Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. (Wait to do this step if you are planning to long ferment the pumpkin bars.) Grease a 13” x18” cookie sheet or bar pan with cooking spray and set aside. (A jelly roll pan could also work.)

In a large bowl combine the eggs, sugar, oil, pumpkin puree, sourdough starter and vanilla extract. Mix well with a spatula or Danish dough hook. Set aside.

In a small separate bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon salt and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. It is okay if there are a few lumps in the batter.

If you are planning to long ferment this recipe at this point, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for up to 4 hours. You can also transfer the batter to the fridge after 4 hours to continue to ferment overnight.

Once you are done fermenting the batter follow the recipe below to finish the pumpkin bars.

Transfer the batter to the prepared baking sheet, smoothing out the batter with a rubber spatula.

Place in the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the pumpkin bars comes out clean.

Let cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

Instructions for the Cream Cheese Frosting:

While you let the cake cool you can prepare the frosting.

In a medium bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer combine the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Beat with the whisk attachment or a hand mixer for 3-4 minutes on high speed until soft and fluffy.

If the frosting seems really thick you can add 1-2 T of heavy whipping cream until the desired consistency is reached. Only add 1 T at a time so it doesn’t get too thin.

Scoop the frosting on top of the cooled cake. Frost and enjoy!

You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.