Super moist and flavorful Apple Pumpkin Cake Bars, crowned with an apple-pear streusel topping and a cinnamon cream cheese drizzle! Your new favorite fall treat is here!
Place apples and pear in medium saucepan with ginger, water, lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla bean paste. Bring to a boil to dissolve the sugar.
Reduce heat to medium low and simmer under a lid for 16-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the fruit is semi-translucent. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Strain before use.
Streusel Topping
Place dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Cut in butter with your fingers, a fork, or a pastry blender until butter is incorporated and streusel chunks have formed.
Store in refrigerator until ready to use.
Pumpkin Cake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9x13 baking pan with nonstick spray and set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice together until combined.
In a large bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, applesauce, and eggs. Stir with wooden spoon until combined.
Add the dry mixture to wet ingredients and stir until just combined.
Pour mix into prepared 9x13 pan. Gently drop strained Apple-Pear compote on top of cake, then top with streusel mixture.
Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow cake to cool completely in pan, then cut cake into 2-inch bars.
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing
In a small bowl, stir the sifted confectioners sugar and cinnamon into the cream cheese with a rubber spatula until well combined.
Microwave icing for 30 seconds until thin and drizzle on cake bars.
Notes
The Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing recipe makes just enough for this dessert!