Homemade Pumpkin Roll
on Oct 18, 2019, Updated Oct 20, 2020
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Impress your guests during the holidays with this Homemade Pumpkin Roll. Everyone will enjoy the moist and perfectly spiced cake with a delicious cream cheese frosting that’s easily rolled to resemble a log. Make it for Thanksgiving dessert!
Pumpkin Roll
We make a Pumpkin Roll for Thanksgiving dessert every year. The holiday would not be complete without one. They require less work than one would expect, look fancy, and taste amazing!
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I typically prepare a No-Bake Triple-layer Pumpkin Pie, and a No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake a few days before the holiday. I like to make my Homemade Pumpkin Roll the day before, so it is as fresh as can be.
Making jelly rolled cakes can look like an intimidating process. There’s no need to worry because making Pumpkin Rolls is so much easier than it seems. It’s simply a cake rolled up into a log.
To make a Pumpkin Roll recipe, you make the homemade cake mix. Then, bake it in a jelly roll pan. You can purchase them at just about any store. Different sizes are available. I used a 11X16 sized for this recipe.
The filling is a basic cream cheese frosting that tastes delicious. It is not difficult to make and compliments the pumpkin spiced cake wonderfully. When it’s rolled in the cake, it looks elegant.
Pumpkin Roll Ingredients
- Flour
- Baking Soda
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Cinnamon
- Cloves
- Granulated Sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla
- Pumpkin Puree
- Confectioners Sugar
- Cream Cheese
- Butter
How to Make a Pumpkin Roll
First, you will need to preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Then, prepare the jelly roll pan. You will need to heavily grease and line with parchment paper.
Next, in a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and cloves. I like to use a whisk to mix well. Set this bowl aside.
Then, add the sugar and eggs to a large bowl. With a hand mixer, beat until combined and thick.
Next, add the pumpkin and mix again until combined.
Now, gradually add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and beat until combined. It’s best to add a little at a time. Then, add the batter to the prepared pan and bake for 11- 15 minutes. The cake will spring back when it is ready to be removed.
When the cake is baking, prepare a kitchen or tea towel with powdered sugar. It’s best to use thin with no fuzz.
After the cake has finished baking, immediately loosen the parchment paper from pan edges. Then flip to the prepared towel and carefully remove parchment paper. Be sure you flip so that the cake is on the end and corner of the cloth. This process will keep the access towel material from rolling with the log.
Now, roll the pumpkin roll and towel, beginning with the narrow end. Allow to cool for about 10-15 minutes. I usually place the log on a wire rack.
While pumpkin roll is cooling, add the cream cheese and butter to a medium bowl. Beat until smooth. Then add vanilla extract and powdered sugar. Mix until very well combined.
After the cake has cooled slightly, unroll the log. Spread the cream cheese filling on top. Then roll it up again. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour.
I like to dust with powdered sugar to pretty it up a little. Then slice and serve. I typically have about 8-10 slices, depending on how thick I cut. Pumpkin rolls are great at room temperature or chilled.
Pumpkin Roll
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup Powdered Sugar to sprinkle on your towel
- 3/4 cup Flour
- 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
- 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp Ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 3 Eggs
- 1 cup Sugar
- 15 oz Can of 100% Pure Pumpkin
- 8 oz softened Cream Cheese
- 1 cup Powdered Sugar, sifted
- 1 stick softened Butter
- 1 tsp Vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375.
- Grease 11x16" jelly roll pan and line with wax or parchment paper. Set aside.
- Sprinkle a thin kitchen towel with powdered sugar (try to use one that will not give off fuzz). Set aside.
- In a a bowl mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Set aside.
- In a a stand mixer or with a hand mixer beat eggs and granulated sugar until thick (this takes a bit of time).
- Add in your pumpkin and continue to beat until mixed.
- Gradually add in your flour mixture until blended.
- Spread on your prepared pan.
- Bake for 11 to 15 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched.
- Immediately loosen and turn cake onto prepared towel.
- Carefully peel off paper.
- Roll up cake and towel together, starting with narrow end.
- Cool on wire rack for 10-15 minutes (cake will still be warm).
- In a medium sized bowl or stand mixer beat cream cheese and butter until whipped.
- Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract.
- Beat until blended.
- Unroll cake.
- Spread cream cheese mixture over cake.
- Reroll the cake (without towel).
- Wrap in plastic wrap.
- Refrigerate at least one hour.
Nutrition
Can you use gluten free flour instead?