Carrot Cake Cheesecake
Can’t decide between carrot cake and cheesecake? Then this Carrot Cake Cheesecake is the perfect solution!
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I should have called this post, “Ode to Chapstick.” If there is one thing we will never, ever, ever run out of in this house, it’s chapstick. My wife loves the stuff. I dare say she’s addicted to it. (Can one actually develop a chapstick addition?) She’s always got at least one chapstick in her pocket or purse at all times. In fact, sometimes she’s got chapstick in both pockets. That and tissues. I’m pretty sure we single-handedly keep both the chapstick and tissue industries in business.
I pulled out a windbreaker the other day, and I found something hiding in the pocket. Sadly, it wasn’t a $20 bill from last Fall. Nope, it was chapstick. Apparently my wife had borrowed that jacket at some point.
But here’s my question about chapstick. Why do they make chapstick in round tubes?? As if that wasn’t bad enough, now Laura uses a chapstick brand that is shaped like a ball. Seriously? A ball? Don’t they know that round things roll? As in, the chapstick tube hits the floor, and it makes a beeline straight under the couch. We recently got a new couch, and guess what we found when we pulled the old one out? Yup, you got it. Chapstick. Several tubes of it, too. (We’ve been known to pull out the kitchen tongs to rescue those rogue chapsticks that roll under furniture…I kid you not.)
But enough talk about chapstick. Let’s talk about two of my all-time favorite desserts: carrot cake and cheesecake. I seriously have a hard time picking between these two. So I decided to solve that problem. I mushed up (yes, that is a technical term) carrot cake with cheesecake to create this Carrot Cake Cheesecake.
My uncle-in-law (yes, I made that term up) bakes a carrot cake cheesecake where he sandwiches a layer of cheesecake in between layers of carrot cake. I was tempted to do it that way, but it sounded like a lot of work…and a lot of pans to clean. So I decided to try and mush up the two recipes into one so that I could bake this bad boy in one pan.
If you’ve ever made cheesecake, then you know it can be a little finicky. Overbake it just a bit, and you’ll inevitably end up with a crack in the top. That’s all fine and good. A water bath usually solves this problem, and I also just watch the cheesecake closely as it finishes baking. But that is one extra step. This Carrot Cake Cheesecake solves that problem. The carrot cake provides enough flexibility for the cheesecake to expand without cracking. But you know what? Even if the cheesecake portion cracks, then so what? You’ve got a handy little tool to fix it. Frosting! No cake is complete without frosting, and this frosting is great as it hides any flaws on top of the cake.
What if your favorite dessert mash-up?
How many tubes of chapstick are in your pocket right now?
Carrot Cake Cheesecake
Ingredients
For the Carrot Cake
- ½ cup + 1 Tbsp canola or vegetable oil
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup + 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- ½ Tbsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1¼ cups carrots peeled and grated (~2 medium carrots)
- ⅓ cup walnuts chopped
- ⅓ cup raisins
For the Cheesecake
- 16 oz. cream cheese room temperature
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 1½ Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 Tbsp sour cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- 2 oz. cream cheese room temperature
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter softened
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 Tbsp sour cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup walnuts chopped {optional}
Instructions
For the Carrot Cake
- Using a large bowl, add oil and sugar; mix until well combined.
- Sift the remaining dry ingredients (flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt) together. Add mixture to the oil and sugar; mix until well combined.
- Add eggs; mix until just combined.
- Add carrots, walnuts and raisins; mix until just combined. Set carrot cake batter aside.
For the Cheesecake
- Using a countertop or electric mixer, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until completely smooth (~3 minutes).
- Add sugar and flour; mix well. (Tip: Don’t forget to scrape the bottom and sides of the mixing bowl to fully incorporate the sugar.)
- Add eggs, egg yolk, sour cream and vanilla; mix fully.
To Assemble
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Grease and flour a 9” springform pan.
- Pour half of carrot cake batter into pan; spread until smooth.
- Drop about ⅓ of the cheesecake mixture in large dollops on top of the carrot cake. (Tip: Don’t swirl or spread the cheesecake. Just dollop!)
- Pour remaining carrot cake batter over cheesecake dollops.
- Finally, pour the remaining cheesecake mixture over the carrot cake. Spread top layer of cheesecake mixture so that it completely covers the carrot cake batter.
