Pumpkin Roll with Cream Cheese Filling
This classic pumpkin roll recipe features soft, spiced cake and creamy cream cheese filling, with easy rolling tips and make-ahead options for a perfect dessert.
This is the only pumpkin roll I’ve made for two decades. It is classic, easy to make, and perfect every time!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Just finished making these and they turned out wonderfully. The cake is so moist! I’ve failed at making pumpkin rolls a few times before, and this is by far the best recipe. Thanks so much! -Erin
How to Make a Perfect Pumpkin Roll
Rather than turning out the baked pumpkin cake onto a kitchen towel (per the original recipe), using parchment paper makes the process easier, more foolproof, and less messy!
- Whisk together the easy pumpkin batter in one bowl.
- Spread the batter in a parchment-lined jelly roll pan (don’t use a half sheet pan – it’s too big for this pumpkin roll).
- Bake the cake and then turn it out onto a piece of parchment paper or thin kitchen towel dusted with powdered sugar.
- Starting with one short end, roll the pumpkin cake up with the parchment paper or towel.
- Let the cake cool completely rolled up.
- Carefully unroll and spread evenly with the cream cheese filling.
- Reroll starting from the curved edge of the pumpkin cake.
- Refrigerate to let the cake and frosting set up a bit before dusting with powdered sugar, slicing, and serving.
Tips to Keep Your Pumpkin Roll From Cracking
I think a lot of people are intimidated at making a pumpkin roll cake – and I get it! Rolling up a warm cake worrying that it will crack or fall apart doesn’t exactly sound like fun. But I promise, making a pumpkin roll is so easy! And with these tips, you’ll end up with a crack-free, perfect cake roll.
- Roll up the cake immediately out of the oven. If the cake cools before it is rolled, it will crack more easily.
- Dust the parchment paper or towel with powdered sugar before turning out the cake from the pan. This prevents the cake from sticking, which will help ensure the cake doesn’t crack.
- When unrolling the cooled cake roll, do so gently. Don’t force it flat. The cake should naturally curl at one short end (don’t press that edge flat or it can crack).
As with any good cake, take care not to over bake. This cake is spread in a thin layer in the baking pan, so it bakes fast! Keep a close eye on it.
Make-Ahead Tips
- To refrigerate: Chill the assembled pumpkin roll in the refrigerate for up to two days. Wait to dust with powdered sugar until right before slicing and serving.
- To freeze: Let the assembled pumpkin roll chill in the refrigerator for a couple of hours. This helps it keep it’s shape while being covered to go in the freezer. Cover the pumpkin roll with a layer of saran wrap followed by a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for several months. Let thaw in the refrigerator. Dust the pumpkin roll with powdered sugar after thawing and right before slicing and serving.
Perfect Pumpkin Roll
Ingredients
Cake:
- 1 cup (212 g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (107 g) all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup (160 g) canned pumpkin
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (60 g) chopped walnuts, optional
Filling:
- 8 ounces (227 g) full-fat cream cheese, softened to cool room temperature (lowfat cream cheese or overly softened cream cheese will make the filling too runny)
- 1 tablespoon salted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup (114 g) powdered sugar
- Additional powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 10X15-inch jelly roll pan. Line the pan with parchment paper leaving 1-inch overhang on the two long sides. Lightly grease the bottom and sides of the jelly roll pan.
- For the pumpkin cake batter, in a large bowl, mix the sugar, flour, pumpkin, eggs, vanilla extract, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt until just combined and no dry streaks remain.
- Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Sprinkle the walnuts, if using, on top of the mixture.
- Bake for 14 to 15 minutes until the cake is evenly puffed and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- For turning out the cake, lay out a piece of parchment paper or a thin kitchen towel on the counter (use a towel with no texture, like a flour sack towel, don't use a terry cloth towel). Dust the parchment paper or towel liberally with powdered sugar. Immediately out of the oven, turn the cake onto the parchment paper or towel. Carefully peel the parchment paper off the bottom of the warm cake.
