- 1 cup butter
- 1½ cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2½ cups flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- 1½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- 1 cup coarsely grated carrot
- ⅓ cup golden raisins (optional)
- ½ cup ground walnuts or pecans (optional)
- For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- 2 cups icing sugar (powdered sugar)
- ¼ cup butter
- ¼ cup cream cheese
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- a few tsp milk
Instructions
Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking pan and line it with parchment paper.
Cream the butter and sugar well.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Beat in the vanilla extract.
Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Mix into the creamed mixture, folding to combine well.
When the flour is almost all incorporated, fold in the grated carrot. If you are using raisins or nuts add them here as well.
Spread evenly into the pan. To get it to spread evenly, I drop it by spoonfuls all over the surface and then spread it out evenly with the back of a tablespoon. Dip the tablespoon into hot water to help spread the thick batter evenly and smooth out the top if necessary.
Bake at 350 degrees (325 degrees if using glass bake ware) for 40-50 minutes or until the top springs back lightly when touched and a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool thoroughly in the pan before topping with Cream Cheese Frosting and cutting into bars or squares.
Store in airtight plastic containers in the fridge. Freeze part of the batch for later if you like.
To make the frosting
Cream together the icing sugar with the butter, vanilla extract and cream cheese. Add the milk a teaspoon or so at a time, mixing until the frosting comes together in a smooth spreadable consistency.
Note
Source recipes -Here-
