This pumpkin roll recipe with maple cream cheese filling is a delicious, moist, and festive pumpkin cake, perfect for fall and sure to be a crowd-pleaser. Add this pumpkin roll recipe to the Thanksgiving dessert table, and it will be the star of the show.
I’m not sure about you, but pumpkin is one of my favorite things about fall. When the leaves change, the weather gets cool, and everyone brings out their flannel, I know it’s time to start making pumpkin recipes like these pumpkin spice pancakes and pumpkin bread.
I live for this time of year and all the pumpkin tastes that I get to create when it comes around. I’ve made everything from pumpkin spice crispy treats to muffins, bread, and more over the years, but one of my favorite recipes is this delicious homemade pumpkin roll. It’s incredibly good and beautiful, and it’s easier to make than you think!
This homemade pumpkin roll is filled with everything you love about fall treats. Pumpkin spice cake is topped with a delicious maple cream cheese filling, and then it’s all rolled up into a delightful cake roll that screams autumn, with its orange leaves and crisp weather, and the unmistakable goodness of pumpkin.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Basic Ingredients: Both the cake and the filling are made with simple baking ingredients found in any kitchen or grocery store.
- So Easy: A cake roll may seem intimidating to make, but it’s actually quite easy!
- Classic Flavor: This pumpkin roll is full of classic pumpkin spice cake and maple cream cheese frosting flavors.
- Moist and Tender: The pumpkin spice cake is incredibly moist and tender.
- Rich and Creamy: The maple cream cheese frosting is rich, creamy, and decadent, creating the classic luxurious feel you love about cake rolls!
- Versatile: This is the perfect fall dessert, potluck treat, or holiday sweet.
Ingredients
I’ve included all the ingredients you’ll need to make this cake right here, but you’ll find their exact amounts in the recipe card at the end of the post.
Cake
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Cinnamon
- Salt
- Pumpkin pie spice
- Sugar
- Large eggs
- Canned pumpkin puree
- Vanilla extract
Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cream cheese
- Butter, room temperature
- Vanilla extract
- Maple syrup
- Confectioner’s sugar (Powdered sugar)
Variations
- Chocolate Pumpkin Roll: Add cocoa powder to the maple cream cheese frosting for a chocolaty twist.
- Buttercream: For a sweeter filling, make a maple buttercream frosting.
- Sweet Potato: For an equally delicious fall treat, substitute sweet potato for pumpkin.
How to Make A Pumpkin Roll
Below, you’ll find a brief overview of the recipe to give you an idea of how easy it is to make. You can find the full instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Cake
- Whisk the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Then, beat the wet ingredients in a large bowl.
- Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined.
- Pour the batter onto a prepared jelly roll pan and bake at 350°F until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Transfer the hot cake to a towel dusted with powdered sugar. Then, starting on the short end, roll up the cake as tightly as possible.
- Cool the rolled cake completely on a wire cooling rack.
Filling
- Beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy.
- Beat in the remaining ingredients until smooth and creamy.
- Unroll the cooled cake and frost it completely.
- Roll the cake back up loosely so that it stays in a roll, but the filling doesn’t ooze out.
- Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours. Then, dust with powdered sugar, slice, and enjoy!
Tips
- Mix your pumpkin cake batter until just combined. Everything should be moistened but not overmixed.
- Roll your cake while it’s hot. A hot cake is still pliable. A cool cake will break.
- Roll the cake as tightly as possible the first time. This helps it hold a rolled shape later when it cools.
- It’s important to evenly dust your towel with powdered sugar before rolling up the cake. It doesn’t just add sweetness. It prevents the cake from sticking to the towel.
- Two hours is the minimum chilling time after adding the filling. Overnight is even better.
Pumpkin Roll FAQ
A cool cake won’t roll, no matter how thin it is. It will simply crack. Roll your cake while it’s hot.
That’s the condensation from the process of the cake cooling in its rolled form. That’s another reason why dusting the towel with powdered sugar is important. Another reason is that the cake might have been underbaked.
Yes. The filling for this homemade pumpkin cake roll uses both cream cheese and butter. Both of those must be refrigerated.
A pumpkin roll with cream cheese filling will last for up to three days in the refrigerator when stored properly.
Yes, you can. A pumpkin roll with cream cheese filling, like this one, will keep well for about a month in the freezer. Chill the pumpkin, then wrap it tightly in a double layer of plastic wrap and a layer of foil. Then, freeze.
More Delicious Pumpkin Recipes
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Pumpkin Roll
Ingredients
For The Pumpkin Cake
For The Maple Cream Cheese Filling
- 8 ounce cream cheese
- 2 tablespoon butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° and line a 15×10 inch jelly roll pan with parchment paper. Grease or spray with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
For The Pumpkin Cake
- In a medium bowl, add in flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice.
- In a large bowl, beat together sugar, eggs, canned pumpkin, and vanilla.
- Add dry ingredients into wet ingredients and mix well.
- Pour onto prepared baking sheet and bake for 14-16 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove from oven. While it is hot, pull parchment off of pan and place cake on a towel that has been dusted in powdered sugar. on a kitchen counter.
- From the short end, roll the cake tightly and place on a cooling rack until fully cooled.
For The Maple Cream Cheese Filling
- In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese and butter together. Add in vanilla, maple syrup, and powdered sugar.
- Once the cake has cooled completely, unroll the cake and spread filling over the top.
- Roll the cake back up (not too tightly so filling won’t spill out).
- Wrap in plastic wrap, then refrigerate or freeze at least 2 hours or overnight.
Serving The Pumpkin Roll
- Remove plastic wrap, place cake roll on a serving platter, dust with powdered sugar and slice into desired slices. Enjoy!
Notes
- Refrigerate for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
- Wrap a whole cake in a double layer of plastic wrap and a layer of foil and freeze for up to a month.
- Freeze individual slices wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in an airtight, freezer-safe container or heavy-duty freezer bag for up to a month.
- Mix your pumpkin cake batter until just combined. Everything should be moistened but not overmixed.
- Roll your cake while it’s hot. A hot cake is still pliable. A cool cake will break.
- Roll the cake as tightly as possible the first time. This helps it hold a rolled shape later when it cools.
- It’s important to evenly dust your towel with powdered sugar before rolling up the cake. It doesn’t just add sweetness. It prevents the cake from sticking to the towel.
- Two hours is the minimum chilling time after adding the filling. Overnight is even better.
Nutrition
Here are a few pics that are perfect to pin to your favorite Pinterest boards.
Enjoy, Terri
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