Pumpkin Roll With Cream Cheese Filling - Easy Recipe for First Timers! (2024)

This quick-baked pumpkin roll recipe is filled with a soft, whipped cream cheese. My version of this well-tested recipes uses fresh, homemade pumpkin puree in the cake batter, but store-bought canned pumpkin puree works wonderfully too! Ready in 25 minutes, this autumn-inspired treat is an easy addition to your Thanksgiving and holiday dessert table. With step-by-step photos to guide you through the cake rolling process, assembling this pumpkin roll recipe is a breeze.

Moist Pumpkin Roll with Cream Cheese Filling

Looking to wow your family and friends with a fancy looking dessert for the holidays? Then you have to try my Pumpkin Roll With Cream Cheese Filling! A soft and moist pumpkin sheet cake is rolled with a luscious cream cheese filling for an out-of-this-world dessert that always fits in on the Thanksgiving, Christmas, or autumn dessert table.

Raise your hand if you’re intimidated by rolling a pumpkin roll. I totally get it, but I swear it’s easy to do it! Once you do it once, then you’re set for life and will be making this at least once every Fall!

Below I include step by step photos (and a video!), so please read the whole post first if this is your first time making a pumpkin roll before you jump in!

Looking to make the holidays a little easier? Make this pumpkin roll ahead of time! This pumpkin roll can be made days in advance so you can focus on making a Juicy Thanksgiving Turkey, Amish Potato Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes, Cheesy Cauliflower Casserole and Dinner Rolls for Thanksgiving dinner.

Cream cheese filling

Don’t get me wrong, the pumpkin cake is amazing, but what will make people come back for another slice is the cream cheese filling inside!

This cream cheese filling is super simple to make and my go to for covering cakes, cupcakes and cinnamon rolls. All you need is cream cheese, butter, vanilla and powdered sugar.

How to make an easy pumpkin cake roll from scratch

Making a pumpkin roll is somewhat technical, so it’s important to be ready for action. Have all of the ingredients ready, quickly roll the cake, and, before you know it, you’ll be a pumpkin roll expert!

Here’s how it’s done:

Spray a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray or line it with parchment paper.

Make the pumpkin cake batter by mixing the dry ingredients together first, and then adding in the wet ingredients.

Pour the batter onto the baking sheet, using a spatula to spread out it out evenly. I recommend about a 15×10″ size when spreading it out. Place in the oven and bake.

When it comes out of the oven, some of the edges might be browned if they were thin. Use scissors or a knife to evenly cut it across so you have fairly straight edges.

Lay a damp piece of cheesecloth or a clean kitchen towel on the counter. Sprinkle it with powdered sugar.

The intimidating part. Use a spatula to gently loosen the pumpkin cake from the baking sheet. I use a spatula to go across all the edges so it easily lifts up without breaking.

Flip the pumpkin roll over and place onto the cloth.

Carefully roll up the cake in the cheesecloth to form the pumpkin roll. Immediately place it in the fridge to cool.

In the meantime, prepare the cream cheese filling by mixing the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and sugar together with a hand mixer.

When ready, unroll the cooled cake.

Spread the cream cheese filling on one side, edge to edge.

Gently re-roll it once more, this time not in the cheese cloth.

Cut pumpkin roll into slices and enjoy this amazing homemade dessert!

Tips to make the best pumpkin roll

• What pumpkin puree to use? You can use homemade pumpkin puree or store bought canned pumpkin puree. I love making homemade pumpkin puree from our garden pumpkins!
• To prevent the cake from sticking to the pan, spray the baking sheet liberally with cooking spray or use parchment paper. Once baked use a spatula to loosen the cake from the baking pan.
• If using cheesecloth to roll the cake, make sure it’s damp. This will prevent it from sticking to the cake.
• Did your pumpkin roll crack? This is most likely because the cake wasn’t warm when it was first rolled. Heat and moisture prevent the cake from cracking, which is why it should be rolled as soon as it comes out of the oven.
• For presentation, I always like to sprinkle a little bit of powdered sugar on top. You can also pipe extra cream cheese frosting or drizzle maple syrup on top and sprinkle it with pecans or walnuts.

Can you make a pumpkin roll ahead of time?

Pumpkin log rolls are one of the best make-ahead desserts and will save you loads of time around the holidays. I usually make mine the day before Thanksgiving and then pull it out of the fridge before serving.

If you want to store it longer than a day, cover the cake in plastic wrap and keep it in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Can you freeze a pumpkin roll?

Yes! Wrap the pumpkin roll or individual slices in plastic wrap and foil and then place in a freezer bag. When ready to eat you can defrost naturally overnight in the refrigerator or you can quickly defrost it in the microwave. Pumpkin rolls last in the freezer for 3 months.

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