This gluten-free pumpkin roll is my pastry chef take on a pumpkin spice latte. A tender pumpkin sponge wraps around a swirl of caramel whipped cream, and an espresso glaze drips down the sides. It makes a beautiful Thanksgiving dessert, especially if you’re looking for something a little different from pumpkin pie.
A classic pumpkin roll with a pumpkin spice latte twist
If you compare a few pumpkin roll recipes, you’ll notice how closely many of them resemble Libby’s classic pumpkin roll. Mine starts with that same familiar style of sponge, adapted with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. Why fix what already works? Some of my favorite recipes started on the back of a package. Companies put real time and money into recipe development because they want you to have a good experience baking with their product.
I use my homemade pumpkin pie spice in place of measuring the spices separately. Store-bought pumpkin pie spice works here, too.
I love cream cheese frosting, and I make my own version of those Starbucks pumpkin cream cheese muffins. But when it comes to pumpkin cake, I’d rather pair it with coffee. Espresso brings out the warm spices in the sponge, and the caramel in the whipped cream rounds out the coffee’s slight bitterness. You can use a thick store-bought caramel sauce or make my homemade caramel sauce.
My tips for rolling and glazing the cake
Roll the sponge while it’s still warm, starting at a short end, and let it cool completely in the towel. The warm sponge is more flexible, and cooling it in that shape makes it easier to roll back up once you’ve spread on the filling.
Here’s the trick I shared in my reel for keeping the serving platter clean. Slide strips of parchment under the edges of the cake before spooning on the espresso glaze. The parchment catches the drips, and you can gently pull the strips away once you’re done.
If you’d like to see the technique in action, my Rolled Cakes Class uses different recipes to demonstrate how to make gluten-free sponge cakes and roll them. I also show you how to pipe designs into the sponge for patterned cake rolls.
More gluten-free pumpkin recipes
For breakfast or an afternoon snack, try my gluten-free pumpkin bread or pumpkin streusel muffins. My maple pumpkin butter is delicious on toast or stirred into oatmeal.
For a cookie tray, try my soft pumpkin chocolate chip cookies or the pumpkin whoopie pies that used to sell out at my bakeries.
For the holiday dessert table, I also have pumpkin pie with maple whipped cream, gluten-free pumpkin cheesecake, and pumpkin cheesecake bars with streusel topping.
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Roll with Caramel Whipped Cream and Espresso Glaze
Ingredients
Pumpkin Cake
- 30 g powdered sugar for dusting the towel
- 100 g 1:1 gluten-free flour plus extra for preparing the pan
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 lg eggs approximately 150 g without shells
- 200 g granulated sugar or maple sugar
- 150 g pumpkin purée
Caramel Whipped Cream Filling
- 240 g cold heavy cream
- 80 - 100 g caramel sauce homemade or store-bought (can sub maple sugar)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Espresso Glaze
- 150 g powdered sugar
- 1-2 teaspoons espresso powder to taste
- 60 g heavy cream non-dairy cream substitute, or plant-based milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
Make the Pumpkin Cake
- Lay a clean, thin kitchen towel on the counter and dust it evenly with the powdered sugar.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in a small bowl.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until thick. Mix in the pumpkin purée, then stir in the flour mixture until fully combined. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Rest for 20-30 minutes while your oven pre-heats.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a 15 × 10-inch jelly roll pan with parchment paper, then grease and flour the parchment.
- Bake for 12–15 minutes, until the top of the cake springs back when lightly touched. Do not overbake.
- As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, loosen the edges and turn it out onto the prepared towel. Carefully peel off the parchment and dust with powdered sugar. Starting at a short end, roll up the warm cake and towel together. Set the roll on a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the Filling and Assemble the Roll
- Take a few tablespoons of cream and mix it with the caramel to thin it - set it aside. Whip the remaining cold heavy cream and vanilla until soft peaks form. Add the caramel sauce and continue whipping until the cream holds firm peaks and is easy to spread.
- Gently unroll the cooled cake and spread the caramel whipped cream evenly over it, leaving a small border at the edges. Roll the cake back up without the towel and place it seam side down on a serving platter. Refrigerate while you make the glaze.
Make the Glaze and Finish the Roll
- Stir the espresso powder into the cream until dissolved. Whisk in the powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth and pourable.
- Slide strips of parchment under the edges of the cake to cover the exposed platter and catch any drips. Spoon the glaze over the top of the roll, letting it drip down the sides. When you’re finished glazing, gently pull the parchment strips out to reveal a clean platter. Decorate the top with additional whipped cream if desired.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
