Pumpkin Roll With Step By Step Photos

This pumpkin roll recipe is one of those desserts that feels and tastes like fall and holidays. Delicate, fluffy cake rolled up with creamy and rich cream cheese frosting, dusted with gloriously sweet powdered sugar makes it an elegant, gorgeous centerpiece to any family holiday table. It also makes a beautiful gift for friends and family. It looks fancy and possibly difficult, but it’s really easy to make with an even easier homemade cream cheese filling! It is a delicious addition to your fall baking checklist.

Ingredients for Pumpkin Roll

Both the cake and frosting for this classic pumpkin roll recipe are equally simple to make. Here’s what you need:

Cake Batter

Flour – regular, all purpose flour works great. You can sift before adding into the bowl. Baking powder Baking soda Pumpkin pie spice – you can find this spice year round in the spice aisle of the grocery store. It’s got a little of everything: cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger. Salt Eggs – six LARGE eggs or seven medium size eggs. Sugar – you’ll need a couple cups of white, granulated sugar Pumpkin puree – I like to always have a few cans of pumpkin on hand for recipes, but you could make your own pumpkin puree too! Learn more: How to make pumpkin puree three different ways. Optional – you can add pecans or walnuts in these sheet cakes if you like an extra crunch. So yummy!

Cream Cheese Frosting

Cream cheese – two 8-ounce blocks, softened. I like to leave them on the counter so they get to room temperature. Butter – again, softened at room temperature Powdered sugar – you’ll need about three cups, depending on how thick you like your icing. Vanilla extract

Step by Step Instructions for the Cake Roll

*Optional: To help with shaping and to prevent cracking, you can place a new piece of parchment paper on top of the cake once its turned out of the 15-inch jelly roll pan and roll it up. Let the rolled cake cool completely.

Preparing the Cream Cheese Frosting

Roll It Up

Where did the Pumpkin Roll Come From Anyway?

The history of the pumpkin roll cake is not well-documented, but it is believed to be a relatively recent invention in the realm of desserts. Pumpkin itself has been used in American cooking since the colonial era, but the specific concept of a rolled pumpkin cake seems to have emerged in the 20th century. Recipes for pumpkin roll cake started appearing in cookbooks, women’s magazines, and community cookbooks, particularly in the United States. It’s likely a twist on the traditional pumpkin pie. While we may not know the exact historical details, the pumpkin roll cake remains a delightful and iconic dessert that continues to be enjoyed by people of all ages. Read Next: The BEST Pumpkin Desserts

More Pumpkin Recipes

Serve up any and all things pumpkin this season! From September on, we love to create pumpkin breads, meals, desserts and even drinks. Try some of our very favorite pumpkin recipes for your family this fall and enjoy the flavors of the season!