Pumpkin Roll with Toffee Filling

by: Jessica

published: Sep 19, 2022

5 from 3 votes

one comment

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 15

Additional Time 25

Total Time 1 10

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Move over, pie – this decadent Pumpkin Roll with Toffee Filling might just be everyone’s new Thanksgiving favorite! Spirals of tender pumpkin cake and dreamy cream cheese filling with toffee bits are an unbeatable combination.

A slice of pumpkin roll cake being lifted on a serving utensil.

Table of Contents

A Beautiful Autumn Pumpkin Roll with Toffee-Cream Cheese Filling
Ingredients
How to Make a Pumpkin Roll
How Do I Keep My Pumpkin Roll from Cracking?
Tips and Tricks for the Perfect Pumpkin Roll
Yummy Variation Ideas
How Long Does a Pumpkin Roll Last in the Fridge?
Can I Freeze This?
Get the Recipe
More Pumpkin Desserts to Try

A Beautiful Autumn Pumpkin Roll with Toffee-Cream Cheese Filling

There are a few flavors that you just have to have around Halloween and Thanksgiving: pumpkin, toffee, cream cheese, and of course, pumpkin pie spice. This recipe combines them all into a decorative jelly-roll-style cake that will have everyone begging for the recipe. You can make this for a holiday meal, or just serve it with coffee for a delightful weekend break.

Even if you’ve never made a roll cake, this recipe is easy and practically foolproof. Rolling the warm cake around the filling is simple, and it doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful. So preheat that oven, throw on an apron, and let’s get baking!

From top left: Caramel sauce, white sugar, cream cheese, brown sugar, powdered sugar, flour, pumpkin, baking soda, baking powder, butter, toffee bits, vanilla, salt, pumpkin pie spice, eggs.

Ingredients

Since this is a made-from-scratch recipe, it’s full of simple, wholesome ingredients. And there are lots of easy substitutions you can make, as well! Here’s the list:

For the Pumpkin Roll

Eggs: Large, whole eggs will bind the batter together and make it roll-able.
Sugar: A combination of white sugar and brown sugar keeps the cake moist, and adds a slight molasses flavor.
Pumpkin: Make sure to use pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. Look for cans that have only one ingredient: pumpkin!
All-Purpose Flour: You don’t need much here – this cake will be a thin layer.
Baking Powder and Baking Soda: Using both baking powder and baking soda keeps things light and fluffy.
Pumpkin Pie Spice: Use store-bought pumpkin pie spice, or blend your own.
Salt

For the Toffee Cream Cheese Filling

Cream Cheese: To make a smooth filling, have your cream cheese at room temperature before you start mixing the filling.
Butter: The butter should also be at room temperature. Salted or unsalted is fine – I usually use unsalted when I bake.
Vanilla: Pure vanilla extract gives the best flavor.
Powdered Sugar: Sifted, to remove any lumps. You can use a sifter or just tap it through a sieve.
Toffee Bits: These are usually available on the baking aisle, with the other baking chips and pieces. If you can’t find them, you can chop up a Heath bar or similar (a little extra chocolate never hurt anyone!)
Caramel Sauce: For serving. The sauce from my recipe for Churros with Salted Caramel Sauce would be perfect, or you could use caramel sauce in a jar from the ice-cream section of the grocery store.

A slice of pumpkin jelly roll cake with creamy filling, on a dessert plate.

How to Make a Pumpkin Roll

Now that we’ve covered the ingredients you will need, let’s take a look at the method. There are basically two major parts to this recipe: making the cake and doing the first roll, followed by making the filling and doing the second roll.

Prep the Oven and Baking Pan. To start, preheat your oven to 350°F. While it heats, line a 15×10” rimmed jelly roll pan with parchment paper.

eggs, pumpkin, and other wet batter ingredients being beaten in a mixing bowl.

Dry cake batter ingredients being beaten into wet cake batter ingredients.

Mix the Dry Ingredients in One Bowl, and the Wet Ingredients in Another. Using a hand mixer (or stand mixer), beat the eggs, sugar, brown sugar, and pumpkin puree together in a large mixing bowl. Then combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in another mixing bowl, whisking them together.
Combine the Wet and Dry Mixtures. Beat the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined, but don’t overmix past that point.

A parchment-lined jelly roll pan, filled with unbaked pumpkin batter.

Bake the Cake. Pour the cake batter over the parchment in the jelly roll pan, and spread it out evenly with a spatula. Slide it into the oven, and let it bake for about 15 minutes, until the cake is done.

A pumpkin jelly roll cake being rolled up in its parchment lining.

