Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Bake the pumpkin bars
- Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 15x10 jelly roll pan with a light coating. You should be ready to pour and spread the batter immediately after greasing.
- Combine spice cake mix, pumpkin puree, eggs, vegetable oil, and pumpkin pie spice in a bowl and stir until smooth. Stop stirring when the batter looks evenly orange with no dry cake mix patches.
- Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Use an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to flatten it into an even layer.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350F until a toothpick comes out clean. The center should look set and slightly springy, not wet.
- Cool completely before frosting. Letting them cool fully prevents melted frosting and helps the bars slice cleanly.
Frost and chill
- Beat cream cheese frosting ingredients until smooth and fluffy, then spread over the cooled bars. The surface should look creamy and swirled or evenly coated.
- Refrigerate for 30 minutes before cutting. Chilling firms up the frosting so the bars hold sharp edges.
Notes
For clean slices, cool the bars completely before frosting and chill at least 30 minutes after spreading. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; freeze unfrosted bars for up to 2 months, thaw overnight in the fridge, then frost. For a lighter version, use low-fat cream cheese and reduce the frosting powdered sugar slightly to taste.