I like savory dishes but every once in a while I get a craving for something sweet. But even then I include spices in it. I guess it’s like my personality! And it’s my husband’s favorite cake……so far! 🙂

• 2 cups All Purpose Flour
• 1 cup packed Brown Sugar
• 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 3 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie or Spice Cake Spices (If you don’t have the premixed spices use a combination of Cinnamon, Nutmeg, powdered Ginger and Allspice) 
• 1/4 teaspoon Sea Salt or Kosher Salt
• 1/2 cup Canola Oil
• 1/2 cup Apple Juice
• 1 can (15 ozs) Pumpkin (don’t use the Pumpkin Pie mix) or you can use fresh cooked mashed Pumpkin
• 2 Whole Eggs, beaten

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 1 stick salted Butter, softened
• 1 package (8 ozs) Cream Cheese or Neufchatel Cheese
• 1 1/2 cups Confectioner’s Sugar
• 3 to 4 tablespoons Milk or Half & Half
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Beat to mix until smooth. Add more milk if needed to get a nice spreadable consistency. Set aside until pumpkin squares are baked and cooled. 

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 15x10x1 pan with shortening or non stick cooking spray. Lightly dust with flour. In the large bowl of a stand mixer combine ingredients of the pumpkin squares and beat on low speed until blended and moistened. Then beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.  Turn out the batter into the greased and floured pan.

Bake 20 to 30 minutes depending on your oven. Check with a toothpick. When it comes out clean from the center the squares are done. Cool on the countertop for about 1 hour.

Spread the frosting over the cooled bars and chill in fridge for 30 minutes. When the frosting is set cut into squares.