Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting are perfect served as a dessert, a late night snack or just because. These lightly spiced, moist pumpkin bars are topped with a thick layer of old fashioned cream cheese frosting. Butter, eight ounce package of cream cheese and a sixteen ounce box of powdered sugar is transformed into a creamy and decadent cream cheese frosting!! Pumpkin bars are so delicious, you won’t even need a plate.
Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
I have a confession to make, I’m not a huge fan of carrot cake but my hubby is. His favorite, all-thyme cake is carrot cake. More specifically “Mary’s Carrot Cake.” In fact, my sister Mary is famous for her carrot cake. When Mary comes to a party with her carrot cake in tow, the carrot cake fans come-a-running. Some day I’ll have to share her recipe. Until then, my hubby will just have to suffer and settle for a pumpkin bar. Poor baby!
Favorite
These yummy pumpkin bars stand in just fine for carrot cake. With a thick layer of cream cheese frosting, you might not be able to tell the difference between the two. I have a thing with cream cheese frosting, I love it! Cream cheese frosting would taste good on just about anything! I can’t think of one thing that wouldn’t benefit from a thick layer of cream cheese frosting. Can you?
UP NEXT: Philadelphia Cream Cheese Cheesecake
Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2/3 cup canned pumpkin
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon each; ground ginger, nutmeg, allspice
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/2 stick butter, softened
- 1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
- 1 16 oz box powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, cream shortening and brown sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in pumpkin and vanilla.
- Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and cloves. Add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in nuts.
- Spread into a greased 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking dish.
- Bake at 350º for 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted near middle comes out clean.
- Cool in pan on wire rack
- For Frosting: Cream together cream cheese and butter. Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract.
- Beat until smooth. Spread on cooled bars.