Pumpkin Cake Roll is everyone’s favorite fall dessert. This moist pumpkin cake is filled with a cream cheese filing and all the delicious pumpkin spices we love.
There are many things I love about fall… cool, crisp days, falling leaves and warm sweaters for starters. But all the pumpkin spice desserts? They are definitely the best thing about Autumn days. It’s become tradition to make this at least a couple of times every season.

Pumpkin Cake Roll
If you haven’t made a roll cake before it can feel overwhelming. Trust me though, it is quite easy once you get the hang of it. Having the icing rolled into the moist cake makes sure you have the perfect amount of cream in every bite. Plus, the cake stays super soft.
Ingredients You’ll Need
(full amounts in recipe box below)
- Canned Pumpkin – Be sure to use puree and not pumpkin filling.
- Flour – This will help with the thickening of your batter.
- Sugar – This will add sweetness to your recipe and softness.
- Eggs – Room temperature is best.
- Baking Soda – Allows ingredients to double in size.
- Cinnamon – Pairs very well with pumpkin.
- Nutmeg – This will allow your cake to have a wonderful aroma.
- Cloves – This will add a strong and powerful flavor.
Filling Ingredients
- Butter
- Cream Cheese
- Powdered Sugar
- Vanilla
How To Make A Pumpkin Roll Cake
- Mix the batter. Beat the egg yolks first, then add in half the sugar and pumpkin. Separately beat egg whites until it peaks, stir in the rest of the sugar and fold into the yolk mixture. Stir the dry ingredients in a small bowl and fold those in as well.
- Bake. Line your pan with wax paper (this is key to rolling the cake later) and pour the batter on top. Bake for 12-15 and allow to cool for 5.
- Roll the cake. Before the cake cools, dust a kitchen towel with powdered sugar and turn the cake onto it. Gently peel off the wax paper and roll the cake. Let the cake sit to cool completely.
- Make the icing. Beat the four ingredients until smooth.
- Ice the cake. Carefully unroll the cake and spread the frosting. Then, roll again. Place in the freezer until firm. When you’re ready to serve, let it sit 15 minutes first. Enjoy!
Can You Freeze Pumpkin Roll Cake?
Yes! This is a great dessert to make ahead of time, or make two while you’ve got all the ingredients out. Just wrap it in plastic wrap and place in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let it thaw out slowly before serving.
More Great Fall Desserts
Pumpkin Spice Snowball Cookies
Slow Cooker Apple Bread Pudding
Pumpkin Cake Roll
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients:
- 3 large eggs separated, room temperature
- 1 cup sugar divided
- 2/3 cup canned pumpkin
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon cloves
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Filling Ingredients:
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 2 tablespoons butter softened
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Directions:
- Line a 15x10x1-in. baking pan with waxed paper. Grease the paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat egg yolks on high speed until thick and lemon-colored.
- Gradually add 1/2 cup sugar and pumpkin, beating on high until sugar is almost dissolved.
- In a small bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 1/2 cup sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Fold into egg yolk mixture.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon and salt. Fold into pumpkin mixture.
- Spread into prepared pan.
- Bake at 375° for 12-15 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched.
- Cool for 5 minutes.
- Turn cake onto a kitchen towel dusted with confectioners’ sugar. Gently peel off waxed paper. Roll up cake in the towel jelly-roll style, starting with a short side. Cool completely on a wire rack.
- In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla until smooth.
- Unroll cake; spread filling evenly to within 1/2 in. of edges.
- Roll up again, without towel.
- Cover and freeze until firm.
- Remove from the freezer 15 minutes before cutting.
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8 comments on “Pumpkin Cake Roll”
This recipe was absolutely wonderful. However use parchment paper not wax as chemical can seep into cake
Very easy to make…followed instructions and it turned out beautifully…
Looks good and taste good too!
Taking some to a friend tonight!
I made this for Thanksgiving and everyone loved it. It did not crack at all and the sweetness level was perfect.
Regarding your directions, please change wax paper to parchment paper. They are different, and wax paper should never go in the oven.
LOVE! However, it didn’t say when to put in the nutmeg and cloves, so I stuck it in with the flour mixture. Was that the intent?
Yes, the dry ingredients. Will fix that. Thanks for pointing it out.
The directions left out adding the nutmeg and cloves but I’m sure you do along with the cinnamon in case anyone else noticed.
Where does the nutmeg and cloves go?
In the dry ingredients. I fixed the instructions.