Perfect Pumpkin Roll Cake Recipe

This delicious Perfect Pumpkin Roll cake tastes like the perfect fall day! This easy to make pumpkin roll recipe is good enough to overtake pumpkin pie as your new favorite pumpkin dessert. This recipe includes meringue in the batter to give it a light and airy texture, perfect for rolling. This classic recipe is also updated with a white chocolate caramel-flavored cream cheese filling.

Prep45 min
Total Time4 hr
Skill LevelIntermediate

Amount16 servings

Ingredients & Tools
Instructions

Ingredients

Cake
1/2 cup chopped pecans, plus more for garnish
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 eggs separated
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Frosting
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese
4 ounces white chocolate, melted and cooled slightly
1/3 cup caramel ice cream topping (or homemade caramel sauce)
2 packages (8 ounces) thawed, frozen whipped topping
1/2 teaspoon salt

Tools
10x15 inch jelly roll pan
Parchment paper or wax paper
Cooling rack
Perfect Results Premium Non-Stick Cooling Rack, 16 x 10-Inch $8.57
Kitchen towel
Spatula

Instructions

Click to mark complete

Make the Cake. Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Line the bottom of the jelly roll pan with parchment paper and set aside.
In food processor, pulse pecans until finely ground. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, and salt. Stir in ground pecans.
In a large bowl, beat egg yolks until frothy with an electric mixer using the whisk attachment. Slowly add a 1/2 cup sugar and continue beating for 3-5 minutes until reaching ribbon stage (see notes).
Add canned pumpkin and flour mixture to egg yolks and mix on low until just well combined. Be sure not to overmix to avoid a tough texture.
Make the meringue mixture. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites with an electric mixer on low to break up the whites. Then mix on medium speed until frothy. Add lemon juice and beat for 2 minutes. Gradually add remaining 1/2 cup sugar and continue beating until soft peaks form (about 5 minutes).
Quickly and carefully add 1/3 of the egg white meringue mixture into the yolk mixture. Gently fold the meringue into the yolk mixture then repeat with the remaining meringue ? at a time. Once combined spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
Bake immediately for 18-22 minutes on the center rack or until the center of the cake springs back when touched. The cake should be a deep orange brown color.
Roll the Cake. Gently loosen edges of the cake from the pan immediately after baking. Carefully turn the cake onto a cooling rack topped with a clean kitchen towel dusted with powdered sugar. Cool the cake for 3-5 minutes.
Carefully remove the parchment paper. Starting at a short edge, carefully roll up cake tightly with the kitchen towel. Transfer rolled cake back to the cooling rack and cool completely for about an hour.
Make the Cream Cheese Frosting. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, melted chocolate and caramel topping with an electric on medium speed for about 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Gently stir in the whipped topping.
Fill the Cake. Gently unroll the cake and spread about 1/3 of the frosting evenly over the inner surface. Avoid frosting within about an 1/4 to 1/2 inch of the edges.
Gently re-roll the cake and trim off ends of the roll using a serrated knife. Place the roll edges down to avoid unrolling.
Frost the outside of the cake with a spatula with the remaining cream cheese mixture.
Sprinkle top of cake with additional chopped pecans, if desired.