Decadent Carrot Cake Bars (Printer-Friendly)
Moist, spiced carrot cake bars topped with luscious cream cheese frosting for a perfect portable treat.
# What You'll Need:
→ For the Carrot Cake Bars
01 - 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
03 - ½ teaspoon baking soda
04 - ¼ teaspoon salt
05 - 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
06 - ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
07 - ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
08 - ½ cup vegetable oil
09 - ½ cup granulated sugar
10 - ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
11 - 2 large eggs
12 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
13 - 2 cups finely grated carrots (about 3 medium carrots)
14 - ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
→ For the Cream Cheese Frosting
15 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened
16 - ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
17 - 1 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted
18 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
19 - Pinch of salt
# How to Make It:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x9-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger until well blended.
03 - In a large bowl, whisk oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla until smooth and well combined.
04 - Fold the grated carrots into the wet mixture until evenly distributed.
05 - Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in nuts if using.
06 - Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 28–32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
07 - Let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before frosting.
08 - Beat cream cheese and butter together until creamy. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt; beat until smooth and fluffy.
09 - Once bars are completely cool, spread the frosting evenly over the top. Lift the bars out of the pan using the parchment paper, cut into 16 squares, and serve.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The texture is impossibly moist without being dense or heavy like traditional layer cakes
- You get all the comfort of homemade carrot cake with half the effort and cleanup
02 -
- Room temperature ingredients are nonnegotiable for the frosting, cold cream cheese creates lumps that no amount of mixing can fix
- Letting the bars cool completely might be the hardest part but rushing this step ruins all your hard work
03 -
- Grate your carrots by hand instead of buying pre shredded carrots, which are too dry and tough for baking
- Warm your knife in hot water and wipe dry between cuts for perfectly clean bar edges