Pumpkin Roll with Cinnamon Cream Filling

‘Tis the season of pumpkin, and it’s time to impress at your upcoming fall gatherings! One of my favorite shareable treats is not only stunning to behold but also a breeze to make. Enter the pumpkin roll, filled with luscious cinnamon cream! This decadent and beautiful treat is perfect for captivating your guests and satisfying their taste buds!

Wait…Aren’t Rolls Difficult to Make?

Hell no! Or at least they don’t need to be. The biggest fear of course is the potential for the cake to crack as you roll and unroll it. However, as long as you have the right recipe (like this one), and you work quickly and smoothly, you should be alright. That said, here are some important tips to keep in mind!

1. Ensure Batter is Even: The hardest part about making rolls for me is ensuring the batter is spread evenly in the jelly roll pan. Don’t rush this part – you can also use an offset spatula to help with this process. If the batter is uneven, the structure of the cake will not be as stable as possible.
2. Don’t Overbake: Overbaking can dry the cake out, weakening its structural integrity and ability to roll properly. It should spring back when touched.
3. Roll While Warm: Roll the cake while it’s still warm, preferably hot if you can handle it. This helps it retain its shape.
4. Use a Light Touch: When rolling the cake, be gentle. Tightly rolling can cause cracking, so let the cake guide you in what feels like the correct tightness.
5. Chill Before Filling: Allow the rolled cake to chill fully to room temperature before unrolling and adding your filling. Although the outer layer may feel cool to the touch, the center layers of the roll take a while longer to cool, so if you feel warmth when unrolling, just roll it back up and let it sit for another 15 minutes. This ensures the filling will not melt and ooze out.

By following these tips, you’ll achieve a beautiful, crack-free pumpkin roll that’s sure to impress!

Quick Note on Some Differences You May Notice!

Also, I want to point out two key differences between this recipe and many other roll recipes out there. First, many classic rolls require you to separate the egg whites and egg yolks, as the whipping of the egg whites can help aid in the structural integrity of the cake when rolling. However, the use of the pumpkin puree here yields the same result, so we can just use the whole egg from the jump. Second, the typical rolling method suggests you flip your baked cake out onto a towel dusted with powdered sugar, and then rolling it in the towel. However, that is not necessary in the modern era – instead you can simply use parchment paper! If you fear your roll is too dry, you can add some simple syrup before rolling as well, but you truly do not need to deal with the sugary towel mess!

How Do You Make a Pumpkin Roll?

Pumpkin Roll with Cinnamon Cream Filling

Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

10

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

15

minutes

Calories

300

kcal

Total time

2

hours 

Ingredients

• Pumpkin Cake

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

• 3 large eggs

• 2/3 cup pure pumpkin puree

• 1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract

• Cinnamon Cream Filling

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream (cold)

• 1 cup powdered sugar, plus extra for dusting

• 8 oz cream cheese (room temperature)

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 2 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1/8 tsp ground ginger

Directions

• Baking the Pumpkin Roll
• Preheat oven to 350 °F.
• Line a 15″x10″ jelly roll pan with parchment paper. Leave about an inch of extra parchment paper sticking up on both short sides to allow you to easily remove the cake after baking. Don’t leave too much as one of these ends will be rolled inside of the cake later on.
• In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice until thoroughly combined.
• In a separate large bowl, whisk together the eggs, pure pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract until homogenous.
• Slowly add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture, stirring until fully incorporated and smooth. Batter will be fairly wet.
• Spread the batter evenly on the prepared pan.
• Bake for 13-15 minutes, or until it passes the clean toothpick test. You can also rotate halfway through to ensure even baking.
• Immediately remove the cake from the pan holding the extra length of parchment paper and place on a flat and heat-safe surface (keeping parchment paper underneath).
• While the cake is still hot and fresh out the oven, gently and slowly roll the cake (including the parchment paper) starting from one of the short ends until it is fully rolled up. Place the roll on a wire cooling rack and allow to cool COMPLETELY.
• Preparing the Cinnamon Cream Filling
• While the roll is cooling, move onto preparing the cinnamon cream filling. In a large bowl, beat the heavy whipping cream for several minutes on high until stiff peaks form.
• Slowly add the powdered sugar and beat until fully incorporated.
• Transfer the whipped cream to a separate bowl and store in the fridge for the time being.
• Add the cream cheese to the original bowl used for whipping the cream, and beat for 5 minutes, ensuring it is fully smooth and no lumps are observed.
• Add the ground cinnamon, ground ginger, and vanilla extract to the cream cheese, and beat until well incorporated.
• Using a spatula, slowly fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until well combined. Store in the fridge until ready to fill the pumpkin roll.
• Completing the Pumpkin Roll
• Once the roll has completely cooled, carefully unroll it, trying to prevent any cracking.
• Gently spread the filling in an even layer over the cake (you will likely have a bit extra which can be used for decorating if desired).
• Once again, roll the cake, this time without the parchment paper, trying not to press down too hard.
• Wrap the filled roll with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• Once chilled, plate the roll, cut small slices off both ends to expose the beautiful cream swirl, and dust with powdered sugar. Cut and enjoy!