Carrot Cake Bars with Whipped Cream Cheese Icing
I don’t know about you but I’m just not feeling the Easter vibes this year! I can’t get into it! I’ve been lazy about getting my kids’ Easter Baskets organized….hence my last minute Amazon Easter Basket round-up that I shared over the weekend.
BUT….carrot cake and Easter do go hand-in-hand. I didn’t want to commit to a full cake so instead, made these super moist, lightly spiced, totally shareable Carrot Cake Bars with a heavenly cream cheese frosting.
I used Ina Garten’s perfect Carrot Cake recipe with a few little tweaks. Instead of baking a layered cake, I poured everything into a baking dish and cut them into little portable squares!
Decorating each bar with a few little mini-eggs puts the proverbial Easter ‘cherry on top’ and voila! Easy Easter dessert is done!
Carrot Cake Bars with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/3 cup neutral oil (I used avocado)
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
2 cups grated carrot
1/2 cup fresh pineapple, diced small
Cadbury mini eggs for garnish (optional)
Frosting
1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 cup softened cream cheese
2 cups confectioner’s sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350F.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, or using a hand mixer, combine the oil and both sugars until well mixed and lighter in colour. Add the vanilla. Then the eggs, one at a time, mixing well between each egg.
In another bowl, combine the flour with the baking soda, salt and the spices.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined then stir through the carrots and the pineapple.
Pour the batter into a 9 x 13” baking dish that has been lined with parchment and sprayed with non-stick cooking spray (to make it super easy to remove).
Bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the ‘cake’ comes out clean. Allow to fully cool.
Meanwhile, make the icing by mixing together the butter, cream cheese and vanilla until smooth. I find using an electric mixer the best for this (either handheld or stand mixer). Then slowly add the icing sugar until smooth and totally combined.
Frost your bars and decorate!
Notes:
If you love walnuts or raisins in your carrot cake, feel free to add them when you add the carrots and pineapple!
Leave a comment or question below. I’d love to hear what you thought of this recipe!
As always, don’t forget to tag me @christies.lovestory. I love seeing your kitchen creations!