Soft + chewy carrot cake bars with a fluffy, not-too-sweet cream cheese frosting. I adore carrot cake, it’s my favorite evarrr and these are just an easier way of making it, and more cost efficient, too. In my recipe I added that raisins are optional, but they are recommended- I love raisins in my carrot cake, in fact I think the chunkier the carrot pieces the better, too. BUT. The kids aren’t fans. By kids I mean our oldest daughter, and my husband. So I grate the carrots extra fine and I hold the raisins lol, but either way these squares are DELISH. I hope you give them a whirl soon and let me know how you liked them! Enjoy!
Carrot Cake Squares
Course: DessertDifficulty: Easy16
servings10
minutes35
minutesIngredients
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups carrot, peeled and grated
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup raisins (optional)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup cream cheese, softened
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups icing sugar
1 cup chopped walnuts
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 9X9 inch square baking pan by spraying with cooking oil or spreading with butter, all over bottom and sides
- In a large stand mixer with paddle attachment, combine the butter and brown sugar and mix until it is fluffy. Add the vanilla, eggs and carrots. Mix again until combined.
- Add the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt and mix again and then add raisins, if desired, mixing only until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and place in oven, baking for approximately 30 minutes, until set and toothpick inserted 2 inches from side comes out clean. Allow to cool in pan completely while preparing frosting.
- For frosting, cream the butter and cream cheese in a mixer with the paddle attachment, until smooth. Add the vanilla and mix well. Frost the carrot cake by scooping frosting onto the cake and spreading it out with a spatula. Sprinkle the walnut pieces oven entire cake and then cut into 16 even squares. Enjoy! 🙂