Pumpkin Cream Cheese Cake Roll/Festival Foods

You knew at some point I would have to write about an autumnal dessert. The thing is, such options become available quite early in the fall, so I had plenty of time to ponder what to do. My choice actually became evident fairly early, when walking through the aisles of Festival Foods in Eau Claire. I came across a cylindrical cake involving cream cheese…OK, now we’re talking. I had to spring for it: the pumpkin cream cheese cake roll:

What most drew me to the roll was a version I used to have around Master Singers concerts. I’ve been in the choir for many years, and one of our longtime members would bring his wife’s homemade pumpkin cream cheese rolls to our Christmas concert reception (and on our bus when we’d do concerts out of the area). It was pretty much the signature item for our post-show spread. Thus, seeing one in the store was a natural get for me.

So, here you go: a tart pumpkin cake, rolled amongst a cream cheese filling. Even if you eat it on a warmer autumn day (like the day I had mine — somewhat summer, really), it still sets the mood some towards regular fall vibes. As always, cream cheese and pumpkin go well together — and I have a full log’s worth to enjoy going forward.

Festival happens to have plenty of other pumpkin-related baked goods along with the cake roll, so if pumpkin is your thing, you have choices to make (or, purchase them all). This is the season for items from the same family as gourds and squash to become all sorts of desserts.