Pumpkin Butter Bars

 

I went to Natalie's house this afternoon to spend some quality time making and eating these amazing pumpkin butter bars.  The bars are actually made out of this fancy pumpkin pecan butter Natalie got at Williams Sonoma.  The bars don't have a strong pumpkin flavor (if you aren't into that) and the cinnamon and pecans give it a slight taste of pumpkin pie.  You mix yellow cake mix with with a stick of butter, so you know it's good.  There are three delicious layers - a butter cake layer, a pumpkin butter layer, and a crumb topping layer.  Can you resist?  I couldn't!

Here's what you need - 1 package yellow cake mix, 1/2 cup butter (melted), 3 eggs, 1 jar of Pecan Pumpkin Butter, 2 tablespoons milk, 1 tablespoon flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1/4 cup butter (softened), and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. 

Pour the yellow cake mix into a large bowl, and remove one cup of the cake mix (place it in a separate bowl).  Mix in 1/2 cup melted butter.  Cake mix + butter = awesome.  Kind of the opposite of that "diet coke cake" where you mix cake mix with a can of diet coke and bake it.

Add one egg and mix thoroughly.

It ends up looking a bit like bread dough, though much, much sweeter.

Flatten out your thick cake batter into a greased 9x13 pan.

This is the delicious pecan pumpkin butter that the recipe depends upon.  I'm so glad Natalie had foresight to buy this.

In a small bowl, dump all your delicious pecan pumpkin butter.

Now add 2 tablespoons milk...

And add your remaining two eggs.  Mix thoroughly to finish your second layer.  

This is pretty thin and easily spreadable. 

Which is good because you have to spread it all over the first layer.

The color of this stuff reminds me of taco sauce.  Feel free to ignore my random thoughts.

Here it is all spread out and ready for layer number 3.

In the small bowl with your 1 cup of reserved cake mix, add 1 tablespoon flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/4 cup softened butter. 

We decided to mix the topping together with our hands because a fork just wasn't cutting it. 

Natalie then got the pleasure of crumbling it over the top.

Here it is after all her hard work.  Now it goes in a 350 degree oven for 35-40 minutes.

Fresh out of the oven and totally goopy.

I took a small piece to start and then had about 3 more in the next hour.  These are so addictive.  A hint of pumpkin, a rich pecan flavor, and a delicious buttery cake.  I doubt you guys need more convincing.  If you can snag some of this heavenly pecan pumpkin butter, make these bars immediately.

Pumpkin Butter Bars
By Muirhead


1 package yellow cake mix, one cup set aside
½ cup butter, melted
3 eggs
1 jar of Pecan Pumpkin Butter
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon flour
2 tablespoons sugar
¼ cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 350° F. Place yellow cake mix in a large bowl and remove one cup of the mix.  Add 1/2 cup melted butter and one egg into the cake mix and combine thoroughly.  Flatten the mixture into the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan.  In a new bowl, combine a jar of pecan pumpkin butter, two eggs, and 2 tablespoons milk. Pour this mixture over the cake mix layer. To the reserved cup of cake mix, add 1 tablespoon flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1/4 cup softened butter, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Combine together with hands until crumbles form. Sprinkle crumbles over top of the pumpkin layer. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown.  Allow to cool for a good 15 seconds or so before diving in.