Recipes

[Chi-town girl]

Pumpkin Bars

In between bars and a crowd-friendly sheet cake is this autumnal dessert. Moist and tender pumpkin spice cake is lavished with cream cheese frosting for bars that are simply irresistible. 

  Ingredients

Ingredient Checklist

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
• 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• Pinch ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup pure pumpkin puree (from a 15-ounce can)
• 1/2 cup milk, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature

Frosting

• 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, room temperature
• Pinch coarse salt
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted

DirectionsInstructions Checklist

• Step 1

  Heat oven to 350 degrees. Brush bottom and sides of an 8-by-12-inch cake pan with butter. Line bottom with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on 2 sides. Brush parchment with butter.

• Step 2

  Whisk together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, salt, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree and milk; set aside

• Step 3

  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat sugar and butter together until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, and beat until combined. On low speed add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of pumpkin mixture, and beating until just combined after each.

• Step 4

  Pour batter into prepared pan, smooth top with spatula. Bake until a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Transfer the cake to a wire rack to cool completely.

• Step 5

  Make Frosting: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, and pinch of salt until light and creamy, 2 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low. Gradually add confectioners' sugar, beating until incorporated.

• Step 6

  Assemble: Unmold cake. Using an offset spatula, spread icing over top of cake. Cut into 12 bars

[pateacher]

Looks delicious!

[WORKING GAL]

@Chi-town girl - This looks very good but the recipe calls for a 8X12 pan, which I don't have.  I have 7X11, 9X12 and 9X13.  Who has an 8X12?  Which pan size that I have would work the best do you think?

[Chi-town girl]

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@WORKING GAL wrote:

@Chi-town girl - This looks very good but the recipe calls for a 8X12 pan, which I don't have.  I have 7X11, 9X12 and 9X13.  Who has an 8X12?  Which pan size that I have would work the best do you think?

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@WORKING GAL  - yeah, I don't have a 8x12 pan and not buying a new one. If you google 8x12 pan substitution, there is some good info. 

I prefer a larger pan vs smaller to get a flatter 'bar'. 

Does this info help you?

If the new pan makes the batter shallower than in the original recipe, this will cause the heat to reach the center of the pan more quickly and you will have more evaporation.  To solve this problem you need to shorten the baking time and raise the temperature of the oven slightly.  To substitute a pan that is shallower than the pan in the recipe, reduce the baking time by 1/4.

If the new pan makes the batter deeper than in the original recipe, this will cause less evaporation and the batter will take longer to cook.  To solve this problem you need to lengthen the baking time and lower the temperature of the oven slightly.  To substitute a pan that is deeper than the pan in the recipe, increase the baking time by 1/4.

[WORKING GAL]

@Chi-town girl - Thank you so much for your reply.

I will try these bars when I find pumpkin.  Think I'll use my 9X12 pan.

[deepwaterdotter]

I make this recipe in a 9X13" baking pan:

3 eggs

1 1/4 cups sugar

3/4 cup vegetable oil

15-oz can pumpkin puree

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

3/4 tsp salt

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp nutmeg

Whisk eggs, sugar, oil, pumpkin, and vanilla in big bowl.  In smaller bowl whisk flour,baking powder and soda, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg.  Whisk flour mixture into pumpkin mixture until smooth.

Spread batter into greased 9x13" baking pan and bake at 350 degrees until toothpick comes out clean, 25-35 minutes.  Let cool completely in pan.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

8 oz softened cream cheese

4 tbsp softened butter

2 cups powdered sugar

1 tbsp sour cream

1 tsp vanilla

Mix cream cheese and butter with electric mixer until smooth and light.  Whip in sugar, sour cream, and vanilla until fluffy.  Spread on cooled bars.