Description
Moist, spiced carrot cake bars topped with rich cream cheese frosting, perfect for any occasion.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Carrots, grated
- 1 large Egg
- 1 large Egg yolk
- 1 cup All-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp Baking powder
- 1 cup Brown sugar, light
- 1 tsp Cinnamon, ground
- 1/2 cup Granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp Nutmeg, ground
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup Butter, unsalted
- 4 oz Cream cheese
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and prepare a 9×9 inch baking pan by greasing it or lining it with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, cream unsalted butter with light brown sugar and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes.
- Add the large egg and egg yolk one at a time, mixing well, then stir in vanilla extract.
- Whisk the all-purpose flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and kosher salt in another bowl until evenly combined.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet batter and mix on low speed or gently fold with a spatula until the mixture is smooth.
- Fold in the grated carrots gently into the batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread evenly.
- Bake for 25–30 minutes until the center springs back when pressed and a toothpick inserted comes out mostly clean.
- Let the bars cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
- For the cream cheese frosting, beat the cream cheese until smooth and creamy, then spread evenly over the cooled bars.
- Cut into squares and serve as desired.
Notes
For best results, ensure butter and eggs are at room temperature, and cool completely before frosting to prevent melting.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 square
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 28g
- Sodium: 400mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 30mg
Keywords: carrot cake, cream cheese, dessert bars, baking