- Starting at one of the short ends, roll the pumpkin cake up with the parchment paper or towel. Let it cool completely while rolled up.
- For the cream cheese filling, mix the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar together with an electric mixer until it is light and creamy.
- For assembling, once the cake roll is cooled completely, carefully unroll it (but don't flatten it out; it's ok if it's slightly curved still).
- With an offset spatula, spread the filling evenly over the cake.
- Starting with the curved short end, roll up the cake (without the parchment paper). Loosely cover the pumpkin roll and refrigerate for at least an hour to firm up before slicing.
- For serving, dust the top of the pumpkin roll with powdered sugar and cut into slices.
Notes
Make Ahead:
- To refrigerate: Chill the assembled pumpkin roll in the refrigerate for up to two days. Wait to dust with powdered sugar until right before slicing and serving.
- To freeze: Let the assembled pumpkin roll chill in the refrigerator for a couple of hours. This helps it keep it’s shape while being covered to go in the freezer. Cover the pumpkin roll with a layer of saran wrap followed by a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for several months. Let thaw in the refrigerator. Dust the pumpkin roll with powdered sugar after thawing and right before slicing and serving.
Serving: 1 Slice, Calories: 194kcal, Carbohydrates: 30g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 55mg, Sodium: 235mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 24g
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: Aunt Marilyn
This recipe was originally posted October 5, 2009; updated in 2016 and again in 2026 with new commentary, pictures and recipe notes.
Disclaimer: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Can you freeze a Yule Log prior to Christmas? Should it be frozen before or after frosting? For how long?
Yes, this freezes great (after being frosted and rolled). It should keep just fine in the freezer (if it is well-covered) for several months.
Do you know approximately how many cups go into the jellyroll pan? We need to make 16 of these in a big batch and unsure how much goes to make the correct thickness. Thanks!
It’s a heaping 2 3/4 cups (I haven’t measured specifically, but adding up the ingredient amounts, that is what I get – 2.85 cups). P.S. That’s without the walnuts. If using nuts, it is about 3 1/3 cups.
This came out great. Do you have a Christmas version?
I don’t, sorry! But sounds like a fun recipe I should get to work on!
Ya this recipe was definitely a winner. Way easier than I thought it would be, too. The cake cracked a little but once you slice it up, it wasn’t noticeable.
I made this recipe but my pumpkin roll cracks what am I doing wrong?
The roll can crack if it isn’t rolled up immediately (while the cake is warm).
I adore this pumpkin roll–I’m so excited it’s finally looking like fall so I get to start making it again. (One of these days I’ll throw off the shackles of convention and make pumpkin desserts year round!)
This is a Libby pumpkin recipe. This is the recipe I used all the time. My kids love it!
Just made a different roll cake and had some issues with it. Found your site looking for answers. I understand why you suggest the towels that you do, but I don’t understand the jelly roll pan issue – you don’t say why the 1/2 sheet pan (or other size) won’t work as well.
Why does my pumpkin rolls get sticky on the outside.
That’s pretty normal with this recipe…the moisture in the pumpkin causes it.
Thank you for posting this!! My mom used to make this every holiday. Made it 2x now and it’s a hit!!! Appreciate all you do! May 2020 be terrific for you & your family!
Thank you, Heather! Happy New Year!
How long will they last in the refrigerator?
2-3 days.
I did not have a jelly roll pan. I measured 10×15 inch piece of parchment. I put the batter well within the parchment on a cookie sheet pan. It baked beautifully. Don’t let the wrong size pan keep you from making this delicious dessert!
I have a cookie sheet where the outside rims measure 10X15 but the inside is slightly smaller…9. 25 by 13.25. is this a jelly roll?
Yes, I think so!
I used ¾ c pumpkin puree & a 2½ tsp of pumpkin pie spice. In the filling I only use 4 oz cream cheese & it’s the perfect amount of filling without squishing out. I love pumpkin cake rolls. My first time making one!
