My Classic Pumpkin Roll is a delicious dessert that your whole family will enjoy for any of the fall holidays. It's a rolled, spiced pumpkin cake filled with sweetened cream cheese. The recipe uses a packaged biscuit mix to make it easy as pie!
What's your favorite thing about the Fall season? The beauty of changing leaves, bright orange pumpkins, boisterous hay rides, pots of yummy soup bubbling away on the stove?
Fall is, I think, a season when we can all relax a little bit. A time to slow down from the frenzied, fun activities of summer and get ready for days snuggled up in front of a warm, cozy fireplace.
Fall also means it's time to switch gears in the kitchen. The cool, refreshing recipes of spring and summer give way to pots of stew, hearty casseroles and pumpkin!
This recipe is one of our family's favorites. BeeBop asks for it every year during the holidays. I made one a year or two ago to take to our neighborhood's annual Oktoberfest party. It was a sensational hit!
How to Make Classic Pumpkin Roll
Preheat the oven to 375.
Grease the bottom and sides of a jellyroll pan. Line the greased pan with waxed paper and then grease the waxed paper. Set the pan aside.
Make the Cake Batter
Beat the eggs with a mixer at high speed until they become thick and pale. Gradually add 1 cup sugar and beat until soft peaks form and the sugar dissolves (this takes 2 to 4 minutes).
In a separate small bowl, combine the biscuit mix and spices.
Fold the pumpkin puree into the egg and sugar mixture. Then fold the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture making sure everything is well incorporated.
Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the batter evenly with chopped pecans. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes.
Roll the Warm Cake in a Tea Towel
A few minutes before you're ready to remove the cake from the oven, sift 2-3 tablespoons of powdered sugar over a clean cloth towel.
Pro tip: you'll want to use a woven towel, not a terry cloth towel for this step.
Take the cake out of the oven and immediately turn it out onto the sugared towel. Carefully peel off the wax paper.
Starting at the narrow end, roll up the cake and towel together.
Place the rolled cake and towel on a wire rack seam side down and allow it to cool completely (about 30-40 minutes).
Prepare the Cream Cheese Filling
When the cake is completely cool, beat the softened cream cheese and softened butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add 1 cup powdered sugar and vanilla and beat that in until combined.
Carefully unroll the cake and spread it with cream cheese mixture. Re-roll the cake without the towel.
Pro tip: I have made this roll dozens of times and I've never made one that did not crack in several places (see the top left panel above?). When (not if) this happens to you, don't panic. You're going to go right ahead and fill it and re-roll it, dust it with powdered sugar and no one is going to know that the cake cracked, okay? Honestly, it works out perfectly in the end. Trust me.
See? All rolled up and looking great!
Place the roll on a serving plate, seam side down, cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours. When you're ready to serve, dust the top generously with powdered sugar.
Oh, and don't worry about all that goop that sticks to your towel. Just a quick rinse in the kitchen sink will take care of every bit of it!
Pro Tips:
- Make sure the cake is totally cooled before adding the cream cheese filling. If the cake is still warm, the filling can melt.
- To keep the cake cracking to a minimum work fast when inverting and rolling it. Just go for it!
- If you're cooking this Classic Pumpkin Roll the same day you plan to serve it, you'll need to make it early in the morning so that you'll have plenty of time for cooling the cake and at least two hours of refrigeration time before serving.
- To add even more flavor to the delicious cream cheese filling you could stir in about a third of a cup of either apple butter or apricot preserves.
FAQs
A jellyroll pan is a small baking pan. The standard measurements are 15" x 10" x 1" deep. If you don't have a jellyroll pan, unfortunately there really isn't a good substitute. I have one that I've owned for almost 30 years and it probably cost less than $15. I'd consider it a good investment.
Absolutely. You can make this recipe up to two months in advance, wrap it very well and freeze it until needed. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and then allow it to sit out at room temperature for about 15 minutes before serving.
Yes. After serving, cover the pumpkin roll and store it in the refrigerator.
Pumpkin Dessert Recipes Curated for You
- Old Fashioned Pumpkin Pie from Simply Recipes
- Pumpkin Butterscotch Cookies from Everyday Annie
- Kalyn's Kitchen's Low-Sugar Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie
- Recipe Girl's Pumpkin French Toast
Have you tried this recipe? I'd love for you to give it a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card and/or in the comments section further down.
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Classic Pumpkin Roll with Cream Cheese Filling
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- ⅔ cup canned pumpkin
- ¾ cup biscuit mix recommend: Bisquick
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 3 tbsp powdered sugar
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- ⅓ cup butter softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar sifted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375.
