Most people would agree that the cream cheese frosting is the best part of any carrot cake, so it makes perfect sense to replace it with a thick layer of creamy cheesecake. These two classic cakes make one showstopping mash-up dessert.
| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 2 hr |
| Prep: | 30 min |
| Cook: | 1 hr 30 min |
| Yield: | 10 to 12 servings |
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup pecan halves, plus more, chopped, for garnish
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- Kosher salt
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups shredded carrot (2 to 3 medium carrots)
- Three 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
- 2/3 cup sour cream
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest plus 2 tablespoons lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Pinch kosher salt
Instructions
- For the carrot cake: Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 350 degrees F. Spread 1/2 cup of the pecans on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until golden and toasted, 10 to 12 minutes. Allow to cool, and then finely chop.
- Combine the pecans, flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Whisk together the oil, sugar and eggs in a separate bowl. Stir the carrots into the egg mixture. Fold the carrot-egg mixture into the flour mixture until just combined. Pour into an ungreased 9-inch springform cake pan and tap it on the counter to even out the batter. Bake until the cake bounces back when pressed and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool completely. The cake can be made a day ahead and stored in the pan.
- For the cheesecake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Beat the cream cheese, sour cream and granulated sugar in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until smooth and creamy, about 5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the flour, lemon zest and juice and vanilla, about 1 minute.
- Pour the cheesecake mixture over the carrot cake. Wrap the bottom and sides of the pan with a large piece of foil. Put in a roasting pan or a large baking dish and fill halfway up the sides of the cake pan with water. Bake until the cheesecake is pale yellow and just jiggles slightly in the center, about 1 hour. Turn off the oven and let the cheesecake rest in the hot oven for 30 minutes. Remove, run a sharp knife around the edge and let cool completely on a rack. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
- For the sour cream topping: Whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, sour cream, vanilla and salt. Spread on top of the cheesecake; garnish with chopped pecans. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. Cut into slices and serve.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 12 servings |
| Calories | 516 |
| Total Fat | 37 g |
| Saturated Fat | 14 g |
| Carbohydrates | 40 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 28 g |
| Protein | 8 g |
| Cholesterol | 143 mg |
| Sodium | 365 mg |
Reviews
This turned out really well! I made a few changes, partially because of what I had on hand, partially because the carrot cake recipe I usually use has a lot more stuff in it and I was worried this would be too plain for my family otherwise. To the carrot cake, added diced dried pineapple and shredded coconut, subbed in half whole-wheat flour, brown sugar instead of white, upped the cinnamon and ginger.
For the cheesecake, I added cinnamon instead of lemon juice and zest, and brown sugar instead of white. I’d probably skip the flour next time, and I think I’ll try it with Greek yogurt instead of sour cream, for a little extra tang.
I skipped the sour cream topping, I had some caramel already that I figured would go well with it.
This seems like a lot of changes, but the base recipe is pretty solid and held up well to all this! Definitely gonna make it again!
For the cheesecake, I added cinnamon instead of lemon juice and zest, and brown sugar instead of white. I’d probably skip the flour next time, and I think I’ll try it with Greek yogurt instead of sour cream, for a little extra tang.
I skipped the sour cream topping, I had some caramel already that I figured would go well with it.
This seems like a lot of changes, but the base recipe is pretty solid and held up well to all this! Definitely gonna make it again!
Made this for Easter and it turned out perfectly! I used my food processor for the cheesecake batter and that made it really smooth. No problem with the cake being mushy due to the water bath, but I also added already boiling water and not that much. It looked just like the picture and I’m just so proud of it.
This cheesecake is absolutely delicious, worth the extra effort of a water bath sitting on a splendid carrot cake base. This is a cheesecake “crust”, not a stand alone carrot cake, yes, my carrot cake is better too but I would not change a thing. I do believe the sour cream topping ingredients are incorrect. Calling for 1/2 cup powder sugar and 2 tablespoons of sour cream creates a great powder sugar glaze. I made it but did not use it. Use 1/2 cup of sour cream to 2 tablespoons of powder sugar plus the vanilla, pinch of salt and now you have a proper sour cream topping. I increased this by half to have enough to cover this large cheesecake. Everyone loved it. I will be keeping this recipe.
Made this but omitted the nuts from the cake and used for garnish. Was a hit on the thanksgiving holiday. Will be a regular dessert every holiday.
The cheesecake portion was very dry. Carrot cake was delicious
I made and was the best combination. Everyone loved it. Will be a favorite
This was a great recipe, taste so good! Would make again.
The hardest part of this recipe is how long it takes to make it . It’s well worth the effort. The lemon flavor in the cheese cake was good for anyone who loves lemon. The traditional cheese cake would be better with the carrot cake. That’s my personal opinion though a lemon lover like my husband would like it just fine .
This is an absolutely amazing desert and I will definitely make it again. I was very concerned that a cake that cooked for nearly 1 1/2 hours would be extremely dry, but it was moist and delicious…got so many compliments. I made a few changes: I replaced about 1/2 cup of water with 1/2 cup of crushed pineapple in the carrot cake recipe. I did not do the water bath as there were several reviews of soggy bottoms. It still came out wonderfully. This recipe is definitely worth a try. if you like carrot cake and cheesecake.
The carrot cake was meh. I added raisins, which gave some flavor. Didn’t care for the cheesecake. I prefer a creamy cheesecake. This was almost gritty in texture. Won’t make again.