carrot cake cheesecake

for dinner on easter sunday, ryan and i were in charge of making dessert.  we always love carrot cake for easter, but this year we decided to give our traditional carrot cake a twist.  we made carrot cake cheesecake!

the result was delicious . . . a layer of carrot cake, topped with a layer of cinnamon cheesecake, topped with a sour cream glaze, garnished with chopped walnuts.  it was decadent and a wonderful dessert for easter!

carrot cake cheesecake
prep time: 15 minutes
baking time: 2 hours
yields: one 9-inch round cheesecake (14-16 servings)
adapted from food network

carrot cake ingredients:
1/2 cup walnuts plus more for garnish
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups shredded carrots
1/3 cup shredded coconut
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

cheesecake ingredients:
3 (8 oz.) packages of cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup sour cream
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

sour cream glaze ingredients:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons sour cream
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

directions:
to make the carrot cake, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  spread the 1/2 cup of walnuts on a baking sheet and bake until golden and toasted (about 5-10 minutes).  watch to make sure that the walnuts do not burn.  remove from the oven and allow the walnuts to cool completely before finely chopping the nuts.

in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the sugar, oil, and vanilla.  beat for 3-4 minutes until well combined.  add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  mix in the shredded carrots and coconut.  in a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and spices.  add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet and beat until combined.  fold in the chopped walnuts.  pour the batter into an ungreased 9-inch round spring-form pan.  evenly spread the batter around the pan.  place the pan on a baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.  remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool completely.

to make the cheesecake, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, sour cream, and sugar until smooth and creamy (about 5 minutes)  add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  mix in the flour, cinnamon, and vanilla.  beat in the lemon zest and lemon juice.

pour the cheesecake mixture over the top of the baked and cooled carrot cake.  wrap the bottom and the sides of the spring-form pan with a large piece of aluminum foil.  place the wrapped pan in a large roasting pan and fill the pan halfway up the sides of the cake pan with water.  bake the cheesecake in the water bath for 1 hour at 350 degrees F.  after 1 hour, turn off the oven and let the cheesecake rest in the hot oven for 30 minutes.  remove the cheesecake from the water bath and allow it to cool to room temperature before covering and refrigerating overnight.

to make the sour cream glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar, sour cream, and vanilla.  spread the glaze evenly over the top of the cheesecake and garnish with additional pieces of chopped walnuts.  refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

enjoy!

love, laurie