My Go-To Fluffy Carrot & Zucchini Bars With a Citrus Cream Cheese Frosting
Fluffy, tender carrot and zucchini bars with a bright citrus cream cheese frosting — ready in 45 minutes and perfect for spring brunch or a weeknight treat.
Equipment
- 9x13-inch Baking Pan
- Box Grater
- Clean Kitchen Towel
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Wire cooling rack
Ingredients
Bars
- 1 medium zucchini, grated (about 200g)
- 1 cup grated carrots (about 2 medium)
- 1.5 cups cake flour
- 0.67 cup vegetable oil (avocado or grapeseed)
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 0.5 teaspoon baking soda
- 1.5 teaspoons cinnamon
- 0.5 teaspoon nutmeg
- 0.25 teaspoon ground ginger
- 0.25 teaspoon salt (plus extra for zucchini)
Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened (block style)
- 0.5 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan and line it with parchment paper, leaving overhang on two sides.
- Grate and salt the zucchini: Grate the zucchini into a bowl. Toss with 0.5 teaspoon of salt. Let it sit for 10 minutes. Transfer to a clean kitchen towel, gather the ends, and squeeze hard over the sink until barely any water comes out.
- Grate the carrots into a separate bowl. No need to squeeze these.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cake flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and a pinch of salt.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, eggs, vanilla, and the lemon and orange zest until smooth and slightly frothy.
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture. Fold with a rubber spatula until just combined - a few streaks of flour are okay. Fold in the grated carrots and the squeezed zucchini.
- Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and pulling away from the pan, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Let the bars cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then lift them out using the parchment paper and cool completely on the rack.
- Make the frosting: In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, beat the softened cream cheese and butter together until smooth, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the powdered sugar, then beat in the lemon juice, orange juice, and a pinch of zest. Beat until light and fluffy.
- Spread the frosting evenly over the cooled bars. Sprinkle with extra citrus zest for color and freshness.
Notes
Storage: Keep covered in the fridge for up to 5 days. The flavors improve on day 2. Freeze unfrosted bars for up to 3 months (wrap tightly in plastic then foil). Thaw in fridge overnight before frosting.
Tips: Squeeze zucchini thoroughly until dry – this is the most important step for a fluffy texture. Don't overmix the batter. Use cold cream cheese for the frosting. Let bars cool completely before frosting.
Tips: Squeeze zucchini thoroughly until dry – this is the most important step for a fluffy texture. Don't overmix the batter. Use cold cream cheese for the frosting. Let bars cool completely before frosting.