Pumpkin Roll Layer Cake Recipe With Creamy Frosting

Pumpkin Roll Layer Cake

I took my favorite pumpkin roll cake recipe and turned it into a pretty pumpkin roll layer cake. Whether you’re looking for a way to dress up the Thanksgiving dessert table or you just hate rolling cakes (no shame there), I know you’ll love this twist on a traditional pumpkin roll!

Okay you guys, can we talk about pumpkin season for a second? I live for it. The second the air gets even a little bit crisp, I’m hauling out every can of pure pumpkin puree in my pantry and going to town on every pumpkin recipe I can think of. This one started as my classic pumpkin roll recipe — you know, the kind where you roll a warm sponge cake up in a kitchen towel and pray it doesn’t crack — and turned into this gorgeous pumpkin cake roll reimagined as a layer cake. All the same warm spices and smooth cream cheese frosting you love, none of the rolling anxiety. Heads up, this post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you shop through them — thank you for supporting Something Swanky!

Related Recipes:

Why You’ll Love This Moist Pumpkin Cake

So here’s the deal — a classic pumpkin roll recipe is basically a thin sheet cake, rolled up tight around a cream cheese filling. It’s gorgeous, but let’s be honest, rolling a hot cake without it splitting takes some nerve, especially for beginner bakers. This layer cake version gives you all that same moist pumpkin cake flavor and tender crumb, minus the stress. You still get warm spices, that unmistakable pumpkin spice aroma filling your kitchen, and the dreamiest cream cheese filling tucked between fluffy cake layers. Honestly? I think it tastes even better than the original, because you get more filling and frosting in every single bite. If you’re into other pumpkin desserts like my Cheesecake Factory pumpkin cheesecake copycat or mini pumpkin cheesecakes, this cake is going to be right up your alley too.

Ingredients

Nothing fancy here, I promise! You’ll need the usual suspects for a pumpkin cake batter — all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, salt, large eggs, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling, friends — that’s a whole different can). For the filling, you’re looking at cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and chopped pecans. And then for the frosting, more butter, more cream cheese, a mountain of powdered sugar, vanilla, lemon juice, and a splash of milk or heavy cream to thin it out. Simple tips before you start: make sure everything is at room temperature. Cold cream cheese and butter are the number one reason frostings turn out lumpy instead of silky smooth.

•  3/4 cup all-purpose flour
•  1/2 tsp baking powder
•  1/2 tsp baking soda or substitute for baking soda
•  1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
•  1/4 tsp salt
•  3 large eggs
•  1 cup sugar
•  1 tsp. vanilla
•  2/3 cup pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)

For the Filling:

•  8 oz cream cheese, softened
•  6 tbsp butter, softened
•  1 cup powdered sugar
•  1 tsp vanilla
•  1/4 cup pecans, chopped

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

•  1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
•  8 ounces cream cheese, softened
•  5 cups powdered sugar
•  1 tbsp vanilla
•  1 tbsp lemon juice
•  1-2 tbsp milk or whipping cream

Directions

Make the Cake

In your large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment), whisk together your wet ingredients first — the eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, and pumpkin puree — until smooth. In a separate medium bowl, stir together your dry ingredients: the flour mixture, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until the pumpkin cake batter comes together. Don’t overmix, and don’t worry if it seems like not much flour compared to a regular cake — that’s normal for this recipe.

1. Whisk together all of the cake ingredients until the batter forms.
2. Divide the batter between 3 8-inch or 9-inch round cake pans. Note- this cake is stickier than a normal layer cake, because it has more sugar. That’s part of the signature texture of a pumpkin roll, but it means that you need to line your prepared pan with foil and grease it with cooking spray or non-stick spray really well.
3. Bake for 25-30 minutes, just until the cakes pass the toothpick test. An oven thermometer is a great way to double check your oven is actually at temp for best results. While the cakes cool completely, make the filling and the frosting.

If you’d rather go the traditional route for an easy pumpkin roll recipe, bake this same pumpkin mixture in a jelly roll pan instead of three round pans. Line the jelly roll pan with a sheet of parchment paper, pour in the batter in an even layer, and bake until the cake bakes through and springs back to the touch. While the cake is still hot, turn it out onto a large tea towel dusted with powdered sugar, peel off the piece of parchment paper, and roll the cake up tight starting at the narrow end — short side first works too, just be consistent. Let that rolled cake cool completely before unrolling, filling, and rerolling into your perfect pumpkin roll.

Pecan Cream Cheese Filling

1. Beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth.
2. Beat in the powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth.
3. Mix in the chopped pecans. Cover mixture and set aside.

