Pumpkin Bars with White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

Today, I was in a mood to try out a new recipe. I wanted to make some pumpkin spice cake bars, but I couldn't find a recipe that was quite what I wanted. So, I decided to make one up on my own. Usually when I do this, I end up taking a few things from multiple recipes, and take notes as I go so that I don't lose track of what I've used.

For this recipe, I decided to start with a yellow cake mix. I made some cookies a few weeks ago using a box cake mix, and they were so delicious, so I thought I'd keep the trend going while I still have box mix in the pantry.

Pumpkin Bars
Ingredients:

• 1 yellow cake mix
• 1 (3.4 oz) box of cheesecake pudding mix
• 3/4 cup butter, melted
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 tsp pumpkin spice
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp ground cloves

First, find your favorite program on Netflix. I can't seem to cook without watching Bones or some other show that I'm currently addicted to. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 baking pan with cooking spray. In a large bowl, whisk together the cake mix, pudding mix, and seasonings. Then mix in the butter, eggs, and pumpkin. Spread the mix into the cake pan, and bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cake bars to cool inside the pan while you make the frosting.

White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients:

• 1 (8 oz) block of cream cheese
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 2 oz white chocolate, melted
• 2 Tbsp heavy whipping cream
• 2 cups confectioner's sugar
• chopped pecans

In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter together on medium/high speed. Add the melted white chocolate. Once all of this is mixed together, reduce the speed to low and add the confectioner's sugar. Then, add the heavy whipping cream and continue beating until completely mixed.

Spread the cream cheese frosting over the cooled bars, then sprinkle as many chopped pecans on top as you like.

I think I might like these even more than the pumpkin spice muffins I made. The flavor is incredible, just like the muffins, but they're cakey and dense, and the frosting on top is amazing. I might not be able to eat only one two...

Happy baking!

Andrea