Description
These Swirled Carrot Cake Cheesecake Bars are a delightful dessert that combines the warm spices of carrot cake with the creamy tang of cheesecake. Perfect for any occasion, these bars are easy to make and visually stunning.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Carrot Cake:
- 1 1/4 cups (178 g) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (159 g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (53 g) packed brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup neutral-flavored oil (vegetable, canola, grapeseed, etc.)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 pound carrots, finely shredded (about 2 cups)
Cheesecake Batter:
- 2 packages (8-ounces each) (454 g) cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup (106 g) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prepare Pan and Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177°C). Line a 9×13-inch pan (metal pan recommended) with parchment paper with overhanging edges. Lightly grease the bottom and sides with cooking spray and set aside.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: For the carrot cake batter, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In another medium bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, oil, and vanilla until well-combined and lighter in color, 1-2 minutes.
- Combine Cake Ingredients: Add the dry ingredients and then the carrots and mix until no dry streaks remain (do not overmix).
- Prepare Cheesecake Batter: For the cheesecake batter, whip the cream cheese and granulated sugar with an electric mixer (handheld or stand mixer) until smooth and well-combined, 1-2 minutes. Add the sour cream, eggs, and vanilla and mix for another minute or so until evenly combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Layer Batters: Spread half of the carrot cake batter in a thin layer on the bottom of the prepared pan. Spoon the cheesecake batter and remaining carrot cake batter over the top, alternating heaping dollops so there’s an even amount of batter across the bars.
- Swirl and Bake: Use a knife to lightly swirl the batter together. Bake the bars for 35-40 minutes until the top springs back lightly to the touch. Let cool completely. Serve at room temperature or chilled (these bars can be made 1-2 days ahead of time; refrigerate until serving).
Notes
- Substitutions: You can replace half of the oil with applesauce with good results. Full fat cream cheese works better than light cream cheese in this recipe (light cream cheese is runnier and doesn’t produce as sturdy of a cream cheese swirl/layer).
- Tip: Take care not to overmix either the carrot cake or cheesecake batter.
- Ratios: This recipe is prominent on the cheesecake so if you want more cake to cheesecake ratio – consider 1 ½-ing the cake part.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 25g
- Sodium: 200mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 80mg
