Pumpkin Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

I have to be honest: I didn't have high hopes for this recipe. It's from Paula Deen, it was originally called "pumpkin bars" (so I expected a dense, chewy, bar cookie-like concoction similar to a lemon bar), and it didn't call for butter. When it came out of the oven though, I was pleasantly surprised with the results.



Speaking of which -- what makes something a "bar?" Is it when it's cut up into pieces? When it's got that texture similar to a lemon bar?

My 9x13" baking pan was in use, so I ended up using a 10x13" pan like the original recipe calls for. The batter perfectly fit this pan, so if you're an oddball like me and have one, I recommend using it. I'm sure a normal 9x13" pan would work, but I'd add a few more minutes of cooking time and check it repeatedly.

Cake recipe adapted from Paula Deen, frosting recipe adapted from Vanilla Sugar

Ingredients:
For the cake:

• Pam spray
• 4 eggs
• 1 c. granulated sugar
• 2/3 c. dark brown sugar
• 1 c. canola oil
• 1-15 oz. can pureed pumpkin (not the pumpkin pie mix, just plain pumpkin)
• 2 c. sifted all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1-1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking soda

For the frosting:

• 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 c. confectioners sugar, sifted
• 2 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray the baking pan with Pam and set aside.
• Combine the flour, baking powder, spices, salt and baking soda in a small bowl and set aside.
• Combine the eggs, sugars, oil, and pumpkin in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.
• With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until it's fully combined.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out cleanly.
• Cream the cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment.
• Gradually add in the confectioners sugar until it's well-incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl if necessary.
• Add the maple syrup and vanilla extract.
• Frost the cake when it has cooled.

Verdict:
The cake has the flavor of pumpkin bread but the texture of a light, fluffy cake. I bet they would work nicely as cupcakes. And the frosting? DEE-LISH. The consistency is in between a glaze and an icing. It's not as runny as a glaze, but it's not as fluffy and sugary as a frosting. The maple syrup is subtle, but a nice complement to the spices of the cake.