with sugar and park a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream on the side.
• Café Plate: Drizzle a thin ring of maple around the slice and scatter chopped candied pecans.
• Holiday Glow: Pipe mini rosettes of leftover filling on top and set a pecan half into each.

Bookmark this, preheat with purpose, and see the slices hush the room! Your season of pumpkin roll glory starts now!