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Carrot Cake Bars
Imagine if carrot cake were a brownie, then this would be it! If you love carrot cake, then you will love these Carrot Cake Bars that are dense and moist, fragrant with cinnamon, a hint of orange and topped with cream cheese icing.
Ingredients
Carrot cake bar batter:
- ½ (113g) cup salted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 cup (220g) packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon orange zest (optional, but really nice)
- 1 cup (142g) all purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon (see FAQ above for tips on how to add more spices)
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- heaped ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (100g) finely shredded carrots
Cream Cheese Icing
- 2 tablespoon (28g) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 tablespoon (30g) cream cheese, softened
- ⅔ cup (80g) powdered confectioner's sugar, sifted
- 2 teaspoon (10ml) whole milk
- pinch of salt
- toasted pecans for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 8x8-inch square metal baking pan with parchment paper leaving a 2-inch overhang at each side and secure the sides down on the edge of the pan with ¾-inch binder clips.
- Combine cooled melted butter and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Mix in egg until evenly incorporated, smooth and glossy, then mix in egg yolk and vanilla. I like to grate in a bit of orange zest at this point as well, and that is completely optional.
- Combine flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to blend evenly. Add it to the bowl with the butter mixture and fold it in gently. Just before it is all incorporated and while a few streaks of flour still remain, add the shredded carrots and fold them in just until combined.
- Smooth out the surface with a small offset spatula and bake for 22-25 minutes until lightly browned around the edges and golden on top. Do not over-bake.
- Make the cream cheese icing. Combine soft butter, cream cheese and powdered sugar in a medium bowl and use an electric hand mixer to mix until smooth. You can also use a wire whisk. Mix in milk and salt until combined. Add a little more milk if necessary to achieve a soft spreading consistency. Spread the icing evenly over the cooled bars using a small offset spatula and sprinkle toasted pecans over top. Slice and serve immediately or refrigerate if serving later.
