PINEAPPLE--PUMPKIN--CARROT BARS
I have tried a LOT of snack cake recipes in the past 40+ years, but this one is, BY FAR, the best yet. It is super moist and tender from the crushed pineapple, pumpkin and grated carrots and it would be PERFECT for any potluck or party; your guests of all ages will love it. It is one of those RARE recipes that is super easy AND it gets RAVE reviews.
No need for an electric mixer, this quick and easy treat goes together in a flash with a big bowl and a spoon.
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
4 eggs
1 2/3 cups white sugar
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
2 cups shredded carrots (see note below)
1 cup crushed pineapple (see note below)
Preheat oven to 350°F and grease and flour a 10x15 baking pan (see note below).
Mix the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice in a bowl and set it aside.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs till smooth, then add the sugar, oil and pumpkin, whisking it until its very well mixed, then stir in the drained crushed pineapple and grated carrots. Stir till well combined.
Stir in the flour mixture and gently fold until its all well mixed.
Pour into prepared 10 x 15 pan and bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes (my electric oven took 30 minutes).
Remove from heat and cool before you frost.
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
(1) 8 ounce pkg. cream cheese (room temperature)
6 tablespoons butter (room temperature)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Beat the cream cheese and butter till smooth, add extract and powdered sugar and beat until right consistency.
NOTES:
This cake will turn out better if you hand grate the carrots with a box grater rather than grating them with your food processor. The food processor leaves very long strings of carrot, which don't do so well in a cake/bar. The box grater will give you a smaller/shorter grate.
Make sure the crushed pineapple is squeezed dry of all of it's extra water. I found that a 20 ounce can of crushed pineapple.....squeezed dry with my hands, gives me 1 cup of ready to use crushed pineapple which is just right for this recipe.
Not everyone has the 10 x 15 baking pan that is called for in this recipe. You can bake this cake in a 9 x 13 pan if you bake it a little longer (about 10-15 minutes longer... just test it with a toothpick to make sure its baked all the way through). The 9 x 13 pan will give you a thicker bar (almost like a cake) but it tastes the same. If you decide to use the 9x13 pan, the bars will be more like a cake
Personally, I like to line my baking pans with parchment paper and then spray the parchment paper with cooking spray. When the cake/bars are completely cool, you can just lift the whole thing out of the pan and it makes it much easier to cut up neatly.
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
4 eggs
1 2/3 cups white sugar
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
2 cups shredded carrots (see note below)
1 cup crushed pineapple (see note below)
Preheat oven to 350°F and grease and flour a 10x15 baking pan (see note below).
Mix the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice in a bowl and set it aside.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs till smooth, then add the sugar, oil and pumpkin, whisking it until its very well mixed, then stir in the drained crushed pineapple and grated carrots. Stir till well combined.
Stir in the flour mixture and gently fold until its all well mixed.
Pour into prepared 10 x 15 pan and bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes (my electric oven took 30 minutes).
Remove from heat and cool before you frost.
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
(1) 8 ounce pkg. cream cheese (room temperature)
6 tablespoons butter (room temperature)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Beat the cream cheese and butter till smooth, add extract and powdered sugar and beat until right consistency.
NOTES:
This cake will turn out better if you hand grate the carrots with a box grater rather than grating them with your food processor. The food processor leaves very long strings of carrot, which don't do so well in a cake/bar. The box grater will give you a smaller/shorter grate.
Make sure the crushed pineapple is squeezed dry of all of it's extra water. I found that a 20 ounce can of crushed pineapple.....squeezed dry with my hands, gives me 1 cup of ready to use crushed pineapple which is just right for this recipe.
Not everyone has the 10 x 15 baking pan that is called for in this recipe. You can bake this cake in a 9 x 13 pan if you bake it a little longer (about 10-15 minutes longer... just test it with a toothpick to make sure its baked all the way through). The 9 x 13 pan will give you a thicker bar (almost like a cake) but it tastes the same. If you decide to use the 9x13 pan, the bars will be more like a cake
Personally, I like to line my baking pans with parchment paper and then spray the parchment paper with cooking spray. When the cake/bars are completely cool, you can just lift the whole thing out of the pan and it makes it much easier to cut up neatly.
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