Pumpkin Roll Cake with Buttercream Filling

Pumpkin cake, also called pumpkin roll cake, is easy to make and sure to please. It’s perfect for Thanksgiving & Christmas gatherings. Try this pumpkin roll cake once and I’m sure you’ll be making it often!

A pinterets pinnable image for pumkin roll cake.

Pumpkin Roll Cake is a staple in my family. We make these every year; it’s turned into a tradition of sorts. Funny story – I made Pumpkin Roll Cake last year for Thanksgiving, but so did my Dad’s girlfriend (Hello Patty – waving at you, girl!). So we ended up with two of these delicious cakes at our Thanksgiving dinner. It was a tasty coincidence for sure. I’m not sure I heard anyone complaining – certainly not me.

 

 

 

 

An overhead image of a pumkin cake roll on a blue plate with a cake server with an orange tea towel.

You can fill your pumpkin roll with different flavored frosting. We’ve filled ours with a traditional buttercream frosting, but you can opt for cream cheese frosting or even chocolate buttercream or chocolate cream cheese frosting. Chocolate and pumpkin go surprisingly well together. Give it a try!

A shot of an end of a pumpkin cake roll showling the swirl of cake and cream.

Pumpkin Cake Rolls are so fun because they are impressive to guests and have such a lovely presentation perfect for the holidays. They take a little patience and some skill but are still relatively easy to make.

An image of a plate of pumpkin cake roll that is sliced to serve. It is garnished with a sprig of holly.

I use a serrated knife to slice the roll, so it keeps its shape and doesn’t go flat on you. Even if it did, the flat cake still tastes great!

An up close show of a piece of pumpkin cake roll on a fork.

So delicious, can’t wait to eat!

Pumpkin Roll 3 650

Pumpkin Roll Cake

Ronda Eagle | Kitchen Dreaming
Pumpkin cake, also called pumpkin roll cake, is easy to make and sure to please. It's perfect for Thanksgiving & Christmas gatherings. Try this pumpkin roll cake once and I'm sure you'll be making it often!
5 from 3 votes
Prep Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 10 servings
Calories 244 kcal

Ingredients
  

For the Cake:

  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3 large Eggs
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2/3 cup canned 100% pure pumpkin [See Note]

For the Filling:

  • 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar , sifted
  • 8 tbsp butter , softened (1 stick)
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tbsp milk

Optional Garnishes:

  • 2 tbsp powdered sugar to garnish , if desired
  • Sprig fresh spearmint , for garnish
  • toasted cinnamon pecans

Instructions
 

  • Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees F.
  • Grease a 15x10x1-inch jelly roll pan [paid link] and line a piece of parchment paper [paid link], leaving some extra room on the long (15-inch) sides. This is so you can easily lift the cake out of the pan after baking. Generously grease and flour the top of the parchment paper [paid link] and set aside.
  • Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt in small bowl; set aside.
  • In a large bowl, combine eggs and sugar and beat until thickened. Add pumpkin and continue to mix until well combined. Stir in flour mixture. Spread batter evenly onto the prepared parchment-lined pan.
  • Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until center springs back when lightly touched. Immediately loosen cake from edges of pan. Then carefully grab the sides of the parchment to lift the cake out of the pan, and place it on a flat heat-proof surface.
  • Starting from the short end of the cake – and without removing the parchment paper [paid link] - carefully roll the cake until it forms a complete roll. Transfer the rolled cake to a wire rack and allow it cool completely seam-side-down.
  • While the cake is cooling, prepare the buttercream filling. Cream the butter until it turns light yellow. Slowly add the powdered sugar and blend until smooth. Add the milk and vanilla to thin it out to a spreading consistency; set aside at room temperature until the cake has cooled completely.
  • Once the cake has cooled completely, place it back on a flat surface and gently unroll it until the cake is mostly flat again. Spread the buttercream filling out evenly on top of the cake, leaving a 1/2-inch border around all sides of the cake so that the filling doesn’t spill out while the cake is being re-rolled.
  • Then roll the cake back up again, carefully peeling off the parchment paper [paid link] as you go until it is fully released. Wrap the completed pumpkin roll tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate it for at least an hour to set-up the filling.
  • Lightly dust the top of the Pumpkin roll with powdered sugar and garnish with a sprig of mint or toasted almonds
  • Slice and serve.

Notes

1). Canned pumpkin pie mix cannot be substituted for the pure pumpkin as the prepared pumpkin mix already has the spices added. It also has sugar syrup in it, which can negatively impact the outcome of your pumpkin roll.

Nutrition

Serving: 11/10 portionCalories: 244kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 3gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 74mgSodium: 215mgPotassium: 82mgFiber: 1gSugar: 27gVitamin A: 2897IUVitamin C: 1mgVitamin D: 1µgVitamin E: 1mgVitamin K: 4µgCalcium: 26mgFolate: 25µgIron: 1mgZinc: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

11 thoughts on “Pumpkin Roll Cake with Buttercream Filling”

    • Hi Trish-
      I usually buy Libby’s brand 100% Pure Canned Pumpkin. It’s just what is available in my area. I have not tried it yet, but I’ve heard the Target brand Good and Gather 100% Pure Canned Pumpkin is pretty good as well.

      Reply
  1. Need to reread your recipe. It says prepare the buttercream but put the cream cheese mixture on the roll. There is no cream cheese in your recipe.

    Reply
    • Hi Willie!
      You’re hired! Thanks for catching and pointing out that typo to me! I have corrected the wording to reflect spreading the buttercream and not the cream cheese. Have a great day!

      Reply
  2. I would like to make a vanilla cake roll and also a chocolate one. Your recipe for pumpkin is so easy would you let me know if I can somehow make this recipe into vanilla or chocolate please. Thank you in advance.

    Reply

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