Pumpkin Bars With Cream Cheese Frosting

This was on Paula's Home Cooking. Recipe courtesy Patty Ronning as adapted by Paula Deen. Will go nice with your holiday dinner or enjoyed anytime of the year.

• Ready In: 45 mins
• Yields: 24 large bars

Ingredients

• Bars

• 4  eggs
• 1 2⁄3 cups granulated sugar
• 1  cup  vegetable oil
• 15  ounces pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 2  cups all-purpose flour, sifted
• 2  teaspoons baking powder
• 2  teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 1  teaspoon baking soda

• Icing

• 8  ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1⁄2 cup butter or 1⁄2 cup margarine, softened
• 2  cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 1  teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Using an electric mixer at medium speed, combine the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until light and fluffy.
3. Stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth.
5. Spread the batter into a greased 13 by 10-inch baking pan.
6. Bake for 30 minutes.
7. Let cool completely before frosting. Cut into bars.
8. To make the icing: Combine the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sugar and mix at low speed until combined. Stir in the vanilla and mix again. Spread on cooled pumpkin bars.