Preheat the oven to 375F. Grease a 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan, line it with parchment, then grease the parchment. Lay a thin cotton kitchen towel on the counter and dust it evenly with the ¼ cup powdered sugar.

Whisk the flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs with both sugars until thick and pale, about 2 minutes. Beat in the pumpkin, then stir in the dry ingredients just until combined.

Spread the batter evenly into the pan and scatter the walnuts over the top, if using.

Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, until the top springs back when you lightly press the center.

Immediately loosen the edges and flip the cake onto the sugared towel, then peel off the parchment. Starting from a short end, roll the warm cake and towel up together into a snug log.

Set the rolled cake on a wire rack and cool completely while rolled, about 1 hour.

Beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and beat again until silky.

Gently unroll the cooled cake so it lies mostly flat. Spread the filling over the surface, leaving a ½-inch border.

Re-roll the cake without the towel, wrap it tightly in plastic, and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.

Dust with powdered sugar and slice into 1-inch rounds to serve.