RECIPE: Pumpkin Spice Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

Pumpkin Spice Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
As usual, comments are in italics. This recipe was from Betty Crocker's Fall Baking magazine/cookbook from last year. Sorry there's no picture. I'm trying to get this posted in a timely fashion :) My husband and I both agreed that the flavor was almost reminiscent of carrot cake, but obviously without the pieces of carrots.


Bars
4 eggs
2 C granulated sugar
1 C vegetable oil
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie mix) I used 2 C of cooked & mashed pumpkin.
2 C flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 C raisins (optional)

Frosting
1 8 oz package of cream cheese, softened
1/4 C butter (half a stick), softened
2 to 3 tsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
4 C powdered sugar (That's a 1 pound box, fyi.)
1/2 C chopped walnuts (optional)

Heat oven to 350F. Spray bottom and sides of 15x10x1 pan with cooking spray. (I don't have a pan that size, so I used a pan that was slightly bigger than 9x13 - it was 9.5x13.5. That made the "bars" more like cake, but it was yummy nonetheless.) 

In a large bowl, beat eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin with a wire whisk until smooth. Stir in flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Stir in raisins. Spread in pan.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes (30 to 35 if using a 9x13 pan) or until toothpick comes out clean and bars spring back when touched lightly in center. Cool completely, about 2 hours.

In medium bowl, beat cream cheese, butter, milk and vanilla with electric mixer on low speed until smooth. Gradually beat in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, on low speed until smooth and spreadable. Spread frosting over bars, and sprinkle with walnuts if desired. Store covered in refrigerator.

The recipe says that in a pinch, you can use 2 and 1/2 tsp of pumpkin pie spice instead of the cinnamon/ginger/cloves mix.