Pumpkin Roll: the simple recipe for a beautiful autumn dessert

With the arrival of autumn, it's officially the season for delicious pumpkin desserts. If you're saving your pumpkin pie to show off at Thanksgiving dinner, but still want to make the most out of this tasty seasonal squash, why not try making a classic pumpkin roll? This easy fall dessert is light, fluffy, and full of that wonderful pumpkin and baking spice flavor so many of us associate with autumn.

With its decadent cream cheese filling, there's nothing quite like a slice of pumpkin roll, especially when it's enjoyed with a cup of tea in the afternoon.

Classic Pumpkin Roll Ingredients

The traditional pumpkin roll calls for pantry staples like flour, powdered sugar, baking soda, sugar, eggs, plus warming baking spices like cinnamon and cloves. Of course, you'll also need unsweetened pumpkin puree to give your pumpkin roll its characteristic flavor. You can use fresh pumpkin puree or canned pumpkin puree. Either one would be delicious.

Finally, you'll need cream cheese, powdered sugar, and some high-quality vanilla extract to make the vanilla cream cheese frosting.

How to Make Pumpkin Roll

Creating a beautiful homemade pumpkin roll is easier than you may think. Place parchment paper in a jelly roll pan, then grease it with cooking spray and dust it with some flour. Next, lay down a clean cotton kitchen towel and dust it generously with 1/4 cup powdered sugar. These two steps will help prevent your pumpkin roll from sticking.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt in a small bowl so that everything is evenly distributed. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar, then beat in the pumpkin puree. Add the pumpkin mixture to the flour mixture, then pour it into your pan. Bake the roll for 13 to 15 minutes, or until the cake becomes springy to touch.

Remove it from the oven and immediately turn the pumpkin roll out onto the kitchen towel. Gently remove the parchment paper, then roll the cake in the kitchen towel, then leave it to cool on a rack.

While the cake is cooling, make the icing. Beat the cream cheese, 1 cup of powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla until smooth. Unroll the pumpkin roll, and spread the cream cheese frosting inside it. Gently reroll the cake, wrap it in cling film, and place it in the refrigerator for at least an hour or so. This will help the frosting to set. Finally, sprinkle your pumpkin roll with powdered sugar, then serve.

Tips for the Best Pumpkin Roll

Dusting powdered sugar over the kitchen towel will help prevent it from sticking – don't skip this step. If you find your pumpkin roll is sticking on the outside, you may not have used enough powdered sugar or may not have dusted the towel evenly.

You can easily make this recipe gluten-free. To make a gluten-free pumpkin roll, simply swap out all-purpose flour for your preferred gluten-free flour.

Does your pumpkin roll crack? There's an easy fix. The secret to a crack-free pumpkin roll is to roll it immediately in the towel once it comes out of the oven. This will keep the moisture in the roll and help it stay airy, moist, and crack-free.

How to Store Pumpkin Roll

Wrap your pumpkin roll in cling film, then place it in the refrigerator. It'll stay fresh for up to 5 days.

Can You Freeze Pumpkin Roll?

Of course! A frozen pumpkin roll will last about 3 months. When you're ready to enjoy it, thaw it overnight in the fridge.

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 375. Line a jelly roll pan with parchment paper. Grease the parchment paper with cooking spray and dust it with flour. Lay a cotton kitchen towel on a work surface and dust it with ¼ cup powdered sugar.

In a small bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt to combine.

In a large bowl, whisk eggs and sugar.

Beat in pumpkin puree. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.

Pour the mixture into the pan. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, or until the cake becomes springy to touch.

Meanwhile, sprinkle sifted powdered sugar on a clean towel.

Remove the cake from oven and turn the cake out onto the kitchen towel. Remove the parchment paper.

Roll the cake in the towel and place it on a rack to cool.

While the cake is cooling, beat cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla to combine.

Unroll the cooled cake and spread the cream cheese mixture over the inside of the cake.

Gently reroll the cake.

Wrap it in cling film, and place it in the refrigerator for a minimum of one hour.

Garnish with powdered sugar, then serve.

Notes

Use room temperature ingredients to make your pumpkin roll.