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A slice of Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting with pumpkins at the back
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Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

These pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting are rich moist and cakey in all their homemade frosted glory with just the right amount of fall spices.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword cream cheese frosting, desserts, Fall Desserts, Pumpkin Bars, Thanksgiving, thanksgiving desserts
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 12 servings
Calories 681kcal
Author Kathleen

Ingredients

Cake:

  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried ground cinnamon
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried ground cloves
  • 4 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 (15-ounce) can solid packed pumpkin

Frosting:

  • 8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 pound powdered sugar
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Mix flour (2 cups), baking soda (1 teaspoon), baking powder (2 teaspoons), salt (1/2 teaspoon), cinnamon (1/2 teaspoon), ginger (1/2 teaspoon), cloves (1/2 teaspoon), and nutmeg (1/2 teaspoon) in a small bowl. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, beat together eggs (4), oil (1 cup), sugar (2 cups), and pumpkin (1 can). Gradually add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and blend well.
  • Pour the batter into an ungreased rimmed baking sheet (half sheet size-17.88 x 12.88 x 1.06) and bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely.
  • Meanwhile, prepare to frost by beating together all frosting ingredients until smooth. Frost cake. Store in the refrigerator.

Notes

  1. Canned Pumpkin: Be sure you grab canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie mix! Pumpkin pie mix has other ingredients that will throw off the ratio of seasonings in your cake.
  2. Do pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting need to be refrigerated: All cakes with cream cheese frostings must be refrigerated within 2 hours (including prep time) after making.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/12 of the recipe | Calories: 681kcal | Carbohydrates: 92g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 24g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 96mg | Sodium: 276mg | Potassium: 143mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 72g | Vitamin A: 570IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 1mg