Carrot Cake & Cheesecake

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Carrot Cake & Cheesecake

Yield: 10-12

Author: Tamra Mentzer

This Carrot Cake Cheesecake layers a soft, spiced carrot cake with a rich, creamy baked cheesecake for the ultimate celebration dessert. 

Ingredients

Carrot Cake Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup lightly packed brown sugar
• 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs
• 3 cups grated peeled carrots
• 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans for topping

Cheesecake Ingredients

• 24 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs, room temperature

Vanilla Buttercream

• 2 cups butter, softened
• 2 pounds powdered sugar
• 2 to 3 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
• milk or cream as needed
• Vanilla Buttercream Instructions
• Beat the softened butter until smooth and creamy. Slowly add the powdered sugar and mix until fluffy. Add vanilla bean paste or extract. Add a small amount of milk or cream as needed to reach your desired consistency.

Instructions

Carrot Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease your pans and line the bottoms if desired.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and eggs until smooth and combined.
4. Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir until just combined.
5. Fold in the grated carrots, chopped pecans, and raisins.
6. Pour half of the batter into your cheesecake pan or springform pan and pour the other half into a separate cake pan.
7. Bake at 350°F for 30 to 40 minutes, depending on pan size. Use a toothpick to check the center; it should come out with moist crumbs but no raw batter. Watch carefully because carrot cake can brown quickly.
8. Cool completely. Refrigerate the layer you plan to use for the carrot cake cheesecake. Freeze the extra layer for another dessert.

Cheesecake

1. Lightly butter the bottom of your cheesecake pan and place a parchment circle inside. Buttering the sides is optional because cheesecake usually releases cleanly without it, but lightly greasing the bottom helps it release smoothly.
2. Place a separate pan of hot water on a lower oven rack to create moisture in the oven while baking. Do not place the cheesecake directly in the water.
3. Beat the cream cheese and sugar together until smooth. Mix in the flour. Add the sour cream and vanilla extract and mix until combined and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing just until incorporated.
4. Pour the cheesecake batter into the same pan used for your carrot cake layer so both layers match in size.
5. Bake at 300°F for 1 hour. When the hour is done, turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake inside for 30 minutes without opening the door.
6. After 30 minutes, crack the oven door and leave the cheesecake inside for another 30 minutes to slowly cool.
7. Remove from the oven, cool fully, and chill until very firm.

Assembly

1. Place the chilled cheesecake layer on your cake board or serving plate.
2. Spread a layer of buttercream frosting on top of the cheesecake.
3. Place the chilled carrot cake layer on top of the buttercream and press gently to secure the layers together.
4. Spread another layer of buttercream across the top of the carrot cake.
5. Apply a crumb coat around the entire outside of the cake. A crumb coat is a thin layer of slightly softened buttercream that traps crumbs and fills in gaps or uneven areas where the two layers may not be perfectly even. Smooth the crumb coat and chill the cake briefly until set.
6. Once the crumb coat is firm, finish decorating the cake with the remaining buttercream, adding piping or pecans as desired.