Who Would’ve Knew That Carrot Cake & Cheesecake Pair So Well Together? Damn This Was Good!!!

Whoever came up with the idea to combine carrot cake and cheesecake is genius, maybe even a mad scientist. The flavor profile of this dessert is crazy! We seriously can't get enough of this treat. Your whole family will be thinking the same way too after they've tried your delicious creation.

Let's Get Baking…

Things You Will Need To Prepare:

1/2 cup pecan halves, plus more, chopped, for garnish
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 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups shredded carrot (2 to 3 medium carrots)

How To Make The Cheesecake:

Three 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup sour cream
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon lemon zest plus 2 tablespoons lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

How To Make The Sour Cream Topping:

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons sour cream
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Step By Step Instructions To Create:

Start off by toasting your pecans. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and spread your nuts on a rimmed baking sheet. Place them in the oven and allow them to toast, this should take about 12 minutes. After you've let them cool a while, you can chop them up in tiny pieces.
Next, you're going to combine chopped pecans, flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and a pinch of salt together.
In a separate bowl, you're going to combine oil, sugar, carrots and eggs by whisking. Note: add the carrots last.
Pour your egg mixture into a springform. Make sure the springform is ungreased. Go ahead and tap the sides of the springform a little, to even out the batter. Place in the oven and bake for around 25 minutes. Let it cool all the way down.
Next, you're going to get your cheesecake ready. Beat cream cheese, sour cream and granulated sugar for about five minutes. Do this in a stand mixer to make it easy. Add your eggs slowly, like one at a time, making sure that each egg is well incorporated before adding the next. Add flour, lemon zest, juice and vanilla.
Next, you're going to grab that chilled cake out of the fridge and pour your cheesecake mixture over the top. Make sure to secure everything in the pan by wrapping it in foil — just the sides, not the top. Place the pan in a oven safe dish of shallow water. The water should reach about halfway up the sides of the pan. Place this in the oven and bake for about an hour. The cheesecake should be a slight yellow color and somewhat jiggly.
After the hour mark, turn the oven off and let the cheesecake continue cooking as it rests, for about a half hour. When you take it out of the oven, make sure to run a knife around the edges of the cake, then let cool on a rack.
Once you are able to work with the cake pan and it's cool to the touch, pop it in the fridge and let it chill overnight.
Now it's time to prepare the topping! You are going to whisk up confectioners' sugar, sour cream, vanilla and a pinch of salt. Once it's reached your desired texture, spread all over the top of your cheesecake. You should have some chopped pecans left over that you can garnish your cake with by sprinkling over the top.
Let your cake chill AGAIN for at least thirty minutes in the fridge before you cut into this beauty.

Finished!

Note: Nothing goes better with carrot cake cheesecake than a tall glass of milk. If you're feeling extra fancy, consider pairing with a glass of your favorite port. Need a pick me up from the heaviness of this dessert? Enjoy with a shot of espresso.

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