This classic pumpkin roll is made with a homemade blend of spices that are not only aromatic but absolutely delicious. Filling this easy-to-make pumpkin roll is a maple cream cheese filling that is subtly sweet with the flavors of maple syrup.

Four slices of pumpkin roll filled with maple cream cheese frosting.

Ingredients in a Pumpkin Roll

Canned pumpkin puree - not pumpkin pie mix, make sure it is 100% pure pumpkin!
Eggs, at room temperature
Light brown sugar, packed
Granulated sugar
Vanilla extract
All-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)
Baking powder
Baking soda
Ground cinnamon
Ground nutmeg
Ground cloves
Ground allspice
Ground ginger
Salt

A pumpkin roll with one piece sliced and dusted with powdered sugar.

RELATED: Pumpkin Sugar Cookies

How to Make a Pumpkin Roll

The first step to making a pumpkin roll is to be prepared. When making cakes that will be rolled up it's important to have everything ready to go as soon as the cake is out of the oven. For this pumpkin roll, make sure the tea towel is laying flat and is dusted with powdered sugar before the timer is up for the cake to come out of the oven.

Preheat the oven and prepare the jelly roll pan - Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a jelly roll pan (10×15-inch) with nonstick spray and line it with parchment paper. Once lined, lightly spray the parchment paper as an extra step to make the cake nonstick for easy peeling.

Combine the wet ingredients - In a bowl, beat the eggs, pumpkin, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla together until blended well.

Combine the dry ingredients - In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, ground ginger, and salt together in a large bowl.

Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients - Slowly blend the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until combined.

Pour the pumpkin roll batter - Slowly pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Give the pan a subtle shake to make sure the batter is spread evenly in the pan. If necessary, tilt the pan to spread the batter to all corners.

Bake - Bake for 18 to 19 minutes, or until the cake with springy to the touch. You want the cake to be dry to the touch and bounce back when touched.

Immediately invert the cake - Immediately after the cake is out of the oven, use the parchment paper to carefully take the cake out of the pan with the parchment paper still attached and invert the cake onto a tea towel that has been dusted with powdered sugar.

Roll - Gently start rolling up the short side using the parchment paper to tuck and roll the cake.
With the cake rolled up, allow the cake to cool on the countertop or place it in the fridge to cool it more quickly.

If chilling in the fridge, remove it from the fridge while making the frosting.

Bird's eye view of powdered sugar dusted pumpkin roll with a slice cut resting on a wire rack.

Ingredients in Cream Cheese Frosting with Maple Syrup

Cream cheese - softened
Unsalted butter - softened
Confectioners sugar
Vanilla extract
Maple syrup

How to Make Cream Cheese Frosting with Maple Syrup

Start with room temperature ingredients - In a large bowl beat the cream cheese smooth and creamy with a hand mixer.
Add the butter and beat until combined and smooth.

Sliced pumpkin roll dusted with powdered sugar on a stoneware plate.

RELATED: Iced Pumpkin Spice Loaf

Beat in the remaining ingredients - Beat in the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and maple syrup and beat until the frosting is smooth.

How to Frost a Pumpkin Roll

Start with a cooled cake. Carefully unroll the pumpkin roll in the tea towel. Make sure the cream cheese frosting is creamy and use an icing spatula to drop large dollops of icing on the pumpkin roll. Using the icing spatula, carefully smooth the icing evenly over the cake leaving a half-inch bare on all sides.

A pumpkin roll swirled with maple cream cheese frosting on a wire rack.

How to Roll a Pumpkin Roll

To roll a pumpkin roll, repeat the process to roll up the cake out of the oven. Gently tuck the pumpkin roll and begin rolling until the other short edge of the cake is tucked under the roll.

Once rolled, wrap in saran wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes until slicing and serving.

Can You Freeze A Pumpkin Roll?

Yes, you can freeze a pumpkin roll. They can be frozen for up to 2 months for best quality in the freezer when stored properly. To do this, wrap the roll tightly in saran wrap and then wrap it again in aluminum foil.

When ready to serve, remove the cake from the freezer and allow it to sit on the countertop for one hour before slicing and serving.

📖 Recipe

Yield: 8-10 slices

Pumpkin Roll

Name: Pumpkin Roll
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 2 h 33 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2/3 cup canned pumpkin puree; 3 large eggs - room temperature; 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar; 1/4 cup granulated sugar; 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 3/4 cup all-purpose flour -spoon & leveled; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon; 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg; 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves; 1/4 teaspoon allspice; 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1/2 cup confectioners sugar for rolling on tea towel; 8 ounces cream cheese, softened; 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened; 1 3/4 cups confectioners sugar; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 teaspoon maple syrup

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 18 minutes

Cooling Time 2 hours

Total Time 2 hours 33 minutes

Ingredients

Pumpkin Roll

⅔ cup canned pumpkin puree
3 large eggs - room temperature
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¾ cup all-purpose flour -spoon & leveled
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon allspice
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup confectioners sugar for rolling on tea towel

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 ¾ cups confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon maple syrup

Instructions

Pumpkin Roll Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Spray a jelly roll pan (10×15-inch) with nonstick spray and line it with parchment paper. Then line it Lightly spray the parchment paper as an extra step to make the cake nonstick.
In a bowl, beat the eggs, pumpkin, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla together until blended well.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, ground ginger, and salt together in a large bowl.
Slowly blend the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
Slowly pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Give the pan a subtle shake to make sure the batter is spread evenly in the pan.
Bake for 17–18 minutes, or until the cake with springy to the touch. You want the cake to be dry to the touch and bounce back when touched.
Immediately after the cake is out of the oven, use the parchment paper to carefully take the cake out of the pan with the parchment paper still attached and invert the cake onto a tea towel that has been dusted with powdered sugar.
Gently start rolling up the short side using the parchment paper to tuck and roll the cake.
With the cake rolled up, allow the cake to cool on the countertop or place it in the fridge to cool it more quickly.
If placing the pumpkin in the fridge, remove it from the fridge while making the frosting.
Taking care, unroll the cake being careful when flattening.
Using an icing spatula, spread the cream cheese frosting evenly on top of the cake leaving a half inch of the cake exposed on all sides.
Being careful, roll the cake back up peeling the parchment paper as you go.
Cover with saran wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before slicing and serving.

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

In a large bowl beat the cream cheese smooth and creamy.
Add the butter and beat until combined and smooth.
Beat in the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and maple syrup and beat until the frosting is smooth.

Notes

To freeze, wrap in saran wrap and then wrap again in aluminum foil and freeze for up to 2 months. To thaw, place on the counter for one hour before slicing and serving.

Very Best Pumpkin Roll

Ingredients in a Pumpkin Roll

How to Make a Pumpkin Roll

Ingredients in Cream Cheese Frosting with Maple Syrup