Pumpkin Bars

There was a great bakery and restaurant here in Columbus in and near our North Market called Benevolence. They had wonderful breads, soups and salads and usually had a yummy, all natural selection of baked goods. I always got the pumpkin bars there which they typically made year round. And here I’ve tried to recreate that treat just at the right time of year when pumpkins are everywhere. Those bars had a healthy amount of whole wheat, but it made the bite pleasantly unctuous and was never dense. And they were always frosted with cream cheese icing and sprinkled with walnuts.

I’ve managed to come pretty close to the original here, but these are decidedly moist with a pleasant fluffy sponge and plenty of lush pumpkin flavor. There is honey in the cream cheese frosting that beautifully ties together the nuttiness of whole wheat flour, spice, brown sugar and the walnuts.

Not as fussy as a pumpkin roll cake and very easy to transport in the 9x13” cake pan, this makes a wonderful dessert to bring over for the autumn holidays you might be celebrating.

If you would like to roast your own pumpkins, I highly encourage you to do so. It’s really a very simple technique and you get incredible flavor, plus it’s about half the cost of the canned variety. Pureed pumpkin freezes well for up to two months, so save the extra for holiday pie, soups and stews. Directions for roasting pumpkins are at the end of the recipe.

Pumpkin Bars

Yield: 12-16 bars (one 9x13” cake pan)

Time: active time 35 minutes

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups/195 grams all purpose flour, unbleached

1/3 cup/55 grams whole wheat flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 Tablespoon pie spice (or 1 tsp each ground cinnamon, clove, ginger)

2 eggs

1/2 cup/120 grams granulated sugar

3/4 cup/175 grams dark brown sugar (packed)

1/2 cup/105 grams vegetable oil (canola or safflower)

15 ounces/225 grams (one can) pumpkin puree

1/4 cup/60 grams sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Frosting:

4 ounces/one package cream cheese, room temperature

2 ounce/1/2 stick unsalted butter, soft

1/4 cup honey

1 1/2 cups/180 grams confectioner’s sugar

1 cup chopped walnuts to garnish

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit. Prepare a 9x13” cake or baking pan by spraying with oil or buttering. Line it length wise with a half sheet of parchment so the overhang of parchment comes out the 13” sides.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together both flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt and the spices.

Place the eggs in a large mixing bowl and measure out both sugars. Add the sugar to the eggs and whisk well to combine and until the mixture begins to lighten a little in color (do not let eggs sit unmixed in sugar, they will cook). Add the vegetable oil and whisk until homogenous. Whisk in the pumpkin, sour cream and the vanilla until smooth.

Fold the dry mixture into the wet (dry into wet is usually the method for this type of cake) and beat for a few seconds until the flour disappears. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth gently into the corners and even out the top.

Bake 33 to 38 minutes, rotating the cake at minute 25 to ensure even baking. Check for doneness by very gently tapping the top of the cake, it should bounce back neatly. If it doesn’t, bake a few minutes more. Or you can use a toothpick or cake tester which should come out clean.

Remove the cake from the oven and let cool on a cooling rack.

Make the frosting. Add the cream cheese to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat until very smooth and no lumps are visible, scraping down the bowl as needed to ensure even mixing. Add the butter and beat again until fully incorporated. Now add the honey and vanilla and beat again, scraping down the bowl as needed. Add the confectioner’s sugar and stir at first just to combine, then beat at high speed for a few minutes until the frosting is very light in color and airy.

Once the cake has cooled completely, remove it from the pan. I like to place it on a large cutting board, frosting it is much easier this way and it has the benefit of being able to be sliced easier too. The parchment “handles” make it easy to lift and slide the cake out of the pan and onto the board.

Smooth out the frosting and sprinkle all over with the walnuts. Slice into even bars, I prefer 12, the bars will be generously large, but 16 slices also works, it’s up to you. If you would like neater slices, then chill the frosted cake first in the refrigerator. The cold frosting will slice very cleanly this way. The cake will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days.

Roasting Pumpkins

To roast pumpkins, or any squash for that matter, preheat your oven to 400 Fahrenheit. Cut the pumpkins in half along their equator.

Now here’s the part where you can choose to do a little work or a lot of work. I leave the seeds in and roast them whole this way, but you can also scoop the seeds out at this point, it’s just easier when they’re cooked.

Oil the surface of a sheet pan and place the pumpkin halves cut side down. Roast in the oven anywhere from 30-45 minutes. The length of time will depend on the thickness of the pumpkin. They are done when the sides are soft and can be easily pierced with a knife.

Remove from the oven and let cool completely (or until their cool enough to handle). Scoop out the seeds (these can be cleaned and baked for snacking if you like them). Scoop out the pumpkin and place it into a food processor or food mill and puree until smooth. If the pumpkin puree seems very liquid-y you can cook the puree down until it’s thicker or you can place it to strain over a cheese cloth lined sieve for a few hours.

The pumpkin puree will keep for 3-5 days in the refrigerator or up to two months in the freezer.

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