Making up and/or recreating a recipe is one of my favorite things to do. Now, there are recipes that should never be messed with but many should be and like this one, are so much better for it.
Really Good Pumpkin Cake Bars. With or without Frosting.
Cake Bars
2 Cups of Sugar. ( a little less is good, no need to totally fill each cup ) I use organic Sugar. You can find it pretty darn affordable these days. Costco is a great source.
1/4 cup buttermilk. I LOVE Grace Harbor Buttermilk. It is incredible! Also makes the most unbelievable buttermilk pancakes. http://stores.graceharborfarms.com/buttermilk/
1/2 cup oil. Original recipe calls for applesauce, and it’s good too.
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla. PLEASE use real vanilla. Four Fold Mexican is my absolute favorite bus as long as you buy the real deal, it will be good.
1 tsp or a little less of salt. ( I only use Sea or Kosher in all of my cooking ) Much better flavor.
2 cups of organic pumpkin. My favorite go to is Farmer’s Market Organic Pumpkin ( 150z. )
2 cups of flour
1 tsp of baking soda
1 tsp baking powder ( aluminum free )
2 tsp of cinnamon
1/4 to 1/2 tsp of ground ginger
1 TBL or so of freshly grated orange zest is nice too. Add if the feeling moves you.
Preheat oven to 350. Mix ingredients in order listed. I like to beat the eggs and vanilla together first.
Mix well enough to get most lumps out. Spread in a buttered, 13 x 9.5″ pan or similar size. Bake for about 20-25 minutes. Each oven varies and my batch too about 25 minutes.
Let cool before frosting. Or eat while warm because it’s super lovely and wonderful warm.
Cream Cheese Frosting and CC Frosting variations.
Cream Cheese. About 8oz. but I used less because my kid likes them as is. Kept in separate bowl and added frosting as I went. I really like organic cream cheese, it has a richer flavor but the tried and true brand is yummy too.
A bit of vanilla.
Enough powdered sugar to sweeten it up a bit. I like it less sweet.
A bit of milk or cream to help soften it up.
Mix until smooth and frosting like.
Variation: Add Whiskey. Cream cheese, whiskey frosting is really good.
Add orange or lemon zest.
- No photo. My phone camera doesn’t do them justice but if you crave a pic just Google Pumpkin Bars, there a gazillion delicious looking photos.
Enjoy!
