Pumpkin Cranberry Bars – Recipe by Pastry Workshop
Pumpkin Cranberry Bars
Pumpkin season will soon be over, so I wanted to take advantage of it one last time. After all the pies and roasted pumpkin we had this winter, it was time for a more fancy dessert – Pumpkin Cranberry Bars. By fancy I mean mostly the taste and the way these bars look, because the process of making them is as simple as it can be.
The elements of this dessert are:
- pumpkin cranberry sponge cake – packed with aroma from all the spices used
- cream cheese icing
- walnuts and cranberry topping
All these three elements are easy to make, although the first step is to make sure you have pumpkin puree at hand. You either buy it already canned or you make your own. I prefer the second option for sure because the flavor is stronger. Plus, you can make a whole batch and freeze it so you have it all year around. The pumpkin puree in this recipe can be replaced with sweet potato puree which has very similar properties to pumpkin!
How to make your own pumpkin puree
To make your own pumpkin puree buy a whole pumpkin (as big as you’d like), cut it into slices and remove the seeds. Place the slices on a baking tray lined with baking paper and cover it with aluminium foil to prevent the sides from burning. Place it in the oven at 160C for as long as it takes for it to become soft. It can be 1h or more, I just check it from time to time with a knife. When the knife can easily pierce the flesh of the pumpkin, it is ready. Once baked, scoop it into a food processor and pulse until smooth and creamy. And that’s it! Split it into smaller portions and freeze it in ziplock bags for later use.
The flavors to use in this dessert can be anything from cinnamon to ginger, nutmeg, star anise, orange zest and lemon zest. And the extras can be easily customized as well. My choice were cranberries, but I reckon they are just as delicious with raisins or apricots. Have fun with it and enjoy baking, especially during these weird times!
Pumpkin Cranberry Bars
Ingrediente
Pumpkin sponge cake:
- 200 g vegetable oil
- 215 g brown sugar
- 100 g white sugar
- 200 g eggs
- 225 g pumpkin puree
- 4 g baking soda
- 4 g baking powder
- 2 g salt
- 4 g spice mix (cinnamon, ginger, cardamom – powder)
- 240 g all-purpose flour
- 50 g walnuts (chopped)
- 120 g candied or dried cranberries
Cream cheese icing:
- 250 g cream cheese (softened)
- 60 g butter (softened)
- 60 g icing sugar
- 2 g orange zest
Topping:
- 80 g walnuts
- 60 g dried cranberries
Instructiuni
Pumpkin sponge cake:
- Combine the oil, sugars and eggs in a bowl and whip for 4-5 minutes until light in color.
- Add the pumpkin puree then stir in the dry ingredients (baking soda, baking powder, salt, spices and flour).
- Fold in the walnuts and cranberries then pour the batter in a cake pan – 20x30cm.
- Bake in the preheated oven at 160C for 30 minutes or until golden brown and if pressed slightly, the sponge springs back.
- Allow to cool down completely.
Cream cheese icing:
- Mix the butter with the icing sugar for 5 minutes until light.
- Add the orange zest and cream cheese and mix just until combined.
- Spoon the icing over the chilled sponge and spread it evenly.
Topping:
- Chop both ingredients and mix them.
- Sprinkle on top of the icing.
- Refrigerate the cake for 1-2 hours then cut into cubes.
- Enjoy!
