Apple Butter Bars

Right when my sister, my official taste tester, took her first bite of my apple butter bars, she proceeded to name me the official “baking goddess.” These bars are moist and light, making them great for any summer picnic! The cake tastes like a warm mix of cinnamon and apples, while the frosting is perfectly sweet and citrus with the lemon zest.

 

Apple Butter Bar Recipe: For the Bars:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups apple butter
• 4 eggs
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

For the Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 3  cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup of butter, one stick, softened
• 5 ounces of cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Measure all ingredients for bars, and place in a large mixing bowl.  Beat at low speed until moistened, then at medium speed for 2 minutes.
3. Pour into greased 10×15-inch jelly roll pan, a cookie sheet with sides will also work. Bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
4. Remove from oven, and allow to cool completely.
5. For the frosting, place all frosting ingredients in a small bowl, and simply beat until smooth.
6. Once the bars are cool, spread frosting over bars. Feel free to grade more lemon zest to top the bars, if you want to increase the lemony citrus taste.

This recipe makes 4 dozen bars.

Enjoy! Follow for more recipes and tips!