Pecan pumpkin roll cake recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to rolling a pumpkin roll? ›

Roll the cake while it's hot!

This is the secret to a perfectly-swirled roll cake. While the cake is still hot, use the parchment to transfer the cake from the baking pan onto a clean kitchen towel. Using the towel as a hot mitt, roll the cake into a tight spiral from the narrow side.

How to keep pumpkin roll from cracking: The biggest trick to preventing your cake roll from cracking is to roll the cake up in the parchment paper as soon as it comes out of the oven. The hot cake will be soft and pliable and should roll up without cracking.

My pumpkin rolls always crack; what am I doing wrong??

You also want to pull the cake from the oven as soon as it is done baking. An over-baked cake is much more likely to crack, even if rolled while it is hot from the oven.

The second most important thing is making sure to line the jelly roll pan with wax or parchment paper. That way, when the cake comes out of the oven, you can invert it onto a towel without it sticking to the pan. Then you just peel off the paper. Easy!

Make sure to measure your ingredients using the spoon-and-level method to avoid adding too much of any one ingredient! Why is my pumpkin roll wet or sticky? If your cake is sticky on the outside, this is likely from condensation that formed on the roll as it cooled.

Spray or grease the parchment paper too. We want an extremely nonstick surface for this cake roll. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt together in a large bowl.

Pumpkin Roll Ingredients

You likely have most of the ingredients you'll need on hand. If not, here's what to add to your grocery list: For the Cake: eggs, sugar, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, all-purpose flour, and baking soda. For the Filling: cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, butter, and vanilla extract.

The cake was under-baked: The cake will be very moist and difficult to handle. With the whipped cream it may have too much moisture and will fall apart easily. The cake was over-baked: If over-baked the cake will be a lot drier and more prone to cracks. A crack in your roll can cause the swiss roll to fall apart.

Too much flour, or not the right kind, could be to blame. Dough made only from flour with a high or even average amount of protein (like bread flour or all-purpose flour) can become tough from overmixing. Protein gives bread structure in the form of gluten—the more you mix and move the dough, the more gluten you get.

Adding too much flour to the recipe is the most common mistake that will yield a dry and dense cake. The best and easiest way to measure flour is by using a scale. If you don't have one, then fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off.

Why is my pumpkin roll dry? ›

Overbaking can lead to a dry and brittle cake that is more likely to crack when rolled. Roll While Warm: After baking, roll the cake while it's still warm. Gently lift the kitchen towel with the cake and roll it into a log shape. Rolling while warm helps the cake remember its shape and prevents cracks.

The biggest difference between parchment paper and wax paper is that wax paper is not heat-resistant. This means you cannot use it for baking, or even use it in the oven at all because the wax could melt and even catch fire inside your oven.

Pumpkin rolls keep well in the refrigerator and freezer, so they're the perfect dessert to make ahead of time if you'd like. To store your pumpkin roll, wrap it up tightly in plastic wrap. Then you can either refrigerate it for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Homemade pie that has been left out for longer than two hours should be thrown away. If you left any pumpkin pie out for too long, don't be tempted to roll the dice.

To use either, first roll up the still-warm sponge cake right along with the parchment paper, and let it cool completely. Then gently unroll the cake and cover with the filling.