Pumpkin roulade recipe with cream cheese filling

There’s nothing quite as show-stopping as a pumpkin roulade recipe during the holiday season. Lightly spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, and filled with a luscious cream cheese frosting, it’s the kind of dessert that makes any occasion feel special.

Introduction To The Pumpkin Roulade

There’s something about fall that makes us crave cozy desserts, and nothing captures the season quite like a pumpkin roll. This classic pumpkin cake spirals around a luscious cream cheese filling that’s been mixed up with heavy whipping cream for a deliciously tangy frosting that’s lighter than traditional cream cheese frosting.

Whether you’re making it for a casual get-together or as the show-stopping finale to your Thanksgiving table, this pumpkin roulade recipe will become a favorite tradition. With just the right balance of warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger, it brings out all the flavor we associate with autumn.

Ingredients For The Roulade

The beauty of a roulade lies in its simplicity. For the cake, you’ll need all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and a pinch of table salt to give it structure.

A blend of ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and ground ginger infuses the batter with spice and warmth. Large eggs whip up with sugar to create the base, while canned pumpkin puree (or fresh pumpkin puree, if you want to make it from scratch!) brings moisture and depth of flavor.

For the filling, cream cheese is softened, then whisked together with vanilla and powdered sugar, before it’s folded into whipped cream to create a light and fluffy filling. It’s the perfect balance to the spiced pumpkin cake.

Instructions For Making The Pumpkin Roulade

When it comes to making a pumpkin roulade, success starts long before the cake even hits the oven. One of the most important things is properly preparing your pan.

A jelly roll or half sheet pan lined with parchment paper will save you from the heartbreak of a cake that sticks. Greasing the pan and the parchment ensures the warm cake will release smoothly later, which is key for a neat spiral.

Another callout is the way you mix the batter. Whipping the large eggs and sugar together until they’re thick and pale creates the structure that keeps the pumpkin cake light instead of dense.

Once you add the pumpkin puree and the flour mixture with all those cozy spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, it’s best to switch to a rubber spatula and stir gently. Over-mixing here can make the cake tough, so this is where a light touch makes all the difference.

Spreading the batter evenly in the prepared pan is also something to slow down for. Uneven batter means an uneven bake, which can make rolling sticky cake rolls like this tricky. You’ll know the cake is ready when the top springs back lightly when touched; don’t wait for it to look dry, or it may crack.

Finally, be ready the moment the cake comes out of the oven. Have your thin cotton dish towel or kitchen towel prepared on a flat surface, dusted generously with powdered sugar. Inverting the cake right away and rolling it while it’s still warm helps it adopt that spiral shape.

This step can feel intimidating, but remember, you don’t need to press or roll tightly. The idea is to guide the cake into shape with ease so that once cooled, it will happily unroll and re-roll with the filling.

Assembly Instructions

Once the warm cake has cooled completely on the wire rack, it’s time for the fun part: assembly. Start by gently unrolling it on your counter. Keep the prepared towel beneath the cake to help support it as you work.

When adding the cream cheese frosting, use an offset spatula or butter knife to spread it evenly across the cake; it’s much smoother and easier to use one of those than to use a rubber spatula.

As you roll the cake back up from the short end of the cake, use a light touch; don’t press too firmly and go slowly; this will help prevent cracks as you peel the towel away from the cake, rolling.

Once rolled, trim off the ends for a beautiful, neat edge on each side of the cake that shows off that gorgeous filling. Then, dust with powdered sugar all over the top for the final reveal!

Tips For A Successful Roulade

• Be sure you prepare your half sheet pan just as described; this prevents sticking and makes rolling easier.
• Use a prepared towel dusted with powdered sugar to keep the warm cake from sticking.
• Don’t over-mix the batter; fold in the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients gently to keep the cake light.
• Rolling the cake while it’s still warm helps train it into shape and prevents cracks.
• If making ahead, this roulade can be stored in the refrigerator; just cover it with plastic wrap. I recommend not making it more than a day in advance.

Serving Suggestions And Variations

This pumpkin roll is a stunning dessert on its own, but you can take it up a notch or try another variation by adding crystallized ginger to the filling for a subtle bite.

You can also substitute Italian mascarpone cheese for the cream cheese for a less tangy flavor, or simply use more whipping cream with the confectioners’ sugar, and skip any cheeses to keep the cake ultra light.

If you’re feeling inspired and want to continue the roulade trend, try out my chocolate version or vanilla version. Any of these pair beautifully with a cup of coffee or tea, making it the perfect fall dessert.

And if you’re planning ahead for Christmas, be sure to check out my super popular buche de noel recipe (I also have a video class available for that as well too if you want a step-by-step visual!).

This pumpkin roulade recipe is the perfect blend of ease and elegance. With its soft pumpkin cake, warm spices, and fluffy cream cheese filling, it feels both festive and comforting.

Whether it’s the centerpiece of your Thanksgiving dessert table or a sweet surprise after Sunday dinner, this pumpkin roll will delight every guest lucky enough to enjoy a slice.