Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
These moist, spiced pumpkin bars are made with real pumpkin puree and warm cinnamon, then topped with a thick layer of tangy cream cheese frosting that sets perfectly for clean slices.
Equipment
- 9x13-inch metal baking pan - Light-colored aluminized pan preferred for even baking
- Large mixing bowls - One for wet ingredients, one for dry
- Electric hand mixer - For making the cream cheese frosting smooth
- Rubber spatula - For folding batter and scraping bowls
- Parchment paper - For lining the pan with overhang for easy lifting
- Offset icing spatula - For spreading frosting evenly
- Wire cooling rack - For cooling the cake completely before frosting
Ingredients
For the Pumpkin Bars
- 4 large eggs - room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar - 200g
- 2/3 cup light brown sugar - 145g, packed
- 1 cup vegetable oil - 240ml
- 1 can pumpkin puree - 15 oz or 425g, not pumpkin pie filling
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour - 250g
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese - 226g, block-style, softened
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter - 115g, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups powdered sugar - 360g, sifted
- salt - pinch
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9x13-inch metal pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on two sides, and lightly grease.
- In a large bowl, whisk eggs until frothy. Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, and oil; whisk until smooth. Whisk in pumpkin puree and vanilla until no streaks remain.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Break up any clumps.
- Add dry ingredients to wet in two additions, folding gently with a spatula after each. Stop as soon as no dry streaks remain; batter should be thick but pourable.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly into corners. Bake for 28 to 32 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Set pan on a wire rack and cool at room temperature for about 1 hour. Do not frost while warm.
- Beat softened cream cheese and butter on medium speed until completely smooth. Add vanilla and salt; mix briefly. Add powdered sugar one cup at a time on low speed until thick and spreadable.
- Spread frosting evenly over cooled cake with an offset spatula. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes to firm up, then lift out using parchment overhang and cut into 24 squares.
Notes
- Use full-fat, block-style cream cheese rather than spreadable tub cream cheese, which contains extra water and prevents the frosting from firming up properly.
- Cool the cake for a full hour before frosting; frosting a warm cake turns it into a shiny puddle instead of a set layer.
- Sift the powdered sugar before adding it to the frosting to avoid small hard lumps that won't smooth out.
- Line the pan with parchment rather than only greasing it; the paper makes lifting and slicing the bars far less messy.
- Measure flour by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling it off, rather than scooping directly from the bag, to avoid a dense, dry crumb.
- Bring cream cheese and butter fully to room temperature before mixing, or the frosting will end up with visible lumps.
- Rotate the pan halfway through baking if your oven runs hot on one side, since uneven heat can leave one edge overbaked while the center is still soft.
- Let frosted bars chill for the full 30 minutes before cutting; slicing too early drags the frosting and leaves streaks along the cut edges.
- Store frosted bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, with parchment between stacked layers to prevent sticking.
- To freeze, place unfrosted bars in a single layer in an airtight container with parchment between layers and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then frost once fully thawed.
Nutrition
Serving: 1BarCalories: 210kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 2gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 150mgFiber: 1gSugar: 21g
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