- Grease the bottom and sides of a 15x10x1 inch jellyroll pan. Line the pan with wax paper and then grease the wax paper. Set aside.
- Beat the eggs with a mixer at high speed until they become thick and pale. Gradually add 1 cup sugar and beat until soft peaks form and the sugar dissolves (this takes 2 to 4 minutes). Fold the pumpkin into the egg and sugar mixture.
- In a separate small bowl, combine the biscuit mix and spices. Fold the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture making sure the dry and wet mixtures are well incorporated. Spread evenly into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with chopped pecans. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes.
- Just before removing the cake from the oven, sift 2-3 tablespoons of powdered sugar in a rectangle on a cloth towel (do not use a terry cloth for this step). Remove the cake from the oven and immediately turn it out onto the sugared towel. Carefully peel off wax paper. Starting at the narrow end, roll up cake and towel together. Place the rolled cake and towel on a wire rack seam side down and allow to cool completely.
- When the cake is completely cool, beat the cream cheese and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add 1 cup powdered sugar and vanilla, beating until combined. Carefully unroll the cake and spread with cream cheese mixture. Re-roll without the towel.
- Place on a serving plate, seam side down and chill for at least 2 hours. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Notes
- Be sure to use a woven towel, not a terry cloth towel for rolling the cake.
- It's just a fact that this cake will crack when rolled and unrolled. Don't panic when that happens. Just fill and roll the cake, dust it with powdered sugar and serve it up. It'll all work out in the end. To keep the cracking to a minimum, try to work fast when inverting and rolling.
- To add even more flavor to the delicious cream cheese filling you could stir in about a third of a cup of either apple butter or apricot preserves.
- Make sure the cake is totally cooled before adding the cream cheese filling. If the cake is still warm, the filling can melt.
- If you're cooking this the same day you plan to serve it, you'll need to make it early in the morning so that you'll have plenty of time for cooling the cake and at least two hours of refrigeration time before serving.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your health care provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
Lana Stuart is the cook and occasional traveler here at Never Enough Thyme. Lana has been cooking since she was tall enough to reach the stove and started this blog in 2009 to share her delicious home cooking recipes. You'll find about 700 recipes here so there's sure to be something your family will like!
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Ann
Killer recipe! I’m so glad to have come across this! This is absolutely fab! My neighbor Lisa often makes this pumpkin roll and shares it with our family or bring it along to party tables. Tastes like heaven. I guess it’s time to make this myself. Though I’d like to replace white sugar by brown sugar. Hope it will turn out as fantastic.
Thank you for sharing it with us Lana!
Lana Stuart
You're welcome, Ann! I hope you enjoy the recipe.
Donna Park
Whenever I make a pumpkin roll I always have the filling ooing out when I reroll ...any suggestions to avoid this?
Donna Park
should have said oozing out
Lana Stuart
I've never experienced that! However, you might try leaving an inch or so around the edges when you spread your filling and then roll loosely, don't press down when rolling.
Angela
Hi Lana :) This sounds delicious, and also fairly easy - especially since you're using "Bisquick" mix. I'm wondering why you didn't recommend using a 'terrycloth' dish towel. Since those are the only kind I own, I'll probably need to purchase a 'linen' one. Would that work?
Lana Stuart
I tried terrycloth a few times a long time ago and I had cloth fibers all in my cake. If your terrycloth towel is very well worn, it probably would work, but I prefer a smoother textured one so that I don't get lint all in my cake :-)
Miss P
Hi there. Just an update. You know how frugal (cheap) I can be, right? Well, there was some leftover baked fruit, with Mama's usual curry powder in it, etc. I just could not bear to throw it out. So, into the food processor, strained it in a sieve to remove excess moisture, and voila', a new "cake roll." It's pretty good, even if I do say so myself.
Miss P
Lana
Hmmm. Curried fruit cake roll...sounds delicious!
Linda
I have just started making pumpkin rolls this year. Mine are turning out to be very moist almost to the point of being gooey, how can I prevent this from happening? (they are done when removed from the oven)
bitty
im a high school student in a cooking class of my own creation and i love the picture diagram. i was reading a cook book about how to make it but i didnt make any since but thanks to you i got an A!
Heather Davis
Great dessert Lana! I love your first paragraph and the descriptions of autumn. I completely relate to all of it. I love the transition between summer and winter. It's the winter bit I could do without. Will definitely have to give this one a go!
Lana
Why, thank you, Heather. Lovely comment.
the urban baker
I made one of these over the weekend and it was delish! i have been so fearful of rolled cakes in the past, however this was easier than i had expected!! yours looks totally scrumptious!
Lana
I'm so pleased that you tried it and liked it! It is easy, isn't it?