Bit-o-Honey Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Source: The Candy Bar Cookbook: Baking With America’s Favorite Candy by Alison Inches and Ric McKown.

Makes 18 to 20 pieces.

Pumpkin Cake:
5 (1.7-ounce) Bit-O-Honey Bars
1 cup canola oil
4 eggs
1 (15 ounce) can pure pumpkin
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups all-purpose flour

Cream Cheese Frosting:
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
2 ounces (1/2 stick) butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups confectioners' sugar

For the pumpkin bars: Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13 x 9-inch pan with nonstick spray.

Freeze the Bit-O-Honey Bars 10 minutes.

In the food processor, chop candy bars coarsely. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, using electric mixer, combine the oil and eggs, and mix 30 seconds on high. Add pumpkin, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, ginger, nutmeg and salt. Mix on medium 1 minute, scraping down sides of the bowl.

Add the baking powder, baking soda and flour, and mix on low 30 seconds.

Fold in the chopped candy bars.

Pour the batter into a prepared pan and bake 25 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

For the cream cheese frosting: In a large mixing bowl using and electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Mix in the vanilla extract. Add the confectioners' sugar and beat until thoroughly incorporated. Spread the frosting evenly over the top of the cooled pumpkin bars. Cut into 2 x 3-inch squares.