Last week while I was doing the baking of the cupcakes and cheesecake for Easter Sunday I ended up with leftover frosting from the cupcakes. I knew exactly what I wanted to do with that frosting! I baked a large pan of pumpkin bars as well and while they were baking I added softened cream cheese to my cupcake frosting and now that I had 'cream cheese' frosting it was going to be absolutely yummy on my pumpkin bars! (And it was!)
Cream Cheese Frosting
1 c shortening
1 c butter
8 oz. cream cheese, soft
4 c powdered sugar
3/4 c marshmallow cream
4 t vanilla extract
Cream the butter, shortening and cream cheese until smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients and beat on low 30 seconds and high 2-5 minutes until it looks like whipped cream.
The Pumpkin Bars - batter stage before baking
Pumpkin Bars 2 c flour
2 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t pumpkin pie spice
1 t salt
4 eggs
1 (15oz.) can pumpkin
1 1/2 c sugar
1 c canola oil
Beat the pumpkin, oil, sugar and eggs until smooth. Add the dry ingredients. Mix well and pour into a prepared jelly roll pan with 1 inch sides. (You can use a 9X13 pan but you'll end up with a pumpkin cake rather than bars... which is still good!). Bake at 350 for 25 minutes until done in the center. Cool completely. Mix the frosting ingredients and spread over all.