Elegant Pumpkin Bars with French Buttercream
Perfectly delicious….perfectly tender bars…..perfectly creamy frosting, equals perfection!
Pumpkin Spice Bars with French Buttercream
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter at room temperature
2 cups packed brown sugar
3 large eggs at room temperature
15 ounce can solid pack pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup whole milk
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease or spray an 8 X 10 inch baking dish.
-Whisk flour, baking powder and soda, Chinese 5- spice powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt together in large bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in another bowl until smooth. Add brown sugar and continue to beat until creamy. Add eggs 1 at a time beating to blend between each egg. Beat in pumpkin and vanilla extract. Add half the dry ingredient to the butter mixture then the milk, then the other half of the dry ingredients. (Mix just until smooth). Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth the top.
-Bake until tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30 - 35 minutes. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack and leave until room temperature.
FRENCH WHITE CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING:
5 ounces white chocolate 3 egg yolks 1/2 pound room-temperature butter 1/4 cup water 1/3 cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla or orange extract
-Place the chocolate in a small bowl and melt it in the microwave at full power for 40 seconds. Let it rest for 2 minutes then give it another 30 seconds at full power in the microwave. Let it rest another 2 minutes. Stir the chocolate until it is completely melted. (If it isn't all melted continue the technique above until it is smooth after stirring). Let cool for at least 10 minutes but not until it is hard again.
-Combine the 1/3 cup sugar and water in a small saucepan. Stir briefly. Boil, without stirring, until the syrup reaches the softball stage (236- 238 degrees) on candy thermometer. Remove from the heat.
-Place the 3 egg yolks in a mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer for 5 minutes, until thick and pale yellow. As the mixer is running pour the hot sugar syrup over the yolks a few drops at a time while beating at medium speed, gradually increasing to a thin stream to temper the eggs. (Do not scrape out the syrup from the saucepan.) Increase speed to high and beat for 5 minutes, until mixture is thick and pale yellow.
-Reduce speed to low and add the 1/2 pound butter, a chunk at a time. Beat until the mixture is smooth. Add the melted chocolate to the buttercream and beat again until smooth. Stir in the extract.
-Frost the top of the pan of cooled cake with the buttercream, generously and decoratively. Garnish with turbinado sugar, sprinkle of cinnamon and/or candy corn.
Spread pumpkin bar batter evenly into the prepared pan.
Spread frosting over the bars, decoratively then garnish with turbinado sugar or a dash of cinnamon or candy corn pieces.
Tender, richly flavored cake bars are irresistible!
….especially when frosted with smooth, silky French White Chocolate Buttercream!
PERSNICKETY NOTES:
**If you prefer cream cheese frosting instead of the French Buttercream to top these pumpkin bars, follow the Cream Cheese Frosting recipe below:
Cream Cheese Frosting:
½ cup (1 stick) salted butter, softened 8 ounces cream cheese, softened 3 to 4 cups powdered sugar, depending on your desired consistency and sweetness of frosting 2 teaspoons vanilla extract dash of salt
-Using an electric mixer, beat together the softened butter and cream cheese. Gradually blend in the powdered sugar, dash of salt and vanilla, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Turn up to high speed and beat mixture until well-combined, smooth, and creamy.
-You can either use the frosting as soon as you make it or refrigerate for later use. Chill in a sealed container or well covered bowl. Bring to room temperature then stir until smooth before using.
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