Sweet Pumpkin Roll with Creamy Lemon Sour Cream Filling This delightful pumpkin sponge roll is soft, gently spiced, and filled with a rich, tangy cream made from sour cream, butter, and fresh lemon zest. It’s the perfect dessert for autumn or any cozy gathering. Here’s how to make it from scratch — including your own pumpkin purée! Ingredients

 

Overview & Concept

A pumpkin roll is a thin, spiced cake (often “jelly‑roll style”) that’s baked in a sheet pan, rolled up (often while warm) in a towel to set its shape, then unrolled and filled with a creamy filling, and re‑rolled and chilled to set. It’s elegant and dramatic when sliced to reveal the spiral. Many classic recipes use a cream cheese filling. Averie Cooks+2Saving Room for Dessert+2

In this version, we’ll incorporate sour cream + lemon into the filling (i.e. a creamy lemon sour cream filling), giving it brightness and tang that cuts through the richness of pumpkin and sweetness. The cake remains spiced and soft.

The total process takes more time (because of chilling, rolling, etc.), but the hands-on steps are not terribly difficult. I’ll walk you through each stage carefully.

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Ingredient List (Yields ~1 roll, about 10–12 slices)

Below is a suggested ingredient set. You can scale up or down, or adapt if needed.

For the Pumpkin Cake (the “shell”)

Ingredient	Amount	Notes / Tips
Eggs	3 large, room temperature	Whipping eggs well gives light structure
Granulated sugar	1 cup	Sweetens the cake
Pumpkin puree	⅔ cup	Use pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling
Fresh lemon juice	1 teaspoon	Helps with lift and adds brightness
All-purpose flour	¾ cup	Combined with baking powder/soda
Baking powder	1 teaspoon	Leavening agent
Baking soda	½ teaspoon	Reacts with acid for lift
Ground cinnamon	1 teaspoon	Spiced warmth
Ground ginger	½ teaspoon	Optional, for depth
Ground nutmeg	¼ teaspoon	Optional, warm spice
Salt	½ teaspoon	Enhances flavors

For the Creamy Lemon Sour Cream Filling

Ingredient	Amount	Notes / Tips
Cream cheese, softened	8 oz (≈ 225 g)	Ensures smooth filling
Unsalted butter, softened	2 tablespoons	Adds richness
Sour cream	¼ cup	Adds tang & creaminess
Powdered sugar (icing sugar)	1 to 1¼ cups, sifted	Adjust sweetness
Lemon juice	1 to 2 tablespoons	For bright flavor
Lemon zest	1 teaspoon	Adds fresh lemon oils
Vanilla extract	½ teaspoon	Rounds flavor
Pinch of salt	small	Balances sweetness

Optional Garnishes / Add‑Ins

• Additional powdered sugar (for dusting)

• Chopped toasted nuts (walnuts, pecans)

• A drizzle of simple lemon glaze

• Sprinkle of cinnamon

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Equipment & Preparations

You’ll need:

• Jelly roll / sheet pan (e.g. 10″×15″ or around that size)

• Parchment paper

• Clean kitchen towel (lint-free)

• Mixing bowls

• Electric mixer or hand mixer

• Whisk, spatula

• Measuring cups & spoons

• Fine mesh sieve (for powdered sugar)

• Cooling rack

• Plastic wrap

Before you begin:

• Preheat oven (as specified below).

• Line the sheet pan with parchment paper, letting some overhang for ease of lifting.

• Sift the powdered sugar (for filling) in advance.

• Softening cream cheese and butter (leave them at room temperature) helps avoid lumps.

• Have your towel ready (sprinkle powdered sugar on it) so the cake can be rolled up without sticking, immediately after baking.

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Step‑by‑Step Instructions

Here’s how to make it:

1. Preheat & prepare sheet pan

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (175 °C).

• Line your jelly roll / sheet pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang on short sides for lifting.

• Lightly grease the parchment if needed (though leavened cake will often release okay).

2. Mix the wet base (eggs, sugar, pumpkin, lemon)

1. In a large bowl, beat the eggs + granulated sugar using a mixer (or whisk) until thickened, pale, and ribbons form when lifted (this helps give air).

2. Add the pumpkin puree and lemon juice, mixing until fully combined.

3. Combine dry ingredients & fold in

1. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt.

2. Gradually fold (or gently stir) the dry mixture into the wet batter. Do not overmix — just until no large streaks of flour remain.

4. Bake the cake

• Pour the batter into the prepared sheet pan, spreading it evenly to corners.

• Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 13–15 minutes (thin cake bakes fast).

• You want the top just set, springy to touch, and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.

5. Roll the cake while hot

1. Immediately upon removing from oven, dust a clean kitchen towel with powdered sugar (so the cake doesn’t stick).

2. Invert the hot cake onto the sugared towel (peel off parchment gently).

3. Starting from one short end, roll the cake + towel together (rolling the cake into a spiral), press gently as you roll.

