A soft and plush Pumpkin Chai Swiss Roll Cake perfect for the fall season! Made with a light and airy pumpkin sponge cake filled with chai whipped cream.
The idea for this Pumpkin Chai Swiss Roll has been in the back of our minds since we started the blog a few years ago, and here it finally is!
Like our Peach Mascarpone Cake, we wanted a delicate dessert that isn’t too heavy but still full of wonderful flavors. In order to let the chai whipped cream shine through, we kept the pumpkin sponge cake relatively simple with vanilla being the only other flavoring.
It’s a great fall dessert that would definitely taste good with a cup of espresso. If you’ve never tackled a Swiss roll cake before, it’s really not as difficult as you might think. All it really takes is a gentle hand and you’ve got yourself an impressive looking autumnal dessert.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Texture: Everything in this pumpkin chai Swiss roll is light and airy. From the moist sponge cake to the whipped cream filling. It’s seriously like eating a cloud.
- Chai Whipped Cream: It wouldn’t be fall without a little chai sprinkled in somewhere. Even though the cake is cool when eating, the spices add a nice bit of warmth back to the dessert.
Ingredient Notes
Ingredient quantities are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. Here you’ll find notes on why we chose certain ingredients as well as any substitutions.
- All-Purpose Flour: A kitchen scale is best for measuring and preventing a dry cake.
- Baking Powder + Salt: We use fine sea salt but table salt will work here too.
- Eggs: Whipping the egg whites separately and folding them into the batter is what gives the cake it’s fluffy sponge-like texture.
- Granulated Sugar: Caster sugar works too.
- Pumpkin Puree: We use canned puree for this recipe. We haven’t tried it with fresh pumpkin puree, but we recommend straining and squeezing out as much liquid as possible if you decide to use it.
- Vanilla Extract: You’ll need 1 ½ tsp for the pumpkin sponge cake.
- Powdered Sugar: This is for the chai whipped cream, dusting before rolling, and finishing off the cake.
- Heavy Cream: For the base of the chai cream.
- Ground Spices: We use a combination of cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and cloves for the chai spice.
Kitchen Equipment
- Kitchen Scale
- Oven Thermometer
- Parchment Paper
- Mixing Bowls
- Small Offset Spatula
- 12×17″ Baking Pan
- Electric Hand Mixer
- Fine Mesh Sieve (large and small)
Step-by-Step Instructions
This section provides a general overview as well as any pictures to guide you through the recipe. The full detailed recipe instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
STEP 1: Combine the dry ingredients. Line the bottom of a 12×17″ baking pan with parchment paper then combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
STEP 2: Beat the egg whites. Separate the egg whites and yolks into two large bowls. Add 50 g (¼ cup) of sugar to the egg whites and whip with a handheld mixer on high until stiff peaks form.
STEP 3: Mix the other wet ingredients. Add the remaining sugar, pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract to the bowl with the egg yolks. Mix on medium speed for 2 minutes until light and creamy.
STEP 4: Sift the dry ingredients. Using a fine mesh sieve, sift the flour mixture over the pumpkin mixture and mix on low speed until just combined.
STEP 5: Fold in the egg whites. Add ⅓ of the egg whites at a time and fold until combined and no streaks remain. Be careful not to overmix as this will deflate the batter.
STEP 6: Transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Gently spread the batter into an even layer using an offset spatula.
STEP 7: Bake. Bake the cake for 12-13 minutes or until it springs back in the center when lightly touched. While it’s in the oven, place a large piece of parchment paper on the counter and dust lightly with powdered sugar.
STEP 8: Roll the cake. Immediately flip the cake onto the sugared parchment paper. Peel off the top parchment then roll it tightly into a log with the new parchment. Cool completely.
STEP 9: Make the chai whipped cream. To a large bowl, add the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and chai spices. Whip on medium-high until stiff peaks form.
STEP 10: Assemble the cake: Unroll the cooled cake and spread the chai cream all over in an even layer. Gently roll the cake back up, peeling back the parchment as you go. Chill in the fridge for 1-2 hours to set. When ready to serve, cut off the ends of your pumpkin Swiss roll and dust with powdered sugar.
Expert Tips
- Be Gentle: This is key to getting a uniform, crack-free Swiss roll cake. Taking extra care when peeling off parchment paper and rolling/unrolling will set you up for success.
