• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Grease the bottom and sides of a 10x15-inch jelly roll pan or baking sheet, and line the pan with parchment paper. Then, grease the paper. Set aside.

Cake Batter

• In a large bowl, combine the sugar, pumpkin puree, flour, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, and baking soda.
  1 cup granulated sugar, ¾ cup canned pumpkin purée, ¾ cup all-purpose flour, 3 large eggs, 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice, 1 teaspoon baking soda
• Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan, smooth into an even layer, and bake for 14 to 16 minutes.
• Remove the cooked cake from the oven and place the cake upside down onto a clean kitchen towel sprinkled with powdered sugar. Carefully remove the parchment paper.
  2-3 tablespoons powdered sugar
• Roll the towel and the cake together, and allow the cake to cool. (The towel will be rolled up inside the cake.)

Filling

• In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla. Fold in the pecans if using.
  8 ounces block-style cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract, ½ cup pecans
• Gently, unroll the cooled cake, and use a spatula to spread the filling over the inside of the cake leaving about 1-inch of space along one of the shorter sides. Don't try to make the cake lay flat. It will try to roll at the ends.
• After filling the cake, roll the cake back up and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Store it in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours to set.
• Sprinkle it with extra powdered sugar before serving.
• See post for tips and storage recommendations.