How I Roll

I like rock and roll. I like a good honor roll. But my favorite roll, by far, is pumpkin. Especially at Christmas. This is the perfect Christmas dessert. Pumpkin sponge cake. Walnuts. And more cream cheesy goodness than you can shake a yule log at.

Plus the slices look cool. And it's fun to throw powdered sugar all over your dish towels.

A word to the wise: Let the cake cool nearly completely rolled up in the towel before you attempt to fill. Don't be impatient. And speaking of being patient, let it sit in the fridge overnight if you can.


Pumpkin Roll

• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup pureed pumpkin
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 6 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Powdered sugar (for towel and for dusting cake)

Preheat oven to 375F. Grease 15x10-inch jelly-roll pan and line with wax or parchment paper. Grease and flour paper.

Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice and salt. In a separate bowl, beat eggs and granulated sugar. Add pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture.

Spread in pan and sprinkle with nuts. Bake about 15 minutes.

While cake bakes, sprinkle a thin towel with about 1/3 cup of powdered sugar. (Use plenty – the cake sticks.) When cake is done, invert immediately onto towel. Peel off the paper and roll cake in towel. Cool completely (on a rack) before unrolling.

For the filling, beat cream cheese, 1 cup powered sugar, butter and vanilla. Unroll the cake, spread the filling and re-roll. Refrigerate for two to three hours (but best if refrigerated overnight). Dust with powdered sugar before serving.


The food: Pumpkin roll
The verdict: Santa requested it over cookies this year