4. Let it rest rolled in the towel on a rack until it cools completely (this helps “train” it to roll without cracking).

6. While the cake cools, make the filling

1. In a bowl, beat cream cheese + butter until smooth and creamy.

2. Add sour cream, powdered sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Beat until smooth and well blended.

3. Taste and adjust sweetness, lemon flavor, or tang.

7. Fill & re-roll

1. Once the cake is fully cooled (but still pliable), carefully unroll it (peel back the towel).

2. Spread the lemon sour cream filling evenly over the surface (up to edges).

3. Re-roll the cake (this time without the towel) to form the spiral again.

4. Wrap the filled roll tightly with plastic wrap and chill in fridge for at least 1–2 hours (or longer) so filling firms and slices are cleaner.

8. Serve & garnish

• Once chilled and set, unwrap carefully and transfer to serving plate.

• If desired, dust with powdered sugar, sprinkle lemon zest or nuts, or drizzle a light lemon glaze over the roll.

• Slice with a sharp knife (wipe between cuts if needed). Serve slices.

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Why This Works & Tips & Tricks

• Rolling while hot helps the cake take shape without cracking. Many classic pumpkin roll guides emphasize rolling immediately. Averie Cooks+2Saving Room for Dessert+2

• Using lemon juice in the cake helps lift and accentuates flavor (some pumpkin roll recipes include a bit of lemon juice) Averie Cooks+1

• The lemon sour cream filling adds brightness and contrast to pumpkin’s sweetness.

• Letting the roll chill before slicing ensures sturdiness and cleaner cuts.

• Use a sharp knife or serrated bread knife, wiping between cuts, for smooth slices.

• If small cracks occur, they are typically hidden in the spiral or sealed by the filling.

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Variations & Customizations

• Add nuts or candied pecans layered within filling or sprinkled on top.

• Swirl in a ribbon of lemon curd inside the filling for extra citrus punch.

• Use orange zest / orange juice for variation (turn it into “orange sour cream filling”).

• Spice tweaks in cake: more ginger, cloves, a touch of allspice or cardamom.

• Use maple syrup or honey in the filling instead of some sugar.

• Make a cream cheese + sour cream + yogurt blend for lighter texture.

• Add fresh chopped cranberries or raisins to filling for texture contrast.

• Make mini rolls (smaller pan) for individual servings.

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Approximate Timing & Workflow Summary

Step	Time Estimate
Prep pan, line, assemble ingredients	5 minutes
Beat wet, combine dry & batter assembly	5 minutes
Bake cake	~13–15 minutes
Roll hot cake & cool	~20–30 minutes passive
Prepare filling during cooling	~5–10 minutes
Unroll, fill & re-roll	5 minutes
Chill to set	1–2 hours (or more)
Serve & slice	5 minutes

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Full Printable Version (Clean)

Sweet Pumpkin Roll with Creamy Lemon Sour Cream Filling

Yield: 1 roll (~10–12 slices)
Hands-on time: ~25 minutes
Bake + chilling time: ~1½ to 2 hours+

Ingredients

Pumpkin Cake

• 3 large eggs

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• ⅔ cup pumpkin puree

• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

• ¾ cup all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• ½ teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• ½ teaspoon ginger

• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg

• ½ teaspoon salt

Lemon + Sour Cream Filling

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened

• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened

• ¼ cup sour cream

• 1 to 1¼ cups powdered sugar, sifted

• 1 to 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon lemon zest

• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

• Pinch of salt

Garnish / Optional

• Powdered sugar for dusting

• Lemon zest, nuts, or glaze drizzle

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175 °C). Line a jelly roll pan with parchment paper.

2. In bowl, beat eggs + sugar until pale and thick. Stir in pumpkin puree and lemon juice.

3. Whisk together flour + baking powder + baking soda + cinnamon + ginger + nutmeg + salt. Fold into wet mixture just until combined.

4. Pour batter into prepared pan; spread evenly. Bake ~13–15 minutes until set.

5. While hot, invert cake onto a sugared towel. Peel off parchment. Roll cake + towel together from a short end. Let cool rolled.

6. Meanwhile, beat cream cheese + butter until smooth. Add sour cream, powdered sugar, lemon juice, zest, vanilla, salt; mix until creamy.

7. Once cake is fully cooled, unroll gently, discard towel, spread filling, and re-roll. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill 1–2 hours.

8. Before serving, dust with powdered sugar or garnish. Slice with sharp knife.

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Troubleshooting & Tips

Problem	Cause	Fix / Prevention
Cake cracks when rolling	Letting cake cool too much before rolling	Roll immediately while hot
Filling too soft / oozes	Under-chilled, too thin filling	Chill longer; reduce liquid/sugar in filling
Cake sticks to towel or tears	Not enough powdered sugar on towel	Generously dust towel before inverting
Spiral doesn’t show nicely	Too much filling or uneven spreading	Use moderate layer and spread evenly
Filling bland or too sweet	Imbalanced lemon / sugar	Adjust lemon juice or reduce sugar in filling

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If you like, I can convert this into metric units (grams, milliliters), or give you a Moroccan‑ingredient substitution list, or a photo‑illustrated step version to help you visualize. Do you want me to send one of those for you?