- Use an offset spatula: A silicone spatula is too hefty for spreading the batter and whipped cream. It tends to drag other things along with it so it’s best to use something smaller for spreading.
FAQ
This naturally happens when condensation from the warm cake gets trapped under the parchment paper. A quick fix is to give the cake a generous dusting of powdered sugar. Just keep in mind that it will seep into the cake after a while and you’ll have to re-dust any leftovers.
If the cake cools too much before rolling, it becomes prone to cracking since it’s not as flexible. The cake will stiffen as it cools so it’s important to roll it immediately out of the oven while it’s warm. Another reason could be that the batter was spread too thin in a certain area before baking.
Baking in Grams
All of our baking recipes are carefully tested using grams so that you get a beautiful and delicious baked good every time. While we provide cup measurements, we can’t guarantee that they’ll produce good results. There’s more room for error when using cups, and how you pack your ingredients can make a significant difference. This is why we recommend measuring by weight so you’re guaranteed for success in the kitchen! All you need is a kitchen scale and you’re good to go!
Storage
Store the slices in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also wrap the whole roll in plastic wrap. Just keep in mind that you may have to re-dust the outside as the powdered sugar will soak into the cake.
More Pumpkin Desserts
If you tried this recipe, let us know how it turned out for you! Leave a star rating and review below and tag us on Instagram @fancifuleats so we can see your amazing kitchen creations!
📖 Recipe
Pumpkin Chai Swiss Roll
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale
- Small Offset Spatula
- 12x17-inch (32x44 cm) Baking Pan
- Electric Hand Mixer
- Fine Mesh Sieve large and small
Ingredients
Pumpkin Swiss Roll:
- 90 g (¾ cup) all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- 4 large eggs cold
- 150 g (¾ cup) granulated sugar divided
- 180 g (¾ cup) canned pumpkin puree
- 1 ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar
Chai Whipped Cream:
- 250 ml (1 cup) heavy cream cold
- 40 g (⅓ cup) powdered sugar spooned and leveled
- ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground cardamom
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- pinch ground cloves
Instructions
Pumpkin Swiss Roll:
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a 12x17-inch (32x44 cm) baking sheet with nonstick spray and line the bottom with parchment paper. It should be flush with the bottom, leaving no overhang.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Separate the egg yolks and egg whites and place them in two large bowls. Add 50 g (¼ cup) of sugar to the bowl of egg whites. Using an electric hand mixer, whip on high speed until stiff peaks form then set aside.
- To the bowl with the egg yolks, add the remaining 100 g (½ cup) of sugar, pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract. Mix on medium speed for 2 minutes until light and creamy (no need to clean the beaters).
- Sift the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture and mix on low speed until just combined. Scrape down the bowl halfway through.
- Add ⅓ of the egg whites in at a time and gently fold until no streaks or lumps remain. Be careful not to delate the batter. It should look light and fluffy.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan and gently spread into an even layer using an offset spatula. If you find any sneaky lumps of egg white, lightly smooth them back and forth until mixed into the batter.
- Bake for 12-13 minutes or until the center springs back when lightly touched. While the cake is baking, place a large piece of parchment paper on the counter (it should be bigger than the cake). Using a fine mesh sieve, evenly dust 2 tbsp of powdered sugar onto the surface.
- As soon as the cake is done baking, loosen the edges with a knife and immediately flip onto the dusted parchment paper. Gently peel off the parchment stuck to the cake.
- Starting from a short end, fold over any excess parchment paper up to the edge of the cake then roll tightly into a log. Allow it to completely cool like this before making the filling, about 45 minutes.
Chai Whipped Cream:
- In a large bowl using an electric hand mixer, whip the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and spices on medium-high until stiff peaks form.
- Gently unroll the cake and place dollops of the cream all over. Spread into an even layer using an offset spatula.
- Roll the cake back up, gently peeling away the parchment paper as you do so. Carefully move it to a plate or roll onto another sheet of parchment and chill in the fridge for 1-2 hours to firm up.
- Before serving, trim off the edges and dust with powdered sugar.
Notes
- Be as gentle as possible when handling the cake to prevent any cracks or tears.
- We haven't tested this cake with fresh pumpkin puree, but if you decide to use it, we recommend straining and squeezing out as much liquid as possible.
- Cold eggs work best since they're much easier to separate than room temperature ones.
Radie Cannady says
This one is on our Thanksgiving menu!
Fanciful Eats says
Hope you enjoy it!