Step 1

Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray an 8x8-inch baking dish with nonstick spray, and line it with parchment paper.

Step 2

Prepare Cream Cheese Mixture: In a mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, vanilla extract, and sugar. Mix until smooth and set aside.

Step 3

In another bowl, mix both sugars and the melted butter until combined.

Step 4

Add the egg, yogurt, and vanilla extract and mix well.

Step 5

Slowly add the flour, allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder to the wet ingredients. Stir until smooth.

Step 6

Gently fold in the shredded carrots, walnuts, and raisins (if using).

Step 7

Assemble: Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking dish. Add 9 dollops of the cream cheese mixture on top of the batter. Using a knife, swirl the cream cheese into the batter.

Step 8

Bake: Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake (excluding the cream cheese) comes out clean and the top is lightly browned.

Step 9

Cool and Serve: Remove from the oven and let the bars cool completely in the pan before slicing. Enjoy!