Classic Pumpkin Roll with Cream Cheese Filling
My Classic Pumpkin Roll recipe is a delicious dessert that your whole family will enjoy for 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. It’s 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 for Classic Pumpkin Roll with Cream Cheese Filling is one of our family’s favorites. BeeBop asks for it every year during the holidays. I made one last year to take to our neighborhood’s annual Oktoberfest party. It was a sensational hit!
Ingredient Notes
- Canned Pumpkin (Look for 100% pumpkin, not pumpkin pie mix.)
- Biscuit Mix (This recipe uses a shortcut of biscuit mix instead of plain flour. I recommend Bisquick brand but there are others on the market that are good.)
- Pumpkin Pie Spice (A mixture of the typical spices used in making pumpkin pie. You’ll find it in the spice aisle at your grocery store, or see my tip below for making your own.)
- Pecans (My favorite nuts for almost any use, but you could most likely substitute walnuts if you wanted.)
- Cream Cheese (I always use regular cream cheese – it’s the holidays! – but lower far versions will work for this recipe.)
You’ll find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the recipe at the bottom of this post.
How to Make Classic Pumpkin Roll
Let’s Go Step-by-Step
I always like to show you the photos and step-by-step instructions for my recipes to help you picture how to make them in your own kitchen. If you just want to print out a copy, you can skip to the bottom of the post where you’ll find the recipe card.
Prep the Pan
Preheat the oven to 375.
Grease or butter the bottom and sides of a 10 x 15-inch jelly roll 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 in a large bowl with a mixer at high speed until they become thick and pale lemon-colored. Gradually add 1 cup of granulated sugar and beat until soft peaks form and the sugar completely dissolves (this takes 2 to 4 minutes).
In a separate small bowl, use a spoon, fork or whisk to stir together the biscuit mix and spices.
COOK’S TIP
You can purchase pumpkin pie spice at the grocery store, or you can make your own. To make pumpkin pie spice, combine 3 tablespoons of ground cinnamon, 2 teaspoons ground ginger, 2 teaspoons nutmeg, and 1 ½ teaspoons ground cloves. Mix well and store in an airtight container. Use 1 teaspoon of the mix where called for in this recipe.
Using a spatula or wooden spoon, 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.
Using a spoon or offset spatula, 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, prepare the towel. Lay a clean cloth kitchen towel out on the countertop and sift 2-3 tablespoons of powdered sugar over one side of the towel.
COOK’S TIP
You’ll need 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.
COOK’S 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!
How to Serve
Use a sharp knife to slice your pumpkin roll into about 1-inch slices and serve. If you really want to gild the lily you could add a dollop of freshly whipped cream and a shard of pumpkin seed brittle on top.
Recipe 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 the 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 jelly roll 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 store in the freezer 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. It will last 3-4 days refrigerated.
Rolled cakes of any kind tend to crack. They just do and you just have to roll with it. Most cracks are rolled up inside the cake and won’t show or can be disguised with powdered sugar. See my notes in the body of the post about cracking.
Have you tried this recipe? I’d really appreciate you giving it a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card or in the comments section.
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Recipe
Classic Pumpkin Roll with Cream Cheese Filling
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup canned pumpkin
- ¾ cup biscuit mix recommend: Bisquick
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- ⅓ cup butter softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar sifted
- 1 teaspoon 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.
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!
You’re welcome, Ann! I hope you enjoy the recipe.
Whenever I make a pumpkin roll I always have the filling ooing out when I reroll …any suggestions to avoid this?
should have said oozing out
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.
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?
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 :-)
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
Hmmm. Curried fruit cake roll…sounds delicious!
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)
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!
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!
Why, thank you, Heather. Lovely comment.
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!
I’m so pleased that you tried it and liked it! It is easy, isn’t it?