Desserts

Mom’s Pumpkin Sheet Cake Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

The perfect pumpkin cake bars for fall are generously spiced and topped with cream cheese frosting.

By Yankee Magazine

Sep 13 2023

moms-pumpkin-cake-0923

Pumpkin Sheet Cake Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

Photo Credit : Kristin Teig and Liz Neilly

These sheet cake bars with cream cheese frosting are reliably moist, perfectly spiced, and supremely cozy.

Yield:

8-10 servings

For the cake

Ingredients

4 large eggs
1²⁄3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil (e.g., canola)
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon table salt

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F and set a rack to the middle position. In a large bowl, using a stand or handheld mixer, beat the eggs, sugar, oil, and pumpkin puree together until smooth. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt. Add these dry ingredients to the egg mixture and mix just until combined. Pour the batter into an ungreased 10-by-15-inch rimmed baking pan. Bake until the center is set and springs back when pressed, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Meanwhile, make the frosting. When the cake is cool, spread the frosting over the cake and serve.

For the frosting

Ingredients

½ package (4 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 stick (8 tablespoons) salted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups confectioners’ sugar

Instructions

In a large, clean bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla extract until combined. Add the sugar and beat until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.