Pumpkin Roll (Cream Cheese Filling, No-Crack Method)

What Makes This Recipe Work

A light, egg-leavened sponge stays pliable enough to roll, and rolling it in a powdered-sugar towel while hot trains the cake to hold the curl. A whipped cream cheese filling is firm enough to spread without oozing when the roll is sliced.

Ingredients for Pumpkin Roll (Cream Cheese Filling, No

• 3/4 cup (90 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 tsp fine salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup (150 g) pure pumpkin puree
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup (30 g) powdered sugar, for dusting the towel
• Filling: 8 oz (226 g) cream cheese, softened
• Filling: 1/4 cup (57 g) unsalted butter, softened
• Filling: 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
• Filling: 1 tsp vanilla extract and a pinch of salt

How to Make Pumpkin Roll (Cream Cheese Filling, No

1. Heat the oven to 375°F. Line a 10x15-inch jelly roll pan with parchment and grease the parchment well.
2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in a small bowl.
3. In a large bowl, beat the eggs and granulated sugar with an electric mixer 3 to 4 minutes, until pale, thick, and doubled in volume. Beat in the pumpkin and vanilla.
4. Fold in the dry ingredients in two additions, just until no streaks remain, keeping the batter airy.
5. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan and bake 13 to 15 minutes, until the top springs back when lightly pressed and the edges pull away from the sides.
6. Dust a clean kitchen towel generously with powdered sugar. Turn the hot cake onto the towel, peel off the parchment, and roll the cake and towel together from a short end. Cool seam side down 45 minutes.
7. For the filling, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth, then add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt and beat until fluffy.
8. Gently unroll the cooled cake and spread the filling evenly, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Reroll the cake without the towel and place it seam side down on a platter.
9. Wrap and chill at least 1 hour before slicing with a serrated knife into 10 slices.

Tips for the Best Pumpkin Roll (Cream Cheese Filling, No

• Roll the cake while it is still hot and pliable; a cooled cake cracks when bent.
• Do not overbake, since a dry sponge cracks during rolling.
• Chill the finished roll before slicing so the filling cuts cleanly instead of smearing.

Variations and Substitutions

• Swap the filling for a lighter whipped cream, or add toasted pecans to the cream cheese for crunch.
• Bake the same spiced batter as a loaf for the Pumpkin Bread or as single serves for the Pumpkin Muffins.
• Fold mashed banana into the batter for a flavor closer to the Pumpkin Banana Bread.
• Add 1/2 tsp ground ginger or the full blend from the Pumpkin Pie Spice recipe for a bolder spice note.

How to Store and Reheat

• Wrap the roll tightly and refrigerate up to 5 days; the cream cheese filling is perishable.
• Freeze the whole roll or slices wrapped well up to 3 months, and thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

Pumpkin Roll (Cream Cheese Filling, No FAQ