Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

a pumpkin square on a white plate with cream cheese icing, sprinkled with ground nutmeg

These to die for Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting are every bit as amazing as they sound! They’re made in a sheet pan, so you’ll have plenty to share, no judgment from me if you don’t want to! Sharing is optional!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Pumpkin Bars, Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Resting Time 2 hours

Total Time 2 hours 40 minutes

Servings Bars

Calories 321kcal

Author Amy

Ingredients

For the Pumpkin Cake

2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. ginger
4 whole eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup oil vegetable or canola
1 tsp. vanilla
15 ounces pumpkin puree NOT pumpkin pie filling

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
1/4 cup butter room temperature
4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
dash salt
milk as needed to thin frosting

Instructions

How to make the pumpkin cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 15x 10 inch sheet pan with nonstick spray.
Mix dry ingredients together; flour, soda, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Set aside.
Mix wet ingredients; eggs, sugar, oil, and vanilla.
Add pumpkin puree to wet ingredients. Mix.
Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients. Be careful to not overmix.
Spread batter in a prepared baking pan.
Bake cake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Completely cool the cake.

How to make the cream cheese frosting

Mix room temperature cream cheese and butter till smooth.
Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Mix until creamy. Add salt to taste. Add a little milk (one tablespoon at a time) if frosting is too thick.
Spread frosting on COOLED cake. Cut into squares.

Notes

Store cake in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Or wrap the unfrosted cake tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for up to three months. Frost cake after it has thawed.

Spices - You can use 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice instead of the cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.

Cake may also be served unfrosted, sprinkled with powdered sugar, or drizzled with caramel ice cream topping. You can also sprinkle cake with a little nutmeg for garnish.

To make a thicker cake bake in a 9 x 13-inch pan. Increase baking time to 30-35 minutes.

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