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Need a standout spring dessert this year?? Try this 2/1 Double Decker Carrot Cake Cheesecake! Perfect for anyone who loves cheesecake OR carrot cake OR both! It’s the ultimate dessert for spring or any other special occasion.
This carrot cake cheesecake features two luscious layers in one dessert. The bottom layer is a moist carrot cake with all the classic flavors if your favorite carrot cake recipe and THEN it’s topped with a smooth creamy cheesecake batter and baked in a water bath. Two favorite flavors in ONE perfect dessert!
Other Carrot Based desserts you might love
Let’s start with this Carrot Cake Roll! All the classic carrot cake flavors rolled into a swiss roll with classic tangy cream cheese frosting tucked inside.
Maybe you want cookie bars? Then try my Carrot Cake Bars! All the flavors of a classic carrot cake but in Cookie BARS!
Crust Free!
This baked cheesecake is crust free! In fact, you could say the carrot cake layer acts like a crust just a really BIG soft crust.
What do I need to make this dessert?
- flour
- baking powder
- salt
- cinnamon
- ground ginger
- sugar
- large eggs
- vegetable oil
- vanilla extract or you can use vanilla paste
- grated carrots
- cream cheese
- sour cream
- springform cake pan
- parchment paper
- whisk
- stand mixer with the paddle attachment or hand mixer with beaters
- mixing bowl
- rimmed baking sheet
- aluminum foil
- hot water
- cooling rack
Change up this recipe?
I don’t think so! Unless you’re just adding different flavors to the carrot cake layer there are not of ways to change this recipe. Often times baked goods don’t do well with changes to the recipe.
Tips for baking the best cheesecakes
- don’t whip the living daylights out of your cheesecake batter, that can cause a lot of air bubbles
- gently cream the cream cheese with the mixer on low, adding the sour cream once it’s smooth, THEN mix the flour and sugar and sprinkle that over the top and cream again, you don’t want to whip in a bunch of air you just want to get the lumps out of it, creaming gently after each ingredient makes this easy to do, if you throw it all in at once you’ll have a cheesecake with lumps in it
- Use a bain-marie, a water bath, this creates steam in the oven to make a moist environment
- cover the bottom of the springform pan (this recipe uses a 10-inch springform) with foil to keep water from leaking into the cheesecake
- cooling your cheesecake in the oven after baking can reduce the risks of cracks, BUT even professionals get cracks in their cakes
- if you get a crack and you’re concerned about that, a little drizzle of caramel sauce can help cover it up, try my salted caramel sauce for a quick fix, or a sprinkle of graham cracker crumbs will mostly cover it as well
Got leftovers?
Store leftovers covered lightly in the refrigerator for up to three days. I don’t recommend using an airtight container in the fridge because it will get very moist if covered very tightly.
More spring desserts you’ll love!
If you’re looking for desserts that SCREAM spring try rhubarb! It’s one of the first plants to pop up in the spring and to me, nothing says spring more clearly. Like this Rhubarb Dump Cake, so easy, and SO delicious. Or try this Rhubarb Cobbler, biscuit topped and so tasty. And if you LIKE something different try Rhubarb Curd, the color AND the taste is are out of this world!!
Carrot Cake Cheesecake
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ginger
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups carrots about 2 medium carrots shredded
Cheesecake:
- 24 oz. cream cheese 3 packages
- ⅔ cup sour cream
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 eggs
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat oven to 350º
- Prepare a 10-inch springform pan by greasing, and lining it with parchment paper on the bottom and sides of the pan
- Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and ginger in a small mixing bowl, and set aside
- In a larger mixing bowl, whisk sugar and eggs together, then whisk in oil and vanilla
- Stir in carrots
- Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until just combined
- Pour into the prepared pan, and bake in the center of the oven for 35 minutes, until just done.
For the cheesecake:
- while the carrot cake is baking make your cheesecake layer in a separate bowl
- In a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, slowly stir the cream cheese until its soft and smooth
- then add the sour cream and stir on low speed until well combined, scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary
- mix the sugar and the flour together
- sprinkle the flour mixture over the cream cheese and sour cream, stir again on low to combine
- lightly mix the eggs and vanilla together
- pour the eggs over the cream cheese mixture and stir in, once combined mix on medium speed until well combined, scrape the sides of the bowl as needed
- when the carrot cake layer comes out of the oven carefully wrap the bottom of the springform pan containing the baked carrot cake with aluminum foil, making sure to bring the foil up at least an inch high to protect it from water seeping in through the joint while it bakes
- Pour cheesecake mixture on top of baked carrot cake
- Place in a rimmed baking sheet, and place in center of oven
- Pour hot water into baking sheet to about ½ inch deep. This helps humidify the oven, keeping your cheesecake layer creamy, and protects the carrot cake from overheating and overbaking
- Bake for one hour, then turn off oven, and let rest in hot oven for an additional 45 minutes
- Remove from oven, and remove springform pan from foil liner
- For best results, let the whole cake completely cool on a wire rack at room temperature
- Refrigerate for several hours (or overnight) before serving
