This sourdough pumpkin roll pairs fluffy, sweet, spiced sourdough cake with a delicious, cream cheese filling. Literally, the best fall treat. 

overhead photo of a sourdough pumpkin roll dusted with powdered sugar and one slice revealing the roll and cream cheese frosting filling on a white countertop

I love pumpkin rolls and I think they are insanely delicious, but I wanted a long fermented option.

Creating sourdough recipes is one of my favorite things to do. Itโ€™s like adding a health benefit to ordinary foods. 

Like, “Hey, Pumpkin Cake, lets make you healthier and more bioavailable with some fermentation. Thank you.” Then you top it with sweet, cream cheese filling. 

All joking aside, this recipe hits the fall pumpkin spot. Everything you love about a fall recipe is right here.

The delicious pumpkin spice, the light tang of sourdough in a cake, all smothered with a naturally-sweetened, maple cream cheese filling and rolled up in a perfect spiral.

Plus, your house will smell amazing from baking the cake. Like a giant, spiced candle wafting through your home.

If you are new to sourdough, make sure to check out how to make a sourdough starter first.

sourdough pumpkin roll with cream cheese filling swirled on the inside on a [piece of parchment paper with cut slices to the right

Benefits Of Sourdough

Sourdough has many benefits. From better digestion to better nutrient absorption, itโ€™s easy to see why it has regained popularity. 

The fermentation process allows the natural yeasts in the starter to ferment the grain and break down the anti-nutrients. The anti-nutrient, phytic acid, breaks down and increases certain nutrients like folate, and helps other nutrients to be more bioavailable. (source)

close up of pumpkin cake rolled with with cream cheese frosting filling on the inside. The roll is on parchment paper

Tips For Making Sourdough Pumpkin Rolls:

  • To get the pumpkin roll to not crack when rolling, roll the cake up as soon as it comes out of the oven with the parchment paper and allow to cool in that position. Unroll, add icing, then roll back up.
  • If you donโ€™t have pumpkin spice, you can make your own by mixing together ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. You could also just use cinnamon.
  • The cake has 1/2 cup of sugar to make it a bit sweeter, but if you want a less sweet cake, you can just leave it out.
  • Use sucanat, rapadura, or even coconut sugar for a more naturally-sweetened recipe. But if you donโ€™t have these, regular sugar will work just fine.
  • You can use an active sourdough starter or even sourdough discard.
  • Donโ€™t want to ferment the recipe? That is totally fine. Just mix and bake.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.

a slice of a sourdough pumpkin roll with cream cheese filling rolled up in pumpkin cake. The rest of the roll is to the right and dusted with powdered sugar.
Want to save this recipe?
Just enter your email and get it sent to your inbox! Plus you’ll get new recipes from us every week!
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Tools you may need:

Large bowl

Baking sheet

Parchment paper

Measuring cups and spoons

Stand mixer

Grain mill (optional)

How To Make Sourdough Pumpkin Rolls With Cream Cheese Frosting

sourdough pumpkin roll with cream cheese frosting filling dusted with powdered sugar on parchment paper with a slice of the roll to the front right

Make The Sourdough Pumpkin Cake

The night before, mix together flour, active sourdough starter, 1/2 cup pumpkin, and maple syrup. Cover and allow to ferment for at least 8 hours, or up to 24 hours.

The next day, add to the cake mixture the salt, eggs, vanilla, and sucanat. Mix until well incorporated. A stand mixer will make this much easier.

top picture if pumpkin cake batter bottom picture of the cake spread evenly on a parchment lined baking sheet

Sprinkle baking soda evenly and mix in.

Spread evenly on a 13 by 18 inch sheet pan lined with parchment paper.

Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.

Roll The Cake

Once done, pull from the oven and test that it has baked through with a toothpick.