Pumpkin cake roll, all rolled up in its parchment lining, cooling on a wire rack.

Roll It Up (First Rolling). Now it’s time to roll up the warm cake, to help it get into the right shape (even though it’s not filled yet). Fold one end of the parchment over the bottom edge of the cake, and then continue rolling the cake and parchment together, to make a spiral. Place the rolled-up cake on a cooling rack to cool down completely.

Cream cheese frosting being spread onto a pumpkin cake roll.

A thin pumpkin jelly roll cake spread with creamy filling and sprinkled with toffee bits.

Make the Filling. In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a clean mixing bowl with a cleaned hand mixer, beat together the cream cheese, softened butter, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar. Beat it well, until it’s light and creamy.
Fill and Roll the Cake (Second Rolling). When the filling is made and the cake is completely cool, it’s time to finish the cake roll! Carefully unroll the cake, and spread the filling evenly over the surface, all the way to the edges. Sprinkle toffee bits all over the filling, except for one spoonful for the top of the cake roll. Roll up the cake again, this time unpeeling the parchment as you go.

A pumpkin roll cake being rolled up around creamy filling and toffee bits.

Overhead shot of a pumpkin roll, topped with caramel and toffee bits.

Chill, Top, and Serve. Place the pumpkin cake roll on a serving dish, cover with plastic wrap or foil, and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve. To serve this cake, drizzle it with caramel sauce, sprinkle with a spoonful of toffee pieces, and slice.
Enjoy!

Front view of a pumpkin roll on a rectangular plate, drizzled with caramel and sprinkled with toffee.

How Do I Keep My Pumpkin Roll from Cracking?

One of the keys to an uncracked, unbroken pumpkin roll cake is the first roll, when the cake is warm from the oven. Warm cake is softer than cooled cake, in part because it’s filled with steam. So when your cake comes out of the oven and you roll it up right away, that helps it “set” in the right shape.

The other key is very gentle handling when you unroll the cake and fill it. Since it cooled in a spiral shape, it may not unroll completely flat. That’s okay! Just gently open it out and gently spread the filling on. Then very, very gently roll it back up. Almost every time, you should get a nice, uncracked cake!

Servings of pumpkin spice jelly roll on dessert plates, garnished with caramel drizzle and toffee bits.

Tips and Tricks for the Perfect Pumpkin Roll

Want more easy tips? I’ve got ‘em! Here are a few more helpful pointers for making this pumpkin cake roll.

About the Parchment: No need for a tea-towel! For easy handling, use parchment paper (not a tea towel) to line your 10×15-inch jelly roll pan. Parchment is super non-stick, and works very well to sturdily, evenly roll that cake up.
Fitting the Parchment: Make sure to cut a piece that is 2 inches longer than your baking sheet on each end. To make it fit into the rimmed pan, gently crumple the paper, then press it into the corners, letting the longer ends hang over the edges.
Pumpkin Notes: Make sure you use 100% canned pumpkin puree, not canned pumpkin pie filling. Sometimes the cans they come in look almost identical! But pumpkin pie filling has lots of other ingredients, like sweeteners, thickeners, and spices – it won’t taste good or perform well in this recipe.

Close-up shot of pumpkin roll on a plate.

Yummy Variation Ideas

Not sure you want caramel? No problem. Toffee not your thing? Change it up! Put your own twist on this decadent dessert. These easy tweaks and variations will give you a little inspiration.

Buttercream Instead of Cream Cheese: Cream cheese frosting as a tangy sweetness, but a more traditional buttercream would also be great. Make sure to make a good, thick buttercream and only apply it to a completely cool cake, and put it right into the fridge until you’re ready to serve – buttercream tends to be delicate.
Chocolate Instead of Caramel: A drizzle of chocolate ganache or store-bought fudge sauce would make a great topping in place of the caramel.
White Chocolate Macadamia: For a sweet, creamy twist, replace the toffee bits with crushed macadamia nuts, and top with a drizzle of melted white chocolate instead of (or in addition to) caramel sauce.

A bite of pumpkin roll cake being lifted toward the camera on a fork.

How Long Does a Pumpkin Roll Last in the Fridge?

The most important thing to keep in mind when storing a roll cake is to wrap it in plastic wrap or foil, so that as little air as possible can get to the cake and dry it out. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 5 days.

Can I Freeze This?

You can definitely freeze this recipe! Wrap it in a double layer of plastic followed by foil, mark with the date, and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw it in your refrigerator before cutting and serving.

5 from 3 votes

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Yield: 12 Servings