- Bake at 350°F for 65-70 minutes, or until cheesecake portion of cake is just barely set. (Tip: After 40 minutes, place an aluminum foil tent over cake to prevent top from browning too much.)
- Place cake on wire rack until completely cool.
For the Frosting
- Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth.
- Add the powdered sugar in ½ cup at a time, mixing after each addition.
- Add sour cream and vanilla; mix until well combined.
- Once cake has cooled, spread frosting evenly on top of cake.
- {Optional} Garnish top of cake with chopped, toasted walnuts. (Tip: To toast chopped walnuts, bake at 350°F for 3-5 minutes, or until they begin to smell.)
- Refrigerate cake until well chilled before slicing and serving.
Looking for more tasty carrot cake recipes? Check out these other favorites, too:
Easy Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls
Carrot Cake Cupcakes
I was just saying yesterday that I want to make a carrot cake for Easter, but seeing that I can combine it with a cheesecake has just made it more interesting! Do I have to share it though?!
Oh, and don’t get me started on chapstick. I have about 30 open ones all around the house and it drives Dave mad haha.
You most certainly do not need to share this carrot cake cheesecake with anyone, Dannii. But you might want to share it with Dave to (1) be nice (2) pretend to be the Easter Bunny and (3) repay him for putting up with your chapstick obsession. I sympathize with Dave. A lot. 🙂
Hahaha – I have way too many tubes of Chapstick lying around too – though I stopped putting them in my pocket as once I had one that was slightly open in my pocket when I was on the soccer fields -on a hot summer day- and guess what happened…yup – what a mess to clean up – think I just threw those shorts away!
And – dude, you are on a roll with your lingo – first “mushed up” and then “uncle-in-law” – well, I’ll add one more – this here carrot cake cheesecake is just so darn “inhalaciously” good! What a fantastic idea to slap two favs of mine together!
Hey, we have definitely had an incident or two where the chapstick met the dryer. And it wasn’t pretty. But this cheesecake is inhalacious worthy? Oh yeah! I must agree. And I must go inhale another slice right now. Haha! 🙂
Carrot cake AND cheesecake?! What a great combination!
I totally agree…perfect for Easter! Thank you so much! 🙂
This is gorgeous! You are good in combining the good stuff. Just Wow!
Haha…thank you so much, Muna! This cheesecake didn’t last long around here. 🙂
Hi David! You know that one of my favorites is carrot cake! This combo is fantastic! I always make carrot cake for Easter, but this year I’m going for this! I think every woman has numerous chap sticks (including me) and I have a small pack of in every coat I own. Here’s a new word for you “togetherize” – Gary used it the other day when he was making something! I think it’s definition is “to smoosh together several ingredients”. 🙂
I do indeed remember that carrot cake is one of your favorites…mine, too! I have to say that this cheesecake turned out very well! Mine did crack a bit on the top, but the light frosting layer totally hides any imperfections. Hmmm…togetherize, huh? I like that one. I also like that you use smoosh as a way to define togetherize. Haha! 🙂
I actually had a dermatologist years ago tell me that yes, in fact, Chapstick is addicting! He made me switch to plain old Vaseline! I’m thinking your carrot cake cheesecake is equally addicting! Looks delish!
What? Chapstick addiction is a real thing? I knew it all along! I’m totally using this argument next time the chapstick rolls under the couch…or ends up in my jacket pocket. Haha! Thanks so much, Heather!
Mmm!! Now I just want a big slice! And I totally don’t care about the cracks on my cheesecake! I mean so what, there’s always the frosting to cover it up! This looks the perfect dessert for Easter! 🙂 Pinned!
Exactly! The frosting is clutch for cheesecake because it covers any cracks. No matter how hard you try, I swear avoiding cracks in cheesecakes is just half luck. This is indeed a good one for Easter! Thanks so much, Manali! 🙂
What a perfect blend of two wonderful desserts! Definitely saving this to make soon
Thank you so much, Rahul! This is definitely a good cake! 🙂
I totally feel you on both accounts- the chapstick addiction (there’s one sitting right next to my laptop as I type this!) and the reluctance to clean three pans for a combo cake and cheesecake. You’ve solved my problem- love how much easier this carrot cake cheesecake is 🙂 Pinning!
Haha…I love that there is a chapstick tube (ball?) sitting right there next to you as you type, Medha. But more importantly, the thought of cleaning 3 pans to make this cake is no bueno. Cleaning one pan? I think I can get behind that! (As a fellow food blogger, you know how tiring it is to clean pans…umph!)
