Gluten-Free Pumpkin Roll with Vanilla Cream Cheese

This gluten-free pumpkin roll pairs a lightly spiced pumpkin sponge with a whipped vanilla cream cheese filling. The orange-and-white spiral makes it a lovely autumn dessert, and the recipe uses one sheet-pan sponge rather than stacked cake layers.

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Before you begin

Set aside a 10 × 15-inch (25 × 38 cm) rimmed baking pan, baking parchment, foil, an electric mixer, two mixing bowls and a small offset spatula. Pan size matters: spreading the same batter into a substantially different pan changes the thickness of the sponge and its baking time.

Allow about 45 minutes of active preparation, 12–14 minutes in the oven and roughly an hour for cooling. The recipe makes one roll about 10 inches long, divided into 10 slices. Cooling is part of the method, so plan for it rather than filling the cake straight from the oven.

Ingredients that need particular attention

Pumpkin: use plain canned pumpkin purée, not sweetened pumpkin pie filling. The latter changes both sweetness and seasoning. This recipe uses 150 g of purée in the sponge.

Gluten-free flour: weigh the 80 g called for in the recipe. Use Doves Farm FREEE plain white gluten-free flour without added xanthan gum. Other blends can absorb moisture differently; almond flour or coconut flour is not a direct substitute for a plain flour blend.

Xanthan gum: this is a roll cake, so follow the specific amount in the card. Use ¾ teaspoon with a flour blend that has no added xanthan gum, or ½ teaspoon when the blend already includes it. Do not automatically omit all additional gum because a different cake recipe tells you to.

Filling: keep the cream and cream cheese cold. Sift the powdered sugar to avoid lumps, and choose 60–80 g depending on the sweetness you prefer. Both the sponge and filling contain vanilla; check the ingredient label on the product you use.

How the pumpkin roll comes together

First, whisk the eggs and sugar until thick enough to leave a visible trail across the mixture. This is the main aeration step. Add the pumpkin and vanilla briefly, then incorporate the sifted dry ingredients. Check the bottom of the mixing bowl before spreading the batter into an even layer in the lined pan.

Bake the sponge in a conventional oven at 350°F (180°C). Start checking around 12 minutes: look for a set, springy surface and a skewer without wet batter. Allow up to about 14 minutes. Oven differences mean the visual checks matter as well as the clock.

The covered-cooling method

Cover the baking pan with foil as soon as it comes out of the oven. Leave the sponge covered while it cools to room temperature or slightly warm. This helps retain moisture, which is useful when bending a thin gluten-free sponge. Aim to keep the cake at or above approximately 72°F (22°C) before rolling.

Unlike a method that starts by rolling hot cake inside a towel, this recipe fills and rolls the sponge after covered cooling. Avoid combining the two methods: extra handling can make a delicate sheet more difficult to work with.

Fill, roll and slice

Whisk the cold cream with powdered sugar to soft peaks, smooth the cream cheese separately, then combine them with vanilla. Keep the mixing gentle. Spread the filling evenly over the cooled sponge, loosen the edges and position a short side toward you.

Use the parchment underneath to guide the cake away from you. Begin with a snug fold, continue steadily and peel the paper back as you go. Do not roll the parchment into the filling. Dust the finished cake with powdered sugar and cut with a sharp knife, wiping the blade between slices.

Troubleshooting and substitutions

A cracked sponge: check for overbaking, drying during cooling, incorrect gum quantity or a different pan size. These are checks to make before changing the ingredient ratios. A small surface crack does not prevent the cake from being sliced and served.

A loose filling: confirm that the dairy ingredients were cold and that the cream reached soft peaks. Stop mixing once the filling holds its shape. This version is not dairy-free or egg-free; replacing those ingredients needs a separately tested formulation.

Storage and gluten-free checks

Refrigerate the filled roll in a covered container. Keep refrigerated for up to 3–4 days. Follow the handling and storage instructions for the dairy products you use, and return leftovers to the fridge promptly.

Check packaged ingredients such as flour, baking powder, vanilla and powdered sugar for their suitability. Use clean equipment and a preparation area protected from gluten cross-contact. “Gluten-free” does not mean free from every allergen: this recipe contains eggs and milk.

Gluten-free pumpkin roll recipe card

Emma Collins

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Roll with Vanilla Cream Cheese

A lightly spiced gluten-free pumpkin sponge rolled around a whipped vanilla cream cheese filling.

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Prep Time 45 minutes mins

Cook Time 12 minutes mins

Cooling Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 57 minutes mins

Servings: 10 slices

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

Pumpkin sponge

• 3 large eggs room temperature
• 150 g granulated sugar
• 150 g canned pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling
• 1 tsp vanilla extract gluten-free
• 80 g plain gluten-free flour blend without added xanthan gum
• 3/4 tsp xanthan gum use 1/2 tsp if the blend already contains xanthan gum
• 1/2 tsp baking powder gluten-free
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Cream cheese filling

• 155 g heavy whipping cream cold
• 60-80 g powdered sugar sifted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract gluten-free
• 150 g cream cheese cold

Finishing

• 1-2 tbsp powdered sugar for dusting

Method

 

1. Heat a conventional oven to 180°C / 350°F. Line a 25 x 38 cm / 10 x 15 inch rimmed pan with baking parchment.
2. Beat the eggs and granulated sugar with an electric mixer until very thick and light, about 5-7 minutes. Briefly mix in the pumpkin and vanilla.
3. Sift the flour, xanthan gum, raising agents, salt and spices together. Mix into the egg batter just until smooth, about 15-30 seconds, checking the bottom of the bowl for dry patches.
4. Level the batter in the pan. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until the sponge springs back gently and a skewer comes out clean.
5. Cover the hot pan with foil immediately. Let the sponge cool under the cover for about an hour, to room temperature or slightly warm; the source recommends keeping it at or above 22°C / 72°F before rolling.
6. Whisk the cold cream with the sifted powdered sugar to soft peaks. Loosen the cream cheese in a separate bowl, then combine it with the whipped cream and vanilla. Mix gently until the filling holds soft peaks; avoid overbeating.
7. Release the cooled cake edges. Spread the filling across the sponge. With a short edge toward you, use the parchment to lift and guide the cake into a snug roll, peeling the paper away as you go. The finished roll is about 25 cm / 10 inches long.
8. Dust with powdered sugar, then slice. Keep the filled cake refrigerated in a covered container; the source gives a storage window of 3-4 days.

Notes

Use 3/4 tsp xanthan gum with a blend without added gum; use 1/2 tsp when the blend already includes it. Weigh the flour rather than relying on cup conversions. Use a plain white gluten-free flour blend.

Contains eggs and milk. Verify the gluten-free status of packaged ingredients, including vanilla and baking powder, and prevent cross-contact. Bake for 12–14 minutes; the displayed total uses the 12-minute estimate and 60 minutes cooling.

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