Description
Sweet carrot cake delight bars blend classic dessert flavors with convenient bar form. Moist spiced cake layers combine creamy frosting and nutty textures, inviting you to savor each delectable bite.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ½ cups grated carrots
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (170 g) melted butter
- 1 ¼ cup (250 g) brown sugar
- 2 eggs (1 whole egg + 1 egg yolk)
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 4 oz (113 g) cream cheese, room temperature
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon optional orange zest
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preparation: Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and line a 9 x 9-inch baking pan with parchment paper, ensuring complete side coverage.
- Wet Mixture: Combine brown sugar and melted butter in a large mixing bowl, whisking until smooth. Add eggs, vanilla extract, and grated carrots, stirring until well integrated.
- Dry Ingredients: Sift flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt into a separate bowl. Fold in orange zest, then gently incorporate dry ingredients into the wet mixture, avoiding overmixing.
- Cheesecake Swirl: Blend cream cheese, egg, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract until achieving a smooth, uniform texture.
- Assembly and Baking: Pour carrot cake batter into the prepared pan, creating an even surface. Dot cheesecake mixture across the top and use a knife to create elegant swirling patterns. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out mostly clean.
- Cooling and Serving: Allow bars to cool completely in the pan. Use parchment paper edges to remove the dessert, slice into squares, and serve.
Notes
- Prevent Overmixing: Gently fold dry ingredients to maintain a light, tender texture and avoid tough, dense bars.
- Swirl Technique: Use a butter knife to create beautiful, random swirls for a professional-looking cheesecake bar presentation.
- Moisture Magic: Freshly grated carrots ensure maximum moisture and natural sweetness in the cake base.
- Cooling Crucial: Let bars cool completely in the pan to set properly and achieve clean, perfect cuts.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 13
- Calories: 284
- Sugar: 23 g
- Sodium: 189 mg
- Fat: 17 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 83 mg