We like to consider this one the penthouse-living of all desserts! Park Avenue Bars are an affluent, cake-like treat that your guests will gush over. These bars strut their stuff as they’re adorned with a homestyle yellow cake that is topped with a rich cream cheese crown fit for the kings and queens of your court. Loaded with chopped pecans, Park Avenue Bars set the bar for the best-of-the-best in decadent sweets. You could pay us to eat these all day — they’re just that good!
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup butter, melted, plus 1 tablespoon butter, for greasing the baking dish
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 large eggs, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup pecans, chopped
- 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
- 3 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 2 –Line a 9×13-inch baking dish with parchment paper, leaving enough around the edges to easily lift the bars from the dish. Grease the parchment paper with 1 tablespoon of the butter.
Step 3 –In a large bowl, whisk the flour, the sugar, the baking powder, the baking soda, and the salt together.
Step 4 –Add 1 of the eggs, the remaining melted butter, and the vanilla extract to the flour mixture and beat until it is well-combined.
Step 5 –Press the butter mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with the chopped pecans.
Step 6 –In a medium bowl, add the cream cheese, the confectioners’ sugar, and the remaining eggs and beat with an electric mixer until it is creamy and smooth.
Step 7 –Pour the cream cheese mixture over the pecan layer.
Step 8 –Bake the bars until the top is golden-brown, about 45 minutes.
Step 9 –Allow the bars to cool in the baking dish, about 5 minutes.
Step 10 –Lift the edges of the parchment paper to transfer the bars to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 11 –Cut the cooled bars into squares.
Step 12 –Serve.
