A Pumpkin Roll is the perfect sweet seasonal treat that’s fun to look at!
When it comes to treats for Thanksgiving, most people automatically think of pumpkin pie; however, my go-to is this delicious pumpkin roll—a thinned-out pumpkin cake rolled with a layer of cream cheese frosting truly is the perfect seasonal treat. I do not want you to think that I’m besmirching the name of pumpkin pie. I love it, but I often feel I need to be in the right mood to enjoy it. We all know pumpkin is a quintessential fall flavor, by making it into a cake rather than a pie, it is less dense and easier to eat. The flavors of a pumpkin pie pair beautifully with the cream cheese icing to ensure each bite is like a beautiful fall day.
The pumpkin roll evolved from what the Swiss and Germans called roulades. These were rolled cakes with cream inside. Americans adopted the recipe and added pumpkin as the gourd grew in popularity as a baking ingredient. It’s now synonymous with fall and especially the Thanksgiving holiday, with bakeries and grocery stores marketing the pumpkin roll as a holiday dessert.
While pumpkin is the star of the show, spices like cinnamon, vanilla, and pumpkin spice also play an integral part. When you blend those flavors with the creamy, smooth, and rich flavor and texture of the cream cheese icing, it becomes a treat you will be adding to your “thanks list” this Thanksgiving.
Do I have to use canned pumpkin?
While this recipe calls for canned pumpkin, it doesn’t mean you have to use it. If you’d like to make your own pumpkin puree, you can. Just know that making your own pumpkin puree takes time, time you might not have if you’ve also been tasked with making the rest of Thanksgiving dinner. By using canned pumpkin, you can also limit your waste, as most puree recipes make more than this recipe requires; however, if you’re looking to bake multiple pumpkin treats and want to use your own pumpkin puree, I’d say do it!
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2/3 cup canned pumpkin
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar, plus more for dusting
Instructions
Prep time – 10 minutes
Cooking time – 15 minutes
Yields – 8 servings
Step 1. Preheat and Prep: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a 15×10-inch jelly roll pan with parchment paper, allowing extra to hang over the edges for easy cake removal.
Step 2. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice.
Step 3. Combine Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, vanilla, and pumpkin until smooth.
Step 4. Combine Mixtures: Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
Step 5. Bake: Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Step 6. Roll Cake: Immediately after baking, lift the cake using the parchment paper and roll it from the short end. Allow it to cool on a wire rack.
Step 7. Prepare Filling: While the cake cools, beat together the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar until smooth and fluffy.
Step 8. Assemble: Carefully unroll the cooled cake, spread the filling evenly, and re-roll the cake without the parchment paper.
Step 9. Chill: Wrap the pumpkin roll in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Step 10. Serve: Dust with powdered sugar, slice, and enjoy!
Step 11. Store: Keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
FAQs & Tips
Like most baked goods, your pumpkin roll could be stored in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in aluminum foil or plastic wrap. You can refrigerate it for up to three days. You can also tightly wrap your pumpkin roll and store it in an airtight container then place it in the freezer for up to three months. Simply thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
Pumpkin spice blends cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and allspice. These spices individually have very distinct flavors; when blended, they give all the flavor that make you think of a pumpkin pie or a pumpkin spice latte. You want to use pumpkin spice from the grocery store as the amount of each spice is so small it wouldn’t make sense to try and add them individually.
The key is to roll the cake immediately after baking and, while it’s rolled, let it cool. After your cake has cooled, unroll it, ice the cake, and re-roll it. As long as your cake has cooled you will have no concerns about your icing melting.
Serving Suggestions
The pumpkin roll is the perfect seasonal treat, fitting in alongside such other Thanksgiving fare as turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce. Dusted with powdered sugar the pumpkin roll is sweet, rich, airy, and delicious, pair it with a nice cup of coffee or a cup of hot tea, my recommendation is a light chamomile.
Pumpkin Roll
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2/3 cup canned pumpkin
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 2 tablespoons butter softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar plus more for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat and Prep: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a 15×10-inch jelly roll pan with parchment paper, allowing extra to hang over the edges for easy cake removal.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, vanilla, and pumpkin until smooth.
- Combine Mixtures: Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
- Bake: Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Roll Cake: Immediately after baking, lift the cake using the parchment paper and roll it from the short end. Allow it to cool on a wire rack.
- Prepare Filling: While the cake cools, beat together the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar until smooth and fluffy.
- Assemble: Carefully unroll the cooled cake, spread the filling evenly, and re-roll the cake without the parchment paper.
- Chill: Wrap the pumpkin roll in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Serve: Dust with powdered sugar, slice, and enjoy!
- Store: Keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
