The One Dessert I Make Every November

I have a memory of this one autumn day, where the faint smell of warm spices drifted through my house. I went to the kitchen to see what it was and I remember seeing my mom take out a clean dish towel from the drawer, dust it with powdered sugar, and use it to roll up the cake she had just taken out of the oven. Having little experience baking anything other than cookie recipes at that time, I was fascinated by what she was making. An hour or so later, I watched her unroll the cake, slather it with cream cheese frosting, and roll it back up into what I then learned was a pumpkin roll.

While the recipe on the back of the pumpkin can is perfectly fine, I’ve used what I’ve learned from baking over the years to develop a pumpkin roll that’s plush, airy, moist, perfectly spiced, and filled with a velvety-smooth cream cheese mousse of sorts that rivals any cream cheese frosting. This cake batter doesn’t require a mixer and it comes together in the time it takes to preheat the oven (the longest step is really just waiting for it to cool and set into a sweet spiral). Stunning enough to be the centerpiece of your holiday gatherings yet easy enough to make on a weekday, this pumpkin roll is my new go-to autumn dessert.

Why You’ll Love It

• It’s incredibly light and airy. While pumpkin cakes can be heavy, this version is springy and moist with just enough structure to roll easily. And, rather than a typical cream cheese frosting with butter that can be cloying and heavy, the airier, mousse-like filling made from just cream cheese and heavy cream has a cleaner flavor and doesn’t overpower the cake.

• No special equipment needed! The cake is baked in a standard rimmed half baking sheet as opposed to a jelly roll pan.

Key Ingredients in a Pumpkin Roll

• Freshly ground black pepper: Although it might seem odd for a dessert, a small amount of black pepper makes the warm spices pop.

• Light brown sugar: Provides extra moisture and a subtle molasses undertone that brings out the pumpkin flavor.

• Oil: Whereas most pumpkin rolls don’t use any additional fat, I found a bit of oil makes the cake more plush and ensures it stays moist for days.

How to Make a Pumpkin Roll

1. Make, bake, and roll the cake. Rolling the cake while it’s hot and letting it cool in its spiral shape ensures minimal cracking when you roll the filled cake. Avoid using a microfiber towel.

2. Make the filling. Slightly chilling the filling while the cake cools allows it to thicken slightly into the perfect velvety texture.

3. Assemble your roll. For a picture-perfect roll, trim the ends of the cake to reveal its neat little swirl and save the trimmings as a snack.

Helpful Swaps

• One tablespoon of store-bought or homemade pumpkin pie spice can be substituted for the combination of ground cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg.

• Although the recipe works with either extract or paste, vanilla bean paste, especially in the filling, speckles the mousse, making it feel even more holiday-worthy.

Storage and Make-Ahead Tips

• The cake can be made and assembled the night before serving. Loosely tent the cake with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator. Tightly wrapping can result in moisture on the surface of the cake. Allow the cake to sit for 10 to 15 minutes before dusting with powdered sugar and serving.

• Leftover cake can be stored loosely covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

More Rolls to Love

• Swiss Roll Ice Cream Cake

• Guava Swiss Roll

• Chocolate Swiss Roll Cake

• Peppermint Red Velvet Cake Roll

• Pumpkin Swiss Cake Roll with Hazelnut Buttercream

Pumpkin Roll Recipe

Airy, moist, and perfectly spiced, this pumpkin roll is filled with a velvety-smooth cream cheese mousse that rivals any frosting.

Prep time 38 minutes

Cook time 15 minutes

Serves 12

Ingredients

For the cake:

• Cooking spray

• 3 large eggs, at room temperature

• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 1 cup pumpkin purée

• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

• 3 tablespoons neutral oil, such as canola or vegetable

• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract or paste

• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/4 cup powdered sugar, plus more for dusting

For the filling:

• 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

• 3/4 cup powdered sugar, plus more for finishing

• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract or paste

• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 cup cold heavy cream

Instructions

Make the cake:

1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Coat a rimmed half baking sheet (18x13-inches) with cooking spray. Line the bottom with a sheet of parchment paper.

2. Whisk 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper together in a medium bowl.

3. Whisk 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 cup pumpkin purée, 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar, 3 room-temperature large eggs, 3 tablespoons neutral oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt together in a large bowl until smooth.

4. Sift the flour mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into the pumpkin mixture. Fold with a flexible spatula until just combined and no dry bits remain.

5. Transfer the batter onto the baking sheet. Use the flexible spatula or an offset spatula to smooth the batter into an even layer. Tap the pan against the counter a few times to release any large air bubbles and even the batter.

6. Bake until puffed and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 12 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile, have a clean kitchen towel (at least the size of the baking sheet) ready.

7. Immediately after taking the cake out of the oven, run an offset spatula or paring knife around the cake to loosen the edges. Place 1/4 cup powdered sugar in a fine-mesh strainer and dust it generously over the cake. Lay the kitchen towel over the cake, making sure it is completely covered. Place a second baking sheet or large cutting board (at least the size of the baking sheet) on top.

8. Grasping the baking sheet and what’s on top at the same time to hold them together (careful, hot!), flip it over in one motion. Remove the baking sheet and the parchment. Slide the cake, still on the towel, onto the work surface. Starting with one of the shorter sides, carefully roll the cake up in the towel to create a tight, neat spiral (like rolling up dough for cinnamon rolls). Be careful not to squish the cake when rolling.

9. Place the towel-wrapped cake on a wire rack seam-side down. Let cool completely, about 1 1/2 hours. Meanwhile, make the filling.

Make the filling:

1. Beat 4 ounces room-temperature cream cheese, 3/4 cup powdered sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract or paste, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt with the whisk attachment in a stand mixer on medium speed until combined and smooth, scraping down the bowl as needed, about 30 seconds.

2. Reduce the speed to medium-low. Slowly pour in 1 cup cold heavy cream. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat, scraping down the bowl as needed, until stiff peaks form, about 45 seconds. Refrigerate until the cake is cooled.

Assemble the pumpkin roll:

1. Carefully unroll the cake. It will want to roll back up — do not press it flat. Give the chilled filling a few good stirs, then spread evenly over the cake.

2. Carefully re-roll the cake, without the towel, going in the same direction it was rolled for cooling. I use a serrated knife to trim the ends to reveal a nice, neat spiral (eat the trimmings as a snack).

3. Transfer the cake to a serving platter seam-side down. Lightly dust with powdered sugar. For clean slices, use a serrated knife and sawing motions to cut, and wipe the knife between slices.

Recipe Notes

Substitutions: The cinnamon, ginger, clove, and nutmeg can be substituted for 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice.

Make ahead: The cake can be made and assembled up to 1 day before serving. Loosely tent the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate. (Tightly wrapping can result in moisture on the surface of the cake.) Let the cake sit for 10 to 15 minutes before dusting with powdered sugar and serving.

Storage: Leftover cake can be stored loosely covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Let the cake sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Further Reading

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