Spiced Carrot Cream Bars (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ Pan Prep
01 -
Parchment paper
02 -
Nonstick baking spray
→ Carrot Puree
03 -
2 Tbsp. salted butter, softened
04 -
12 1/2 oz. carrots, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces (about 4 to 5 large carrots)
→ Carrot Cake Mixture
05 -
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
06 -
3/4 cup toasted chopped pecans
07 -
2 large eggs and 4 egg yolks, both at room temperature
08 -
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
09 -
Pinch of ground cloves
10 -
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
11 -
2 tsp. vanilla extract
12 -
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
13 -
12 Tbsp. salted butter, divided (12 Tbsp. + 4 Tbsp.)
14 -
1 cup light brown sugar, tightly packed
15 -
1/4 tsp. cardamom
→ Cheesecake Mixture
16 -
1/2 cup sour cream, soft
17 -
1 tsp. vanilla extract
18 -
1 large egg
19 -
2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
20 -
1 (8-oz.) block of cream cheese, softened
# Instructions:
01 -
Set your oven to 350°F and place the rack in the middle. Spray a 13-by-9-inch metal pan with nonstick baking spray and line it with parchment paper, letting the edges hang over for easy lifting. Give the parchment another spray to make sure everything slides out smoothly.
02 -
Pour 1 inch of water into a medium pot and pop a steamer basket inside. Cover it up, bring the water to a boil, and then add your carrot chunks. Let them steam, covered, for 20–25 minutes, lowering the heat to keep it steamy but not wild. While they're still warm, blend them with the butter using a food processor or immersion blender until smooth. Set aside to cool (you’ll need about 1 cup of this puree).
03 -
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cardamom, baking powder, cinnamon, and a pinch of cloves. Stir it together until it's evenly blended.
04 -
Melt 12 tablespoons butter over medium heat in a big saucepan. Keep it on the move with a good swirl every so often until it turns golden tiny bits appear. It’ll start to smell all nutty after about 5–6 minutes. Pull it off the heat, add the last 4 tablespoons of butter, and keep swirling until calm.
05 -
Mix in the vanilla, brown sugar, and salt while the butter’s still warm. Pour it all into a big mixing bowl, letting it cool off for about half an hour before moving on.
06 -
In a medium bowl, soften the cream cheese (if needed, zap it in 10-second bursts in the microwave but don’t melt it). Stir in the sugar, egg, sour cream, and vanilla. Mix till smooth and lump-free. Put it aside for later.
07 -
Once the butter and sugar combo is room temp, stir in the carrot puree until completely smooth. Whisk in all the eggs and yolks at once until combined, then gently fold in the dry ingredients. Toss in the pecans and stir just to mix.
08 -
Spread half of the carrot batter evenly into your prepped pan. Drop spoonfuls of half the cheesecake mix on top, swirling it gently into the carrot batter with a skewer or butter knife.
09 -
Spread the rest of the carrot batter over, smoothing it gently (don’t stress if bits of the cheesecake batter peek through). Spoon the leftover cheesecake mixture over the top, and swirl it again so it’s nicely spread out.
10 -
Pop the pan in the oven and bake for 30–35 minutes until the cheesecake parts are firm and a toothpick comes out mostly clean (a few damp crumbs are okay).
11 -
Let the cake cool completely on a rack. Use the parchment edges to lift it out of the pan, and slice it into ready-to-go bars. Serve immediately, or store in the fridge for later.
# Notes:
01 -
Instead of frosting, these bars have cheesecake baked right in.
02 -
The carrot puree makes them soft and delicate.
03 -
Golden, nutty brown butter adds bold flavor to the mix.
04 -
For sharp slices, warm your knife in hot water, then dry it before cutting.