I have to admit, I am obsessed with cream cheese frosting. It really doesn’t matter what the cake is – if it has cream cheese frosting on top, I am in. Another obsession I have though is with snack cakes. Maybe it is because I was not allowed to have sweets growing up. My friends would bring these snack cakes to school in their lunches (mostly the prepackaged kinds), and I would stare longingly. I remember there was one girl in my class in 5th grade that brought some type of snack cake (Yodels, Twinkies, Ding Dongs, Ho Hos, etc…) every day in her lunch. I decided that I needed to be friends with her in hopes that she would invite me over after school – just so I could try one of those goodies when we got to her house. I still remember the strawberry rolls we had. That marshmallow cream in the middle was the best. At the time, that fake strawberry jelly was like heaven. I am so glad those days are over, and that I can make my own snack cakes with good fresh ingredients – instead of eating cakes that can sit on a shelf for years and still be moist when you open them.
I saw this recipe in Cooking Light, and the cream cheese frosting was calling me. The cake was moist and flavorful, and not too sweet. The frosting was a perfect match. Do me a favor, make this for your child and pack it in their lunch. Have them be the one that other people are jealous of.
Ingredients
Cake:
- 10.1 ounces all-purpose flour (about 2 1/4 cups)
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
- Cooking spray
Frosting:
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 (8-ounce) package 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
- 2 cups sifted powdered sugar
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°.
To prepare cake, weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk.
Combine brown sugar, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well combined. Add eggs, 1 at a time, to sugar mixture; beat well after each addition. Add pumpkin; mix well. Fold in flour mixture. Spread batter into a 13 x 9-inch baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.
To prepare the frosting, combine 2 tablespoons butter, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and cream cheese in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until combined. Gradually add the powdered sugar, beating until well combined. Spread frosting evenly over top of cake.
For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, click here: Pumpkin Snack Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
First Look, Then Cook 