Carrot Cake Cheesecake

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Carrot Cake Cheesecake

This delightful dessert combines a moist carrot cake base with a creamy cheesecake topping, finished with a festive swirl of orange-scented cheesecake batter. Perfect for special occasions or a sweet treat.

Ingredients

Cheesecake Batter:

• 2 (8-ounce) packages reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup sour cream
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon grated orange zest
• 1 ½ teaspoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Carrot Cake Batter:

• 1 ½ cups packed shredded or matchstick-cut carrots
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar (plus ½ cup, divided)
• 1 ¼ cups white whole-wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon grated orange zest
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped toasted pecans

Directions

1. Preheat Oven:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray.

2. Prepare Cheesecake Batter:

• In a medium bowl, combine softened cream cheese, ½ cup granulated sugar, sour cream, eggs, orange zest, 1 ½ teaspoons flour, and vanilla extract.
• Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Set aside.

3. Prepare Carrot Cake Batter:

• Toss shredded carrots with 2 tablespoons of brown sugar in a medium bowl. Transfer to a fine-mesh strainer set over the bowl to drain excess liquid for 10 minutes. Discard the liquid.
• In another bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and ginger.
• In a separate bowl, mix applesauce, granulated sugar, eggs, orange zest, vanilla extract, and remaining ½ cup brown sugar. Add this mixture to the flour mixture and whisk until blended. Stir in the drained carrots.

4. Assemble the Cake:

• Pour 1 ½ cups of carrot cake batter into the prepared pan, smoothing to an even layer.
• Dollop one-third of the cheesecake batter over the carrot cake layer (do not swirl).
• Pour the remaining carrot cake batter over the dollops, smoothing gently.
• Top with the remaining cheesecake batter, spreading it evenly with an offset spatula if needed.

5. Bake:

• Place the cake pan on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until the center is almost set (it will jiggle slightly). Tent with foil after 45 minutes if it starts to overbrown.
• Cool completely on a wire rack for about 1 ½ hours. Cover loosely with foil and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.

6. Serve:

• Before serving, sprinkle the edges of the cheesecake with chopped pecans.

Tips

• Carrot Preparation: For convenience, use pre-shredded or matchstick-cut carrots from the grocery store.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

• Calories: 269
• Fat: 14g
• Carbs: 32g
• Protein: 6g