best ever frosted pumpkin bars
This recipe came to me originally from my best friend Jayne Clark. These are my favorite pumpkin bars ever, and the best pumpkin bars I've ever had, plus, it serves a crowd. My family and friends like a more intense cinnamon flavor in the cake and a thicker layer of frosting, so I added more cinnamon to the cake and more cream cheese, butter, sugar and vanilla to the frosting so it makes more, while improving the flavor of both cake and frosting. Every time I make these, everyone asks for the recipe and for me to bring them often. I take these to our large family gatherings (it has become a Thanksgiving tradition). I bring the Pumpkin Bars and my brother brings the pumpkin pie! (This recipe can easily be cut in half, using a 15 oz. can of pumpkin and halving all the other ingredients, then baked at 350 degrees F in a 13x9x2 in. pan for 25 min. The frosting recipe can be halved as well).
Ingredients For best ever frosted pumpkin bars
-
3 cgranulated sugar
-
1 1/2 cvegetable oil
-
6 lgeggs
-
1 lgcan (29 oz. size) plain pumpkin (not pie filling)
-
3 call purpose flour
-
3 tspbaking powder
-
1 1/2 tspbaking soda
-
4 tspground cinnamon
-
1 1/2 tspkosher salt
How To Make best ever frosted pumpkin bars
-
1Set oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
-
2In a large bowl cream together vegetable oil and granulated sugar.
-
3Beat eggs into creamed mixture.
-
4Add the canned pumpkin to oil, sugar and egg mixture.
-
5Sift together flour, baking powder, soda, cinnamon, and salt and add to pumpkin mixture. Mix just until all dry ingredients are incorporated into pumpkin mixture.
-
6Spread batter into greased and floured 15 in. x 11 1/2 x 1 in. pan (or 1/2 sheet sized cake pan) Recipe needs this size pan, or it won't get done.
-
7Bake for 30 minutes OR until cake pulls away slightly from edges of pan and springs back when surface is touched, OR when tooth-pick inserted into center of cake comes out with a few moist crumbs adhering to tooth-pick.
-
8Cool cake on wire rack While cake is cooling, make frosting
-
9Cream Cheese Frosting: 1) Cream together: 8 oz. cream cheese - softened to room temperature 1 stick real butter - softened to room temperature 2) Mix in: 2 teaspoons real vanilla extract 4 cups sifted powdered sugar Mix until all powdered sugar is incorporated into cream cheese, butter mixture and frosting is creamy and spreadable.
-
10Spread frosting upon completely cooled cake.
- Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!