Cream Cheese Marbled Carrot Bars

By srumbel

I loved the swirl of cream cheese with the cake. So frosting lovers might want to make a traditional cake with frosting. Those who like cheesecake & can go without frosting, will love this! So easy & serves a LOT of people.

from dessertnowdinnerlater.blogspot.com

Ingredients

• Carrot Cake:
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 1/8 tsp cloves
• 2 cups finely grated (PEELED) carrots, packed
• 1 Tbsp orange zest
• 1 (20oz) can crushed pineapple, drained (reserve 1 Tbsp juice)
• 1 cup golden raisins
• 1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
• 1 cup pecan pieces, chopped
• 1 cup canola oil
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 Tbsp orange zest
• 3 large eggs
• Cheesecake:
• 2 (8oz) packages cream cheese (neufchatel or regular is fine)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 2 large eggs

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350*F.
Grease & flour a half sheet pan/jelly roll pan (13"x18"x1").
In a large bowl whisk together well the flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt & spices. Set aside.
Peel & grate carrots to yield 2 cups packed. Make sure pieces are not any bigger than 1/4" (I used my food processor until finely chopped, but not mush.) If you don't peel your carrots, your cake might have green specks after it is baked. At least that was a consistent problem we had in a bakery I used to work in. It's still fine to eat, but just leave the tough skin off.
Using a hand mixer, prepare the cheesecake filling by beating the cream cheese with the sugar & vanilla until no lumps appear. Add eggs one at a time & blend until smooth. Set aside.
In a stand mixer, add carrots, orange zest, drained pineapple, golden raisins, coconut, & pecans. Mix well using the paddle attachment. Then add oil, vanilla extract, eggs one at a time mixing well after each addition. Lastly add the 1 Tbsp of reserved pineapple juice. Mix well. Scrape down bowl often.
Slowly add the dry ingredients & mix for 1 minute or until just combined. Do not over mix.
Pour batter into prepared jelly roll pan & spoon dollops of cheesecake filling on top. Swirl with a knife to create a marbled look. *The pan will be pretty full.
Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes clean out of the center. Allow cake to cool before serving. Store in the refrigerator. Best served chilled.
Serves 28-35