Pumpkin Spice Bars

I bought and thought I'd try some baking emulsion...the taste withstands the heat of baking better then an extract.  I am fully impressed!  I can't wait to try the buttery emulsion in my regular baked goods! I can only imagine how this will enhance my jams and jellies too!!  This is a simple recipe and I dusted with powdered sugar before serving...a nice cinnamon/vanilla frosting would have been just as good but, these bars were being served in the morning with coffee so, I went with a simple dusting and it lets the spiced cake shine through... Enjoy! ~Diane 

Pumpkin Spice Bars 

Ingredients
1 box vanilla cake mix 
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1 cup pureed pumpkin ( not pureed pumpkin pie filling)
1 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon spiced pumpkin pie emulsion or pure vanilla extract
3 eggs, room temperature
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Instructions
Preheat oven to 350. Spray 9x13 cake pan with baking spray made with flour. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, sift together dry ingredients. In another bowl, combine wet ingredients. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and beat in electric mixer for 2 minutes. Be sure to scrape down sides of bowl after 1 minute. Add batter into prepared pan and bake for 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted into middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and let pans cool on cookie rack for 10 minutes. Once cooled, sprinkle with powdered sugar and cut cake into squares from pan and serve.

This cake can be prepared in two 8" cake pans too (frosting for a full cake below) 


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If you want to Frost: 
Cinnamon vanilla frosting
4 sticks unsalted butter, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie emulsion or pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
To prepare frosting;
In an electric mixer, beat butter for 5 minutes on high speed until light and fluffy and double in volume. Add powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time on low speed until combined and then increasing to high speed for one minute after each addition. Repeat until all sugar in incorporated making sure to scrape down bowl. Stir in pumpkin pie emulsion or vanilla and cinnamon on low speed until fully combined


Recipe adapted from: Buttercream Bakehouse
Photos by: Diane Baker for Canning and Cooking at Home