Low-Fat Pumpkin Swirl Bars (Or Cake)

Many pumpkin desserts are dense and heavy, but these bars are light and more cake-light, with a lovely cream-cheese swirl. For a fancier presentation, serve it with a dollop of whipped cream sprinkled with cinnamon.

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 16

Ingredients

• 2  cups flour
• 2 1⁄2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 2  teaspoons baking powder
• 1  teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄3 cup butter, softened
• 1  cup sugar
• 1⁄2 cup brown sugar
• 2  large eggs
• 2  egg whites
• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin
• 4  ounces cream cheese, light
• 3  tablespoons sugar
• 1  tablespoon milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Prepare pan - either a 10x15 jelly roll (for bars) or a 9x13 (for cake). I like to line my pans with parchment paper.
3. Combine flour, spice, baking powder and soda in a bowl. Set aside.
4. In a mixer, combine sugar, brown sugar and softened butter. Add pumpkin, and then eggs and whites. Add flour mixture; mix well. Spread into prepared pan.
5. Make cream cheese topping: blend cheese, 3 T. sugar and milk until smooth. Drizzle across top of batter; then use a knife to zigzag through the batter and filling, creating a nice design.
6. Bake according to your pan size: 10x15 pan 25-30 minutes, 9x13 pan 35 minutes. Test with a knife (better than a toothpick test) to make sure the bars are completely done and not under-baked. I watch for the cake to puff up all over, even creating little cracks on the top, as an indicator that it is thoroughly baked. Under-baked bars get gummy.