Do you grease the wax paper after you lay in pan, or do you grease pan then put paper down?
I like this roll so much and it is so easy to make. I did come into a problem when it comes to the 1 cup equally 4 ounces I do believe 8 ounces equal a cup please correct me if I’m wrong. I do Love to bake and all the recipe I’ve read hace said 1 cup equal 8 ounces.
1 cup equals 8 ounces for fluids, but depending on the ingredient, the weight amount will be different.
Do you think I could make the cakes one day, leave them rolled up for 24 hours and then unroll and ice? If so any tips on how to store it while it’s rolled up waiting to be iced?
Thanks!
I think so although I haven’t tried leaving the cakes rolled for that long. I’d probably store them in the fridge, but you’ll want to take them out to come to room temperature before unrolling, I think, so they don’t crack. They keep really well once frosted and rolled back up, so could you frost them right away?
I’ve never made a rolled cake. This was so easy and so good. I will make this again.
How long can this be out? I’d like to ship to family. If I do 2 day will it be ok?
Will you be shipping from a cool climate to a cool climate? It might be ok but it really should be refrigerated because of the cream cheese.
Hi Mel!
I just want to clarify how much powdered sugar is the frosting asking for? Is it 4 oz or 1 cup?
Thank you!
It is 1 cup (which is the volume measurement) or 4 ounces (which is the weight measure).
So easy to follow and came out great!!! Thank you!
I have made 3 of the pumpkin rolls and they have turned out amazing. That flour sak towel is awesome. Getting prepared to make 3 more. Total of 6 rolls.
I used this recipe last year. It was so. easy, with perfect instructions. I have one cooling now waiting for the filling. This recipe totally took the “fear” of making a pumpkin roll away. It’s going to be a family classic for sure.
I made this today, with my father. We’ve never made a roll cake either. The recipe was really easy to follow, we were able to get it done in a relatively fast time. The cake was super moist and flavorful, the cinnamon really is beautiful in it. We did the filling, the only change made was shaking some pumpkin pie spice into it to add some of that spice into it. We also used a silicon mat instead of a towel (it was what we had on hand) everything was just delicious. It’s going to be our go to recipe from now on.
I use wax paper to roll mine in. I also freeze them and they usually stay fresh for up to 1 year
Absolutely loved these! The recipe was very easy to follow! Great recipe!
Hello. I made this receipe and it tastes perfect. My question is that I can have the pumpkin roll look amazing once its completed but when I put it in saran wrap and put in the fridge its like the moisture makes all the powdered sugar on top disappear and it is a little sticky to the touch. Is that normal?
Hey Megan, if the roll is going to be refrigerated for a while, I’d suggest adding powdered sugar right before serving
I make it my cake is much darker since,I use more Cinnamon, but instead of using t-towels I use papertowels and it is soooooo much easier because you toss them away. I use a bit more powdered sugar to coat the paper towels to nake it easier so they dont stick
Wanted to do something other than a pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving this year and I found this great recipe. Thank you! It was really easy to make (especially for this non-baker). Next time I’ll reduce the sugar in the filling to 1/2 a cup just to cut the sweetness a bit.
If you want to cut sweetness, you can halve the filling recipe and then add half a container of cool whip to it . It becomes a light and airy dessert that isn’t too sweet.
Hi! I made this twice last year for Thanksgiving, but both times, either when I was rolling them up, or unrolling them, they broke. Any tips? I feel I may have not spread the batter as thin as it should be.
It might be due to overbaking – that can dry out the cake. What size pan are you using?
I don’t think it’d be possible for me to use this recipe as a make-ahead treat, since it’s almost impossible for us to resist eating it once it’s ready =D it’s delicious! Thanks for the recipe.
Why no baking powder in your recipe? Most recipes I see for pumpkin roll have baking soda and baking powder? I don’t see any other acidic ingredients for the baking soda to react with to provide the leavening action.
It’s just the way I’ve always made it – seems to work great despite not having baking powder.