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This simple and delicious pumpkin roll is a fall favorite! I’ve updated the classic pumpkin roll cake with my favorite brown butter cream cheese frosting. Perfectly spiced, this beautiful dessert is ideal for holiday entertaining.
How to Make a Perfect Pumpkin Roll
The key to a successful pumpkin roll is to remove the cake from the pan as soon as it comes out of the oven and immediately roll up the cake into a clean kitchen towel. While the cake bakes, place a clean thin kitchen towel flat on the kitchen counter, and dust with 1/2 cup powdered sugar.
When the cake spring back to the touch, remove from the oven and immediately turn out onto prepared kitchen towel. Carefully peel off the parchment paper, and dust the cake with 1/4 cup powdered sugar. Starting from the narrow end, carefully and gently roll up the cake with the towel. Transfer rolled up cake to a wire rack and place seam side down.
Let the cake cool completely before gently unrolling and adding the frosting. Re-roll the cake, wrap in plastic, and chill for at least 30 minutes before slicing with a sharp knife and serving.
Filled with swirls of sweet and tangy frosting, the delicate pumpkin cake is especially festive with a dusting of snowy powdered sugar. This brown butter pumpkin roll is a must make for your Thanksgiving table!
Make Ahead Pumpkin Roll
The pumpkin cake can be made ahead of time. Once fully cooled, chill the cake (still rolled up in the kitchen towel) for up to a day before adding the filling. The filling is easiest to spread when it’s freshly made.
Freezing Tips
Freeze prepared pumpkin roll flat on a baking sheet for 1 hour, then wrap well in plastic wrap or foil and place in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 2 months.
When you’re ready to enjoy, thaw pumpkin roll overnight in the refrigerator (still wrapped to prevent condensation). Dust with powdered sugar before slicing and serving.
More pumpkin recipes you’ll love:
- Pumpkin Bread Pudding
- Pumpkin Caramel Sheet Cake
- Pumpkin Spice Streusel Bread
- Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Did you try this Pumpkin Roll Recipe? Let me know by leaving a comment and rating below!
Print
Brown Butter Pumpkin Roll
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes (includes chilling)
- Yield: 10 servings
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
The BEST pumpkin roll cake filled with brown butter cream cheese frosting!
Ingredients
Pumpkin Cake
- 3/4 cup flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ginger
- 1/4 tsp cloves
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2/3 cup pure pumpkin
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar, divided (for rolling)
Frosting
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, cubed
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 6 oz reduced fat cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F and spray a 10 x 15-inch jelly roll pan with nonstick spray; line pan with parchment paper and spray parchment paper with nonstick spray.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk together pumpkin, eggs, sugars, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Add to flour mixture, and whisk in until combined.
- Spread the batter evenly into prepared pan and tap pan sharply to reduce air bubbles.
- Bake cake for 16 to 18 minutes, until the cake springs back to the touch. While the cake bakes, place a clean thin kitchen towel flat on the kitchen counter, and dust with 1/2 cup powdered sugar.
- Remove cake from the oven and immediately turn out onto prepared kitchen towel. Slowly and carefully peel off the parchment paper, and dust the cake with remaining 1/4 cup powdered sugar. Starting from the narrow end, carefully and gently roll up the cake with the towel. Transfer rolled up cake to a wire rack and place seam side down; let cool completely.
- Brown butter: Cook 2 tablespoons cubed butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until it foams, turns clear, and then turns a deep brown. Pour brown butter into a mixer bowl and let cool to room temperature.
- Make frosting: Add remaining 4 tablespoons butter and cream cheese to the mixer bowl (with the cooled brown butter) and beat until combined. Mix in vanilla and salt. Beat in powdered sugar on low speed until incorporated, then on medium speed until soft and creamy.
- Assemble cake: Gently unroll the cooled cake, and use an offset spatula to spread frosting over the cake. Carefully re-roll the cake, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar before slicing and serving (trim any uneven edges before cutting into slices).
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 2 days.
Notes
Make ahead: The pumpkin cake can be made ahead of time. Once fully cooled, chill the cake (still rolled up in the kitchen towel) for up to a day before adding the filling. The filling is easiest to spread when it’s freshly made.
Freezing tips: Freeze prepared pumpkin roll flat on a baking sheet for 1 hour, then wrap well in plastic wrap or foil and place in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to enjoy, thaw pumpkin roll overnight in the refrigerator (still wrapped to prevent condensation). Dust with powdered sugar before slicing and serving.
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why is the 4 tablespoons of butter crossed out in the recipe?
Hi Rie, if you’re on mobile and tap any of the squares next to the ingredient, it automatically crosses them off so that you can keep track of measuring out the ingredients. Hope that helps!
This looks great & it will be my first attempt at a cake roll. (I’m facing my fears and going for it!)
My only question is do I need to use reduced fat cream cheese? I already bought cream cheese and realized this calls for reduced fat. Will I have any issues if I use full fat? (other than the added calories!)
Thanks!
Hi Marcia! You can absolutely use full fat cream cheese. Happy baking! 🙂
All around PERFECT! I made this last year, although I didn’t actually share my rolls with others, I did share the recipe and my pictures. 5 out of 5 friends made it.. all reported back 5 stars!
Your instructions put the most novice baker at ease.. like no big deal. In my lifetime I’ve ruined more than not. Love your technique. Thank you for that over the top brown butter filling. The best EVER!
Thank you so much, Linda! I really appreciate your kind review! 🙂
Can the filled pumpkin roll be frozen?
Hi Lorraine! Yes, you can freeze the assembled pumpkin roll wrapped in plastic wrap and then wrapped in a layer of foil for up to 1 month (do not dust with powdered sugar before freezing). The night before you plan to serve the roll, let thaw (still wrapped to prevent condensation from forming on the cake) overnight in the refrigerator. Once thawed, dust with powdered sugar before slicing and serving. Hope that helps! 🙂
This was my first pumpkin roll and it turned out so well! I loved the brown butter filling with the pumpkin spice.
Hi Meghan, I’m so happy this recipe was such a success for you! Happy fall baking! 🙂
This pumpkin roll is stellar. It make the house smell great while baking and it tasted good too! I love the addition of brown butter to the cream cheese filling. It’s a nice add. Thanks for your advice on how to check for doneness and how to roll up the dough. Thank you so much for the recipe!
Thank you, Ana! 🙂 That’s so wonderful to hear, so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
I’ve always been a little afraid of a cake roll. But your recipe was spot-on!! Easy for a first-timer!! Mine looked close to perfect and was delicious too! Looking forward to more inspiration!!
I’m so happy to hear that, thank you Jill! 🙂
Can this recipe or any part of it be made ahead? Can the pumpkin cake be baked in advance and wrapped then assembled the day of? Can the filling be made in advance?
Thank you!
Hi Bridget, you can bake the cake ahead and chill it (rolled up in the towel) for up to a day before adding the filling. The filling is easiest to spread when it’s freshly made. Hope that helps! 🙂