Carrot Cake with Cheesecake Swirl

Fantastic for any occasion, this perfectly spiced dessert, a combination of carrot cake with cheesecake swirl layer and cream cheese/sour cream topping, is light, airy, and not overly sweet.

There are no raisins or nuts in this cake, although it is decorated with walnuts. You can definitely add nuts, raisins, and even coconut in the carrot cake batter if you'd like.

This recipe for a creamy carrot cake cheesecake is not only ideal for Easter; it tastes good all year round.

With a touch of cinnamon, a little vanilla, and lots of shredded juicy carrots, this cake also brings Christmas greetings to the table.

If it were up to my husband, I would have to make this carrot cake cheesecake every week.

But as is the case with "seasonal" delicacies - they only retain their charm if you don't have them all the time. Pumpkin in spring? No, thank you!😉

📃 Why it Works

Cake fusions are the ultimate solutions for indecisive people like me. I'm obsessed with cheesecakes, but I also love other desserts.

When I can't decide, I put two in one like tiramisu cheesecake, baklava cheesecake, and brownie pumpkin cheesecake.

With love and creative experimentation, you can garnish this delicious carrot cake cheesecake as an absolute eye-catcher:

• Top with "robin eggs" candy or carrots made of marzipan, fondant, or frosting for Easter.
• Candied carrots and nuts on top of the cake are ideal garnish for the Thanksgiving celebration.
• Adorned with holly leaf or rosemary twigs, snowflakes, and fruit (orange or fig slices, cranberries, etc.), it will be the perfect treat for a cozy and atmospheric Advent evening and as a Christmas dessert.

🛒 Ingredients and Notes

• Carrots: You can coarsely shred or finely grate them by using large or medium hole sides of a box grater or use a food processor. Let the natural sweetness come out of shredded carrots by coating them in brown sugar first.
• Cream cheese: I used full-fat. You can use light cream cheese, but keep in mind that the cheesecake batter will be a bit runnier. You could add more flour (1-2 tsp) to fix that.
• Applesauce: This cake is not overly sweet, so if you already have sweetened applesauce on hand, by all means, use that. You could also grate apples or pears instead.
• Sour cream: If you've never had sour cream in a frosting, don't let the thought of it put you off. It balances the cake perfectly. Otherwise, this carrot cake cheesecake would be too rich.

🔪 Instructions

Step 1 - Carrot Cake Layer

1. In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat together the oil, applesauce, sugar, and brown sugar until smooth.
2. Add the vanilla and eggs and beat until the mixture is creamy and light.
3. Stir in the flour, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt until just combined.
4. Mix in the carrots.

Step 2 - Cheesecake Layer & Assemble

1. In a medium bowl using an electric mixer on high speed, beat the cream cheese, flour, and sugar until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing just until combined. Add the vanilla and sour cream and mix until blended. Do not overbeat.
2. Pour half of the carrot cake batter into a springform pan. Dollop half of the cheesecake layer on top in large spoonfuls, then the rest of the batter with carrots on and around the cheesecake batter.
3. Spread the remainder of the cheesecake on top; bake at 350 F for 60 minutes. Let the cake cool completely, then cover with foil and chill in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or overnight.
4. Beat together the cream cheese and butter until creamy and smooth. Mix in the powdered sugar a little at a time until the frosting is well-combined with no lumps. Add the vanilla and sour cream and mix well. Spread the frosting evenly over the top, then chill well in the refrigerator. Decorate as desired.

Recipe Notes:

• Shredding carrots in a food processor with a grater blade will cut down on prep time. Cut them down into chunks first.
• Macerate carrots in brown sugar first to let the natural sweetness come out.
• You can also use a 9-inch springform pan, but your cake will not be as high.
• To prevent the cake bottom from burning, you could put a cookie sheet with water on the lowest rack in the oven and then put the springform pan one shelf above, but you might have to bake 10-15 minutes longer if the middle is jiggling more than it should.
• In case your pan is not leakproof, you could place the pan on a cookie sheet to catch any drippings. If browning is going too quickly, tent the top of the cake with aluminum foil.
• To slice the cake, run a long sharp knife under hot water, wipe it dry, and cut slices while the knife is still warm.
• Remember that each oven can vary in actual temperature, especially gas versus electric ovens, so it isn't unusual to add time to things like cheesecakes that take a long time to cook. Watch your cake closely as it gets to the 60 - minute mark. The cheesecake's top center part should still be slightly soft and jiggly when you take it out.
• The cheesecake will puff in the oven thanks to the leavening in the batter, and it might even crack (see tips below to prevent cracking). It will settle after it cools and be covered with frosting so that the cracks won't matter.
• I made this cake four times, and each time the swirls looked different (see below photo of the last cake). As with every cake, numerous factors will make a difference, such as the size of your eggs, altitude, moisture in the air, age of your baking powder, the oven temperature, etc.
• Decorate the cake with chopped pecans or walnuts or with frosting carrots: Set aside 2 tablespoons of frosting and add orange and green food coloring to each tablespoon. Put each color in a small plastic bag (fold-over sandwich bags work great and are less expensive than piping/pastry bags). Snip a small piece off the corner of the bag with scissors and pipe your decorations on the cake.

Help! My carrot cheesecake "cracked" on top.

There are numerous reasons why your cake might crack. No water bath is necessary as the moisture will make the cake soggy. Try these troubleshooting tips:

• Don't overbeat the batter.
• All refrigerated ingredients should be at room temperature before you start mixing them, including milk, eggs, sour cream, and apple sauce. It will also prevent clumps, bubbles, weirdness in texture and density, etc.
• Mix dry ingredients with a teaspoon of cornstarch (potato starch) before mixing everything.
• Turn the oven off early, 10-15 minutes, and let the cheesecake sit to cool gradually.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

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Update Notes: This recipe was originally published in November 2017 and updated in March of 2021 with new photos and recipe tips.