Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

5 from 5 votes

Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

Recipe for pumpkin-spiced, cake-like bars with a silky cream cheese frosting. Perfect for Fall treats and good for shipping in care packages.

Prep Time25

Cook Time30

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 258kcal

Author: Dorothy Stainbrook

Equipment

Stand mixer
baking sheet 9 x 13 or 10 x 15
Bowls, spatula and knife

Ingredients

For the Cake Part of Bars

1 ¾ cups sugar
1 cup oil vegetable oil or refined olive oil
15 ounces can 100% pumpkin (Libbys is one good brand)
4 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

For Cream Cheese Frosting

6 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
6 tablespoons butter at room temperature
1 tablespoon milk whole or 2%
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease and flour (or spray with cooking oil spray) a 10 x 15-inch baking pan. If you use a more common 9 x 13-inch pan, you will have to cook it longer or the middle will not get done. Alternatively you could only pour in 3/4 of the batter into the 9 x 13 and use a muffin tin or small baking pan for the rest.
In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, beat together the sugar, the oil and the pumpkin until creamy (about 1 min). Beat in eggs until well combined - about 2 minutes.
1 3/4 cups sugar, 1 cup oil, 15 ounces can 100% pumpkin , 4 eggs
In a medium mixing bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and all of the spices. I use a slotted spoon to thoroughly mix these dry ingredients. You could use a sifter instead.
Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth.
2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoons salt, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 35 minutes, or until evenly golden and a toothpick or knife inserted into the middle of the pan comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached.
Let cool completely (about 1 1/2 hour) before frosting.
Using a stand mixer, beat together cream cheese, butter, milk and vanilla.
Gradually beat in powdered sugar, a little at a time, until mixture is smooth. Be sure and add powdered sugar slowly or it will fly out and make a big mess.
Spread frosting over completely cooled bars.
6 ounces cream cheese, 6 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 4 cups powdered sugar
Chill before cutting into bars. Makes 2-3 dozen bars (depending on how large you cut them).

Nutrition