Pumpkin Roll: Traditional and Gluten-Free Recipes (2025)

FAQs

What is the secret to rolling a pumpkin roll? ›

Roll the cake while it's hot!

This is the secret to a perfectly-swirled roll cake. While the cake is still hot, use the parchment to transfer the cake from the baking pan onto a clean kitchen towel. Using the towel as a hot mitt, roll the cake into a tight spiral from the narrow side.

The cake is much more likely to crack if it is rolled when cooled. You also want to pull the cake from the oven as soon as it is done baking. An over-baked cake is much more likely to crack, even if rolled while it is hot from the oven.

When the cake is finished baking, carefully lift the cake from the pan and roll the hot cake up inside the parchment paper. This method is SOO much easier than turning it out onto a towel and praying that it doesn't crack, or stick to the towel.

Pumpkin Roll Ingredients

You likely have most of the ingredients you'll need on hand. If not, here's what to add to your grocery list: For the Cake: eggs, sugar, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, all-purpose flour, and baking soda. For the Filling: cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, butter, and vanilla extract.

Rolling Up a Pumpkin Roll

Rolling up a hot cake will theoretically keep it from cracking and ensures that it's pliable and can be unrolled, slathered with filling, then rolled back up.

Overworking the flour into the egg mixture will activate the gluten and make the pumpkin sheet cake tough and harder to roll. Roll the cake as soon as it is removed from the oven. The best way to prevent the cake roll from cracking is to roll the cake up in the kitchen towel as soon as it comes out of the oven.

If the pumpkin roll is sticking to the kitchen towel that you've rolled the cake in, then it could be because there wasn't enough powdered sugar on the towel. Moisture is another important factor.

Pumpkin rolls keep well in the refrigerator and freezer, so they're the perfect dessert to make ahead of time if you'd like. To store your pumpkin roll, wrap it up tightly in plastic wrap. Then you can either refrigerate it for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Use a clean kitchen towel dusted with powdered sugar or flour to roll the pumpkin roll! The towel prevents sticking and provides support as you roll. Plus, the powdered sugar adds a hint of sweetness!

You want the bread to puff up and crack on top—this is a sign that it has cooked all the way through. It's easy enough to test for doneness by inserting a wooden skewer or cake tester (sometimes I use a paring knife) into the center of the loaf.

What is a jelly roll pan? ›

A jelly roll pan is a 10 by 15 inch pan with a one-inch lip, which makes it perfect for baking a Swiss roll or jelly roll—a thin sponge cake that is rolled into a cylinder (usually with thin layer of jelly or cream) to create an elegant spiraled cake design.

They are the same product. Both canned pumpkin puree and pie filling are useful, shelf-stable ingredients that can help speed up your kitchen prep time. Just remember that puree is unsweetened, while pie filling contains sugar and spices. This will help you choose the right pumpkin product for your recipes.

Can you eat raw pumpkin? You can eat pumpkin raw and add it to salads and smoothies, but thoroughly wash it before eating it to remove bacteria that may make you sick.

To keep your cake from becoming sticky: Roll cake immediately after baking (make sure it's cool enough to handle, but still warm). Do not put warm cake in the fridge. Frost only after cake is completely cool.

Starting at the shorter edge of the cake, roll the cake and greaseproof paper up together, making sure that it is especially tight at the beginning. It's important that the cake is warm so it can set in the right shape. If it's too cold, it won't roll properly. Once rolled, leave it to cool completely.

Make sure you roll up the cake when it's hot out of the oven. If you let it cool much at all, it will risk cracking when rolling or unrolling. I highly recommend using a scale to measure your flour as it's the most accurate method and will prevent you from ending up with a dense cake.