If you all follow us on Instagram, you know we recently celebrated Patrick’s birthday with his favorite dessert [aka carrot cake cheesecake]. This is now my 4th time trying out different recipes and this is by far my favorite. Just know, the cake is large and you will definitely have lots to share. If you’d like it to be smaller, we recommend cutting the recipe in half! This cake is a bit time consuming [about 2 hours] but well worth it for special occasions!
recipe adapted from: life, love and sugar
ingredients
cinnamon cheesecake
- 24 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 tbsp all purpose flour
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 4 large eggs
carrot cake
- 20 oz peeled raw carrots
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, cut in cubes
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp. vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs
- 1 large egg white
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 8 Medjool Dates, diced
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ginger
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp cloves
- 1/8 tsp all spice
- 1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
whipped cream cheese frosting
- 16 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 3 cups heavy whipping cream, cold
- 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 1/2 cups chopped pecans and/or walnuts
recipe
Cheesecake:
1. Preheat oven to 300°F. Line the entire inside of a 9 inch cake pan with aluminum foil. Press it into the pan to get it as flat as you can. Grease [we sprayed olive oil]. You’ll use the aluminum foil to lift the cheesecake out of the pan when it’s baked and cooled.
2. In a large mixer bowl, mix the cream cheese, sugar and flour together until combined. Use low speed to keep less air from getting into the batter, which can cause cracks. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
3. Add the sour cream, vanilla extract and and cinnamon and mix on low speed until well combined.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing slowly and scraping the sides of the bowl after each addition.
5. Pour the cheesecake batter into the lined cake pan.
6. Place the cake pan inside another larger pan. I use a larger cake pan, but you can use a roasting pan or any other larger baking pan. Fill the outside pan with enough warm water to go about halfway up the sides of the cake pan. Bake for 1 hour.
7. Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake in the oven with the door closed for 30 minutes. Do not open the door or you’ll release the heat.
8. Crack oven door and leave the cheesecake in the oven for another 30 minutes. This cooling process helps the cheesecake cool slowly to prevent cracks.
9. Remove cheesecake from oven and chill until firm, 5-6 hours.
Carrot Cake:
10. Puree carrots in food processor.
11. Preheat the oven to 350°F.Line the bottom of two 9 inch cake pans with parchment paper and grease the sides.
13. In a large mixer bowl, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light in color and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Don’t skimp on the creaming time.
14. Add the vanilla extract and vegetable oil and mix until combined.
15. Add the eggs one at a time
16. Add the egg white and mix until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to make sure everything is combined.
17. Combine the dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl.
18. Add half of the flour mixture to the batter and mix until combined.
19. Add the carrot puree to the batter and mix until combined.
20. Add the remaining flour mixture and mix until well combined and smooth.
21. Stir in the coconut flakes and dates. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure everything is well combined.
22. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with a few crumbs.
23. Remove cakes from the oven and allow to cool for 3-4 minutes, then remove from the pans to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
Frosting + Assembly:
24. Add the cream cheese to a large mixer bowl and beat until smooth, then set aside.
25. Add the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and cinnamon to another bowl and whip until soft peaks form.
26. Add the cream cheese to the whipped cream and whip until stiff peaks form. It will happen fairly quickly. Set whipped frosting in the refrigerator.
27. Use a large serrated knife to remove the domes from the top of the two carrot cakes.
28. Place the first layer of cake on a serving plate or a cardboard cake round. Spread about 1 cup of frosting evenly on top of the cake layer.
29. Use the aluminum foil to lift the cheesecake out of the cake pan, remove the foil and place the cheesecake on top of the cake.
30. Spread another cup of frosting evenly on top of the cheesecake, then add the second layer of cake on top. If the sides of the cake don’t line up, use a serrated knife to trim off the excess cake or cheesecake.
31. Frost the outside of the cake
33. Sprinkle nuts on top of cake.
Happy Baking!
-The Neilan Family-
I say pancakes are for Saturdays because that is always the day (and sometimes Sunday too) that I’m craving something fluffy + delicious aka pancakes or french toast. Likely, because I am a full time working dietitian- so that’s when I’ve got the time! This weekend we made some Kodiak Cakes with my mom’s whipped cream recipe [modified to half whipping cream and half yogurt]. If you haven’t had Kodiak Cakes – they’re awesome. They have different varieties but my favorite is the buttermilk “protein packed” flapjack mix. Made with 100% whole grains, 14g protein per serving, non GMO and no preservatives— SIGN US UP! We have mixed it up so many ways- but this weekend we added pecans and it was oh so yummy! You can find Kodiak Cakes at most grocery stores or on amazon. They even have muffin and cake mixes now too- that I use when I’m in a bind and don’t have a lot of time (we tried blueberry lemon muffins- so yum). On to the recipe for pecan pancakes with banana maple cinnamon [half yogurt] whipped cream 
Doctor Meets Dietitian 