One of my favorite fall recipes! This is actually classified as a “sponge cake” as it gets its “lift” from the eggs and baking soda. It sounds more complicated than it is, and only takes 15 minutes of oven time.
Pictures will follow and I will update this post when I make this cake over the holidays, but a a very dear young lady, who made this cake with me once requested the recipe, and I have not yet taken pictures.
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Cake Roll
Rolled pumpkin sponge cake with cream cheese filling
Equipment
- Jelly Roll Pan 15" X 10" – if using a slightly larger pan, cake will be thinner and you must reduce cooking time.
- Waxed Paper
- Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer
- Large Mixing Bowl or bowl of stand mixer
- Medium Mixing Bowl, or bowl of stand mixer
- Clean dish towel for rolling cake
Ingredients
Pumpkin Cake
- 1 tbsp Shortening For greasing pan, may substitue baking spray
- 1 tbsp All Purpose Flour For dusting pan, may substitute baking spray
- 3 Large Eggs
- 1 cup Sugar
- 2/3 cup Cooked Pumpkin
- 1 tsp Lemon Juice
- 3/4 cup Flour
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 2 tsp Cinnamon
- 1/2 tso Salt
- 3/4 cup Pecans, finely chopped Optional
- 2 tbsp Powdered Sugar For dusting dish towel after baking
Cream Cheese Filling
- 1 cup Powdered Sugar
- 8 oz Cream Cheese, softened
- 4 tbsp Butter, softened
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 tsp Milk optional, use only if needed
- 2 tbsp Powdered Sugar For dusting before serving
Instructions
Pumpkin Cake Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees
- Line jelly roll pan with waxed paper. Grease the wax paper and pan edges with shortening or spray with baking spray.
- Dry ingredients: Sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the 3 eggs on high speed for 3 minutes.
- Add sugar and beat on medium speed until fully incorporated.
- Add cooked pumpkin and lemon juice and mix in on low speed until completely blended into the eggs and sugar.
- Add dry ingredients into wet and mix in on low speed.
- Spread cake mixture into prepared jelly roll pan. Make sure batter is evenly distributed in the pan.
- Top with chopped pecans if using.
- Place pan in oven and bake for 15 minutes.
- Invert pan onto a clean dish towel sprinkled with powdered sugar. This step is crucial. Do it right when you take the cake from the oven and immediately proceed to the next step for best results.
- Leave wax paper in place and gently roll the cake up in the towel carefully starting with the short side of the cake. Allow the cake to cool completely in the rolled towel so when it is time to add the filling it is already comfortable with the rolled up shape.
Cream Cheese Filling
- While cake is cooling, place powdered sugar, softened cream cheese, softened butter and vanilla in the bowl of the stand mixer or medium bowl if using hand mixer. Blend on medium speed until all ingredients are incorporated and a smooth and spreadable consistency. If too thick add a teaspoon or two of milke (one at a time )to achieve desired spreading consistency.
Assembly
- Unroll cake and remove wax paper.
- Spread cream cheese filling across the cake carefully in an even layer, going to the edges of the roll.
- Using clean hands, re-roll the cake on top of the towel (do not roll up in the towel again). Transfer finished roll to a cutting board and trim off edges of roll.
- Wrap roll tightly in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator until serving.
- To serve, remove plastic wrap, and dust with additional powdered sugar. Slice into 2-3 inch slices for individual servings.