Orange Birthday Cake Bars - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 1/4 c. cake flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 sticks unsalted butter (room temperature)
3 oz. cream cheese (room temperature)
1 3/4 c. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 Tbsp. grated orange zest
4 large eggs (at room temperature)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350\u00b0. Lightly grease a 15 x 10-inch jelly roll pan with butter. Sift the flour, baking soda and salt together. Set aside. Cream the butter, cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and orange zest together in a medium-size mixing bowl until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time until each yolk is partially blended, 10 seconds. Scrape bowl after each addition. Fold in half the dry ingredients with the rubber spatula until partially incorporated, then turn the mixer to low and blend for several seconds. Repeat with the remaining dry ingredients. Finish by hand with a few broad strokes of the spatula. Spread evenly in the pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes. Allow to cool completely on a rack while preparing the glaze.