Frosted Carrot Bars

Total Time

Prep: 30 min. Bake: 20 min. + cooling

Makes

20 servings

Updated: Jun. 30, 2023
Rich in flavor, these luscious bars are extra moist, thanks to a secret ingredient—baby food! "I add two jars of pureed carrots to the batter," reveals Rita Pearl of Norwalk Iowa. "The baby food makes the dessert melt in your mouth."—Rita Pearl, Norwalk, Iowa

Ingredients

  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup canola oil
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 jars (6 ounces each) carrot baby food
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • FROSTING:
  • 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 cups confectioners' sugar
  • Yellow, red and green liquid food coloring
  • 2 pastry or heavy-duty resealable plastic bags

Directions

  1. In a bowl, beat sugar, oil, eggs and carrots. Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt; add to carrot mixture and mix well. Pour into a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool.
  2. In a bowl, beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla. Blend in sugar until smooth. Place 1/4 cup of frosting in a small bowl; stir in yellow and red food coloring to make orange. Set aside. Place 3 tablespoons frosting in a small bowl; stir in green food coloring.
  3. Spread white frosting on cake. Cut a small hole in the corner of a pastry or plastic bag; fill with orange frosting. Mark off 20 squares on the cake; pipe a small carrot in the center of each square. Place green frosting in another bag; cut a small hole in the corner. Pipe greens on top of each carrot.