Pumpkin Spice Frosted Snack Bars

Ingredients:

1 pkg (2 layer size) spice cake mix
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin
1 c. Miracle Whip dressing
3 eggs
1 pkg (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. butter, softened
2 T. milk
1 t. vanilla
1 pkg (16 oz.) powdered sugar (about 4 c.)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Beat cake mix, pumpkins, dressing and eggs in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Pour into greased 13 x 9-inch baking pan.

Bake 32 to 35 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely on wire rack.

Beat cream cheese, butter, milk and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Gradually add sugar, beating after each addition until well blended. Spread over cooled cake. Cut into bars to serve. Store any leftovers in tightly covered container in refrigerator.

Yield: 2 dozen bars

Personal Observations: I was really looking forward to this rather simple recipe for use at work potlucks. Boy was I fooled! First off, let me say you can cut the frosting portion of the recipe in half! I had enough left over that I was nibbling on frosting for about 10 days...and I don't even like cream cheese frosting! Also, despite my "toothpick test" coming out clean, I discovered that the cake was not done. In fact, it was way underdone and ended up in the trash because I didn't want to poison my coworkers with partially raw cake! AND, the final insult...the oh so tasty dough became bland nothing after baking! What the heck!! I suppose some might say it ruins a good spice cake mix. In my opinion, however, it ruins a perfectly good can of pumpkin!!

Gidget's Rating: 2 stars