In order to avoid the cake cracking later when you roll it up with the cream cheese, roll it in the parchment paper as soon as it comes out of the oven (be careful, because it’s hot). Allow it to cool while rolled. 

top picture of a unrolled pumpkin cake and the bottom picture is of the cream cheese filling spread across the cake to roll

Create Maple Cream Cheese Filling

While the cake is cooling, combine the cream cheese frosting ingredients with a mixer until incorporated and smooth. 

Put Together The Sourdough Pumpkin Roll

Carefully unroll the cooled cake, spread on the cream cheese filling evenly, and roll it back up. 

Slice and enjoy.

overhead photo of slices of sourdough pumpkin rolls on parchment paper

How To Store A Pumpkin Roll

Store the pumpkin roll in the refrigerator until ready to serve. It will last 3-5 days in the fridge.

You can also freeze it for up to 3 months. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and freeze. 

Thaw at least 18-24 hours before serving.

sourdough pumpkin roll with cream cheese frosting filling and dusted with powdered sugar lay on parchment paper with a roll sliced off and resting in front of the roll. A knife is to the right and two small pumpkin to the left

Find More Delicious Sourdough Recipes:

If you try this recipe and love it, I would love if you gave it 5 stars! Thank you! Tag me on Instagram @farmhouseonboone

Sourdough Pumpkin Roll

4.60 from 123 votes
This sourdough pumpkin roll pairs fluffy, sweet, spiced sourdough cake with a delicious, cream cheese filling.
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Additional Time: 8 hours
Total: 8 hours 35 minutes
Servings: 10
Save this recipe!
Just enter your email and get it sent to your inbox! Plus you’ll get new recipes from us every week!
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Ingredients 

Pumpkin Cake

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup purรฉed pumpkin
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup or honey
  • 1/2 cup sourdough starter, or discard
  • 3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

Filling

  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup powdered sugar, plus more for dusting

Instructions 

  • The night before, mix together flour, active sourdough starter, 1/2 cup pumpkin and maple syrup. Cover and allow to ferment for at least 8 hours, or up to 24 hours.
  • The next day, add to the cake mixture the salt, eggs, vanilla, pumpkin spice and sucanat. Mix until well incorporated.
  • Sprinkle baking soda evenly and mix in.
  • Spread evenly on a 13×18 inch sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
  • Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.
  • Once done, pull from the oven and test that it has baked through with a toothpick.
  • Roll it in the parchment paper as soon as it comes out of the oven (be careful, because it's hot).
  • Allow the cake to cool while rolled.
  • While the cake is cooling, combine the cream cheese frosting ingredients with a mixer until incorporated and smooth.
  • Carefully unroll the cooled cake, spread on the cream cheese filling evenly, and roll it back up.
  • Slice and serve or place in the fridge until you are ready to serve.

Notes

  • To get the pumpkin rolls to not crack when rolling, roll the cake up as soon as it comes out of the oven with the parchment paper and allow to cool in that position. Unroll, add icing, then roll back up.
  • You can use homemade or canned pumpkin.
  • Donโ€™t want to ferment the recipe? That is totally fine. Just mix and bake

Nutrition

Calories: 334kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 84mg | Sodium: 297mg | Potassium: 131mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin A: 2426IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Like this? Leave a comment below!

Sharing is caring!

4.60 from 123 votes (110 ratings without comment)

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




95 Comments

  1. Hannah l says:

    5 stars
    Wow! So creative and excellent. I would love some variations on this!!!

  2. Sandy says:

    5 stars
    I love this recipe! You can’t tell it is a sourdough cake roll. It was easy to make and tastes delicious! I did add walnuts to the top of the cake before baking. It rolled up well and looked beautiful. I will be using this recipe again!

  3. Lauren says:

    Hi Lisa! Quick question – is the 8-24 hour frement stage on the counter or in thr fridge? Thank you!

    1. Lisa Bass says:

      Counter!

  4. Donna says:

    1 star
    It’s probably delicious, but the cake broke apart as I tried to roll it. Nothing like spending all that time for nothing.