This cream cheese filling is basically the whole reason I fell in love with pumpkin desserts in the first place. It’s rich, a little tangy, and the brown sugar notes from the pumpkin spice really come through once it’s sandwiched between cake layers. If you want a lighter filling, fold in a dollop of whipped cream before spreading — it’s a trick I also use in my carrot cake roll with cream cheese filling, and it works beautifully here too.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or a hand mixer and a large bowl, whisk together the butter and cream cheese until combined.
2. Mix in the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, adding the vanilla and lemon juice as needed to thin the mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl in between additions so everything incorporates evenly.
3. If needed, add milk one tablespoon at a time to achieve desired consistency.

Assembling Your Pumpkin Roll Layer Cake

Once your cooled cake layers are completely cool — and I mean completely, or that smooth cream cheese frosting is going to slide right off — use a serrated knife to level the tops if they domed up at all. Place your first layer on a serving plate, spread on a generous layer of that pecan cream cheese filling, then stack your next cake layer on top. Repeat with the final layer, then frost the whole thing, top of the cake included, with an offset spatula for that smooth, bakery-style finish. If frosting layer cakes isn’t your thing yet, don’t sweat it — like most sponge cakes, these layers are forgiving, and a crumb coat fixes almost anything.

This is honestly a great project if it’s your first time building a layer cake, since the layers themselves are so soft and easy to work with. If you love the idea of reworking a classic into cake form, you’ll probably also enjoy my chocolate peanut butter cake roll or my Thanksgiving Oreo cake — both started as totally different desserts before I turned them into showstoppers.

Storage Tips

Because of that cream cheese frosting and filling, this cake needs to live in the fridge. Store it in an airtight container, or just cover it loosely and keep it chilled, for up to 5 days. Letting individual slices sit out for 15-20 minutes before serving brings back that soft, tender crumb texture best. Got leftover pumpkin roll cake? Lucky you — it freezes beautifully too. Wrap slices tightly and freeze for up to a month, then thaw in the fridge overnight. Honestly, this cake might even taste better the next day once the flavors have had time to mingle.

While you’ve got the oven warm and pumpkin puree open, you might as well keep the pumpkin train rolling with a batch of pumpkin cupcakes or even some pumpkin cinnamon rolls for breakfast the next morning. ‘Tis the season, after all!

Pumpkin Roll Layer Cake Recipe

Yield:
8-12

Prep Time:
30 minutes

Cook Time:
30 minutes

Total Time:
1 hour

I took my favorite pumpkin roll cake recipe and turned it into a pretty layer cake. Whether you’re looking for a way to dress up the Thanksgiving dessert table or you just hate rolling cakes (no shame there), I know you’ll love this twist on a traditional pumpkin roll!

Ingredients

For the Cake

•  3/4 cup all-purpose flour
•  1/2 tsp baking powder
•  1/2 tsp baking soda
•  1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
•  1/4 tsp salt
•  3 large eggs
•  1 cup sugar
•  1 tsp. vanilla
•  2/3 cup pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)

For the Filling:

•  8 oz cream cheese, softened
•  6 tbsp butter, softened
•  1 cup powdered sugar
•  1 tsp vanilla
•  1/4 cup pecans, chopped

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

•  1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
•  8 ounces cream cheese, softened
•  5 cups powdered sugar
•  1 tbsp vanilla
•  1 tbsp lemon juice
•  1-2 tbsp milk or whipping cream

Instructions

Make the Cake

1. Whisk together all of the cake ingredients until the batter forms.
2. Divide the batter between 3 8-inch or 9-inch round cake pans. Note- this cake is stickier than a normal layer cake, because it has more sugar. That’s part of the signature texture of a pumpkin roll, but it means that you need to line your cake pans with foil and grease them really well.
3. Bake for 25-30 minutes, just until the cakes pass the toothpick test. While the cakes cool completely, make the filling and the frosting.

Pecan Cream Cheese Filling

1. Beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth.
2. Beat in the powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth.
3. Mix in the chopped pecans. Cover mixture and set aside.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1. Using a stand mixer, whisk together the butter and cream cheese until combined.
2. Mix in the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, adding the vanilla and lemon juice as needed to thin the mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl in between additions.
3. If needed, add milk one tablespoon at a time to achieve desired consistency.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8

Serving Size: 1

Amount Per Serving:

Calories: 815Total Fat: 34gSaturated Fat: 19gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 154mgSodium: 462mgCarbohydrates: 123gFiber: 1gSugar: 109gProtein: 8g