Pumpkin Bars are full of spice, incredibly moist and topped with a luscious cream cheese frosting. This is baked in a 9×13 pan and is perfect for potlucks and get togethers.
PUMPKIN CAKE
These pumpkin bars cake are soft, moist, and delightful. The name is deceptive though because they definitely fall more into the “cake” category than a bar.
I’ve tried a lot of pumpkin bar recipes over the years and I loved the flavor of this one. I added some pumpkin spice to pump up the pumpkin flavor a bit.
And look at that frosting…it’s definitely just good by the spoonful.
CAKE OR BAR?
Well I guess that’s up to you. If you bake it in a 9×13 pan it is thicker like the cake above.
If you cook it in a jelly roll pan (12×17 inches) it’s a little thinner but still oh so fluffy. I prefer this method a little bit over the cake because I feel like it cooks more even.
The frosting is perfection if I do say so myself.
T
The hardest part is waiting for them to cool to frost.
Cut them into bars.
OTHER PUMPKIN RECIPES:
Yield: 16 servings
These Pumpkin Cake is full of spice, incredibly moist and topped with a luscious cream cheese frosting.
Bars:
-
4
eggs -
1 2/3
cups
granulated sugar -
1
cup
vegetable oil -
1
(15 ounce)
can pumpkin -
2
cups
all-purpose flour -
2
teaspoons
baking powder -
2
teaspoons
ground cinnamon -
2
teaspoons
pumpkin pie spice -
1
teaspoon
salt -
1
teaspoon
baking soda
Frosting:
-
1
(8 ounce)
package cream cheese, softened -
1/2
cup
unsalted butter
, softened -
3 3/4
cups
powdered sugar -
1
teaspoon
vanilla extract -
(optional)
milk or cream to thin frosting
-
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease or line your pan with parchment paper. For a thick cake-like bar use a 9×13-inch baking dish. For a thinner bar use a jelly roll pan (12×17 or 15×10).
-
Using an electric mixer at medium speed, combine the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin. Stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, salt and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth.
-
For a 9×13 baking dish: Pour batter into baking dish and bake for 35-40 minutes. Test the center with a toothpick to check for doneness. For a jelly roll pan (my preferred method): Spread batter into a greased jelly roll pan and bake for 18-20 minutes, checking for doneness with a toothpick.
-
Let cool completely before frosting.
-
To make the frosting: Combine the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sugar and mix at low speed until combined. Stir in the vanilla and mix again. Add a little milk or cream to make it to your desired consistency. Beat until fluffy. Spread on cooled pumpkin bars and cut into squares or cut bars first and frost individually.
Source: adapted slightly from Becoming Betty ; original recipe by Paula Deen