Dude, your house must be a chapel or something…all these recipes being married together- I’m not complaining, this looks delicious!
Now Chapstick…I’m not going to lie- My sister had tons growing up and I was very tempted to eat some of them…seriously they smelt like cupcakes!
Haha! My house has been called a lot of things before, but never a chapel. Does that make me a priest? 😉 Bring me two desserts, and I’ll marry ’em. Right here, right now. And may they live happily ever after! (But I will not marry Chapstick to cheesecake…I draw the line there, my friend.) 🙂
This is one amazing combo. Wish I could grab a slice right now. WOW!
I’d offer to save you a slice, Kushi…but this cake didn’t last very long around here! 🙂
I love my chapstick too. I usually have some with me at all times. And now about this carrot cake cheesecake, it looks amazing. I like how you mushed these two desserts together for one terrific looking dessert.
Thank you so much, Dawn! You know what? You can keep the chapstick in your pocket if I’m allowed to keep a slice of this carrot cake cheesecake in my pocket. Deal? 🙂
David, you successfully mushed up cheesecake with carrot cake! I don’t care much about those cracks on the top, but the idea to cover the cheesecake with some frosting (yes, more calories please) sounds lovely to me. Now you can try to incorporate chapsticks and tissues in desserts since these are the common things in your house:)
Hey, you can’t talk about calories when it comes to cheesecake, Ben. That’s just against the rules! And trust me, if I could use chapstick and tissues in desserts…then we would have WAY more desserts than we already do around here. Haha!
Wow David this is one fantastic recipe. Needless to say the final outcome is stunning and delectable.
Thank you for the kind words, Puja! This cake did turn out quite well! 🙂
The chapstick struggle is real, I generally find mine in the washer machine! I love this combination, you knocked out of the park with this one my friend!
Haha…nothing’s worse than finding a chapstick in the dryer. I’ve been there! Thanks so much, Tonya! 🙂
The dumbest thing I ever did was buy my kids chapstick. They just reapply it all day and then they leave it in their clothes and sometimes we wash it, and that doesn’t go well. And the kiddie kind also smells repulsive to adults but somehow good to kids, so there’s that to deal with too.
I can never get enough cheesecake, and when you throw carrot cake in the mix it’s just not fair. Goodbye to my non-stretchy pants!
Haha…I know all about washing chapstick, Mir. Been there, done that, and it wasn’t pretty. I made the mistake of buying Laura a chocolate chapstick one time. It smells awful. Fortunately she doesn’t use that brand anymore, but she still wants to finish that one instead of throwing it away. Blech! And non-stretchy pants? What are those? 😉
Oh my…this cheesecake is da bomb! Love the combo and how you match two kinds into one. Party in my mouth! And chapstick? Well I don’t have any issues so far until I found one in every bag I own.
Haha…so many people have chapstick addictions! I had no idea. I have a cheesecake addiction instead. As in, I would like to put a slice of this cheesecake into every single pocket I own. 🙂 Thanks, Linda!
I often have a hard time choosing between carrots, cheese, and cake, so this is for me. I also happen to have a thing for Chapstick. I hesitate to call it an addiction, because despite my constant use, I’m very high-functioning. But there is a Chapstick in the pocket of every coat, windbreaker, and jacket that I own. Plus one in the car, and one in every briefcase, backpack, and satchel. (Yes, I often carry around a satchel.) What you should really consider is a Chapstick garnish for your carrot cheesecake. I think a simple ring around the perimeter would be appropriate.
Well, you know, Jeff. I was at the doctor’s office the other day, and I overheard some of the staff talking. They were discussing the issue of adults with chapstick addiction. Apparently these adults can pretend to be highly functioning as a way to mask their addiction. I think you might need to see your doctor about this Chapstickitis. Also, I carry a satchel, too. It makes me feel European and stylish…which is really saying the same thing.
So this is very new to me because I did not know that flour can be use in cheese cakes as well. Actually I am seeing bakes baked version of cheesecakes first time here.. Sounds interesting.
Yup, you can indeed combine cakes and cheesecakes, Priya! Talk about the best of both worlds, right? 🙂
SO genius! I would eat 3 slices and maybe regret the third 😉
This is the best of both all in one forkful after another. #WolfPackBakers rock!
Haha…no regrets, Kevin. No regrets! 🙂