Topping Ingredients:
- 1 8oz block of Neufchatel or cream cheese – softened/room temp
- 1/2 C confectioners’ sugar
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 egg
- 1/2 C sour cream
Cake Ingredients:
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 C sugar
- 1/2 C oil
- 1 C flour
- 1 tsp. baking spice (or some combination of ground cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, nutmeg…)
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 packed C peeled and coarsely grated carrots
Directions:
I’m a bit lazy when it comes to typing this all out so it isn’t as thorough as what I used, but I think the essentials are here. Don’t worry about rinsing the bowl or whisk after making the topping. Just use it as is – thus the title – One Bowl Carrot Cake.
Step 1. Pre-heat 8-inch pan to 375. Spray/grease the pan. Line it with parchment paper and spray it again.
Step 2. Make the topping. Whisk the cheese until smooth, keep whisking to add the confectioners’ sugar and salt, whisk in the egg, and then whisk in the sour cream. Scrape it into a large plastic bag or an icing bag with a 1/2 inch tip.
Step 3. Make the cake batter. Combine the eggs, sugar and beat with the whisk. Drizzle in the oil whisking away. Add flour, spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Fold/stir. Add/fold in the carrots.
Step 4. Scrape and spread the batter into the pan. Gently pipe/squeeze the topping all over the batter. Do not worry about the bumpy looks of it. It all evens out in the oven.
Step 5. Bake for about 50 minutes until the topping has some golden brown and the toothpick comes out clean. If it is done and the topping isn’t brown – broil for a short moment to give it that awesome look.
Step 6. Cool on a wire rack. Best served room temp. Can be stored in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Comments:
This is like a cheesecake on top of a carrot cake. It is amazing! It came from Dad’s NYT Cooking subscription. It was a surprise from the printer after I got it working one day just before Dad’s 80th birthday. He was needing that daily NYT Crossword printout. Since we already planned for chocolate cake and ice cream, I tried it out on Bob’s 54th birthday a few weeks later. And yes, it is a new family favorite!