Pumpkin Cheesecake Roll

With its signature swirl and rich cream cheese filling, the pumpkin roll has a lifetime spot in my personal pantheon of fall desserts. If rolling up a cake into a log seems crazy intimidating—how does it not crack? how will it stay rolled?—don’t fret: This easy recipe will answer all your need-to-know questions. With this step-by-step recipe, you'll achieve perfect swirls of cake and cream cheese filling that are guaranteed to have everyone oohing and aahing this Thanksgiving. Follow my simple tips and before you know it you'll be kicking off pumpkin season with the most impressive fall dessert there is.

What People Are Saying:
"Loved this recipe. It was easier than I thought and everyone loved it. Even my picky husband!" - Liz3425

"First time to make a rolled cake. Turned out great….Watching recipe being made helped a lot." - Guinevere

How To Make a Pumpkin Cheesecake Roll

INGREDIENTS

• Flour: I went with all-purpose rather than cake flour because I needed the cake have a soft, tender crumb but also enough structure to hold together when rolled—no mean feat!
• Pumpkin Spice: This blend of warm spices—cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger—gives the cake an autumnal quality and enhances the flavor of the pumpkin puree.
• Eggs: The eggs serve to bind the batter and make the cake moister and fluffier.
• Sugar: In addition to providing sweetness, the sugar boosts the cake’s tenderness and helps it stay moist.
• Pumpkin Puree: Lends color, moisture, and a subtle pumpkin flavor that’s augmented by the pumpkin spice and has a wonderful affinity with the cream cheese in the frosting.
• Cream Cheese: Brings richness and tang and is ideal for creating a stiff yet smooth frosting that adheres well to the cake and stays in place.
• Butter: I use just a little melted butter to thin frosting to the necessary texture.
• Vanilla: The major flavor agent in this filling. I love the way vanilla and cream cheese harmonize together.
• Confectioners’ Sugar: Confectioners’ sugar sweetens while ensuring a maximally smooth frosting.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

First off, preheat your oven (350°, please) and prep your pan. You’ll need a jelly-roll pan for the job. I know it’s tempting to substitute a baking sheet, but trust me a jelly-roll pan is what you want—you’ll thank me when you’re rolling the cake! Spray the pan with nonstick spray, then line the it with parchment and spray the parchment. Set the pan aside while you get to work on the cake batter.

Start with the dry ingredients: Whisk the flour, salt, baking soda, and pumpkin spice in a medium bowl until combined. Then move on to the wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, and pumpkin puree until smooth. Now bring the two together: Add the dry ingredients to the wet and whisk just until combined and no dry streak remain; don’t overdo it or you’ll develop more gluten than necessary.

With the help of a flexible rubber spatula, scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread it to the edges.

Let’s bake! Bake the cake for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick, skewer, or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

While the cake’s in the oven, get ready to roll. Spread out a large kitchen towel on a work surface and dust it evenly with confectioners’ sugar; place some confectioners’ sugar in a fine-mesh sieve and move the sieve back and forth over the towel while tapping gently. As soon as the cake is done, gently invert it onto the towel and remove the parchment.

While the cake is still warm and pliable, roll it up into a log, using the towel as a guide; start at a short end and roll gently until cake and towel form a reasonably tight spiral. Turn the log so it’s seam side down and set aside until the cake is fully cooled.

While the cake is cooling, get to work on the filling. You’ll want a handheld mixer for this part. Combine the cream cheese, melted butter, and salt in a large bowl and beat until smooth and light. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then gradually add the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla, beating until incorporated and the filling is light and fluffy.

Once the cake has cooled, it’s time to fill it. Gently unroll the cake, dollop the filling over, and spread into an even layer; an offset spatula works best for this. Now, roll up the cake from one of the short sides, this time leaving the towel behind.

Dust the cake with more confectioners' sugar, just to make things extra pretty.

Congratulations, mission accomplished! All that’s left is to slice and serve. I recommend a long, serrated knife to get the cleanest slices.

Full list of ingredients and directions can be found in the recipe below.

Recipe Tips

• Roll the cake while it’s still warm: To get a beautiful pumpkin roll, it’s critical to roll up your cake up as soon as it comes out of the oven. Ready a large kitchen towel by dusting it with confectioners’ sugar, then carefully flip the warm cake onto the kitchen towel and remove the parchment paper. Tightly roll up the cake inside the towel and place it seam side down, so it stays in place as it cools. The warmth from the oven will make the cake pliable and inhibit any cracks. If you wait too long to roll, the cake will likely be too dry out roll without cracking.
• The cream cheese frosting should be nice and thick: Nailing the frosting consistency is important because you don't want the frosting squeezing out when you roll the cake back up. A stiffer cream cheese frosting will hold the cake together and give you beautiful clean slices. That being said, the frosting shouldn't be so stiff that it tears the cake as you spread it on!
• Let the cake cool completely before frosting it: Never frost a cake before it's fully cooled or you risk melting the frosting. You can place the cake in the fridge for 30 minutes or so to help it cool down faster. place it in the fridge once again before slicing for even cleaner slices.

Storage & Make Ahead

If you're looking to make this stunning dessert ahead of time, you can assemble the pumpkin roll and store it in the fridge, well wrapped, for 2 to 3 days. For longer storage, freeze the roll, tightly wrapped, for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.