Easy and Impressive Carrot Cake Cheesecake
This carrot cake cheesecake is the combination of two favorite desserts- carrot cake and cheesecake! It's a beautiful show stopper dessert that is actually fairly easy to make, especially when you want to impress without the fuss. Creamy cheesecake is layered on top of a spiced carrot cake and then baked together over a cookie crust. It's perfect as an Easter or spring dessert, or anytime you need an easy make ahead cake.
Ingredients
Cookie Crust
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 30 Lotus cookies, crushed
Carrot cake batter
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg white , save the yolk for the cheesecake
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cup flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 cup carrots, 2 medium-large peeled and shredded carrots
Cheesecake batter
- 16 oz cream cheese, 2 blocks
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 egg yolk, large
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp flour
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and take out and spray or line a springform pan.
- In a microwavable safe, medium size bowl, melt the 4 tbsp butter. Pulverize the 30 cookies in a food processor or with a rolling pin in a plastic bag.
- Add the crushed cookies to the butter and mix well till combined.
- Press the cookie mixture onto the bottom and up the sides of the springform pan as evenly as possible. A 1/3 cup measuring cup can help press it in well.
- Bake the crust for 8 minutes. Cool
- Wipe out the bowl or use another. Melt the 1/2 cup butter in the microwave, 30 seconds at a time until fully melted. Add the 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1 egg, 1 egg white (saving the extra egg yolk for the cheesecake batter), and the 1 tbsp vanilla to the bowl and whisk well.
- Add in the 1 1/4 cup flour, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp baking soda, 1/4 tsp kosher salt, and 1 tsp cinnamon to the bowl and mix just until combined. Add in the 1 cup shredded carrots to combine and set aside to make the cheesecake batter.
- In another bowl add 16oz (2 blocks )softened cream cheese, 2/3 cup sugar, the egg yolk, 1 tsp vanilla, and 2 tbsp flour. Cream with a whisk or use a hand mixer on low speed till creamy and uniform.
- Layer 1 cup of the carrot cake batter on the bottom of the crust as evenly as possible. Dollop half of the cheesecake mixture over the carrot cake using a large spoon or an ice cream scoop. Smooth the rest of the cake batter on top, over the cheesecake dollops and in between. It doesn’t have to be perfect, just do your best.
- Layer on the last layer of cheesecake as evenly as possible.
- Take a 9x13” or a loaf pan and fill it with 1 inch of water and put it on the bottom or bottom rack of your oven. This will act as the water bath instead of submerging in water (which I always thought was a bad idea).
- Bake the cheesecake on the rack above the water for 50-55 minutes.
- Wiggle the cheesecake, if it is still slightly jiggly in the middle, it’s done. It will firm up in the fridge.
- Turn off the oven and let the cheesecake rest for one hour, preferably with the door cracked open. Remove from the oven and chill in fridge for 4 hours or overnight.
- To decorate, halve my cream cheese frosting recipe and either pipe or layer it on top and garnish with extra cookies.
- You did it!
Notes
The amount of people you can serve with this cake depends on the size of the slices you cut. You can feed up to 12 with moderately sized slices.
Serving: 1slice, Calories: 676kcal, Carbohydrates: 75g, Protein: 9g, Fat: 38g, Saturated Fat: 20g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 11g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 118mg, Sodium: 427mg, Potassium: 162mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 44g, Vitamin A: 3221IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 88mg, Iron: 1mg
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