Harvest Pumpkin-Spice Bars

By pamdabear3383

Ingredients

• Bars
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
• 2 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 cup raisins, if desired
• Cream Cheese Frosting
• 1 package (3 oz) cream cheese, softened
• 1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, if desired

Details

Servings 49

Preparation

Step 1

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease bottom and sides of 15x10x1-inch pan with shortening. In large bowl, beat eggs, granulated sugar, oil and pumpkin until smooth. Stir in flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, ginger and cloves. Stir in raisins. Spread in pan.
2. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until light brown. Cool completely in pan on cooling rack, about 2 hours.
3. In medium bowl, beat cream cheese, butter 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. Sprinkle with walnuts. For bars, cut into 7 rows by 7 rows. Store in refrigerator.


Purchasing
To ensure recipe success if using a vegetable oil spread, use a spread with at least 65% vegetable oil.
Substitution
Rise to the occasion! If using self-rising flour, there is no need to add baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Variation
Add a bit of lemon zing to the cream cheese frosting by substituting lemon juice for the vanilla and adding 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel.