Soft, cakey pumpkin bars baked in a sheet pan and covered with thick, tangy cream cheese frosting. The easiest fall dessert for a crowd.
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 large eggs, room temperature
1⅔ cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch salt
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, for dusting
Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 13×18-inch half sheet pan or line it with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar until smooth. Whisk in the oil, pumpkin puree, and vanilla.
Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and stir with a spatula just until no dry flour remains.
Spread the batter evenly in the pan. Bake for 22 to 26 minutes, until the center springs back and a toothpick comes out clean.
Let the bars cool in the pan on a rack for at least 1½ hours. Frosting warm bars makes it melt.
Beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Spread the frosting over the cooled bars, dust lightly with cinnamon, and cut into 24 squares.
Use pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
Cool the bars completely before frosting.
Chill 20 minutes before slicing for clean squares.
Store frosted bars in the refrigerator up to 5 days.
Find it online: https://recipeshots.com/pumpkin-bars-with-cream-cheese-frosting/