Carrot Cake Bars with Browned Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 1 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup applesauce
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups finely grated carrots
• 1/2 cup salted butter
• 6 oz cream cheese
• 2 1/2 – 3 cups powdered sugar

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg for 30 seconds, then put the bowl aside. In another mixing bowl, stir the brown sugar, granulated sugar, vegetable oil and applesauce with a wooden spoon until the mixture is smooth.
2. Add the eggs and vanilla extract, and stir until everything is fully blended. Add half of the dry mixture and stir only until it disappears, then add the remaining dry mixture and do the same. Gently fold in the grated carrots.
3. Transfer the batter to a buttered 13 by 9-inch baking dish, smoothing it out evenly. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 – 32 minutes, until a toothpick poked into the middle comes out clean. Take the pan out of the oven and let the bars cool completely before adding the Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting. Slice into bars and keep them in an airtight container.
4. For the Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting, brown the butter in a small saucepan set over medium heat, making sure it cooks long enough to develop that browned butter flavor. Take it off the heat, pour it into a heatproof airtight container, cover it, and refrigerate until the butter has cooled. If it is too firm when you are ready to make the frosting, leave it at room temperature for several minutes, until it is soft enough to mix; it should feel like room temperature butter.
5. Spoon the butter into a mixing bowl. With an electric hand mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese until the mixture is smooth and fluffy. Add 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar and mix until fully incorporated, then blend in an additional 1/2 cup powdered sugar if you want a thicker frosting.