Carrot Cake Cheesecake

Nutty, sweet, and decadent, each bite of carrot cake cheesecake is a dream! This dessert is so good you won’t want to stop at one piece!

Making a yummy dessert is the best way to ring in spring! Lemon blueberry cake, strawberry cupcakes, and key lime cake are more bright, tasty desserts to help you celebrate the warmer weather. Find my full list of spring desserts here!

Taking a slice of carrot cake cheesecake.

Delicious Swirled Carrot Cake Cheesecake Recipe

I love carrot cake. I love cheesecake. Who knew combining the two would be so amazing?! This dessert has the sweet nuttiness of carrot cake but also the creamy tanginess of cheesecake in each bite. This is the perfect dessert for you if you find regular cheesecake to be a little too rich. The cake and the cheesecake balance each other out perfectly! You’ve got to try this out. I promise, your taste buds will thank you. Even if it’s your first time making cheesecake, I’m sure it will turn out perfectly!

The great thing about this carrot cake cheesecake is that it’s pretty simple to throw together! In just a few straightforward steps, you’ll be able to make this bakery-worthy dessert! However, it does need to be refrigerated overnight to get the perfect consistency. Something to keep in mind so it’s ready just in time for your party or get-together! Carrot cake cheesecake is ready to impress. Be prepared to share the recipe with your friends!

Everything You’ll Need to Make It

Despite the long ingredients list, carrot cake cheesecake uses a lot of pantry staples! You can find measurements for everything you need in the recipe card below.

Cream Cheese: This is the base of your cheesecake! I like to make sure mine’s at room temperature because it helps everything to mix together smoothly.
Powdered Sugar: Adds a smooth sweetness to your cheesecake.
Large Eggs: This acts as a binding agent.
Vanilla Extract: Vanilla makes everything better! Add a splash to flavor your entire cheesecake.

Carrot Cake

All-Purpose Flour: All-purpose flour has a low protein content which gives your cake a nice, light structure!
Baking Soda and Baking Powder: Both are a must to keep your carrot cake light and fluffy!
Salt: Just a pinch to keep your cake from tasting bland.
Cinnamon and Nutmeg: Add the perfect warm spice! You need both for that classic carrot cake flavor.
Brown Sugar: Adds a deep, caramelized sweetness.
Granulated Sugar: White sugar gives your cake a sweet base.
Vegetable Oil: Oil helps the fats in your cake to bind together. It keeps your cake moist, too!
Vanilla: I like adding pure vanilla extract when I bake for a deeper flavor.
Large Eggs: Needed to help your cake take shape!
Carrots: What would carrot cake be without carrots?! Grated carrots will give your cake its classic sweet, earthy flavor.

Let’s Make Some Carrot Cake Cheesecake!

I’ve broken this recipe up into a few parts to simplify the process. Making this blend of carrot cake and cheesecake is a lot easier than you’d think! I know you’re going to love how it turns out! It’s the perfect dessert for spring.

Preheat Oven: To begin, preheat the oven to 350°F and spray a 9-inch springform pan with baking spray. Set aside.
Mix Cheesecake Ingredients Together: In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. Add the eggs 1 at a time until fully combined. Add in the vanilla and beat until just barely fully combined. Set aside.

Preparing the Carrot Cake

Whisk Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Side aside.
Mix in Remaining Ingredients: In another large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, vegetable oil, vanilla, eggs and carrots. Add in the dry ingredients and mix until combined.

Assembly

Layer: Pour 2/3 Of the carrot cake batter into the bottom of the prepared springform pan and smooth. Add ½ of the cheesecake batter on top, followed by the remaining carrot cake batter and finally the last half of the cheesecake batter, smoothing each layer as necessary.
Bake: Next, bake for 45-50 minutes, until the cheesecake is just set in the center and only jiggles slightly. If the top of the cheesecake is browning too much you can place a layer of foil over the top to prevent it from browning too much, just be sure the foil doesn’t touch the cheesecake.
Chill: Remove the cheesecake from the oven and let cool on a cooling rack for at least an hour. Cover carrot cake cheesecake with foil and chill in the fridge overnight, or at least for 6 hours.

Process shots of preparing batter and layering.

Tips and Tricks for Making the Best Carrot Cake Cheesecake

This has been one of the best desserts I’ve had in a minute. The way the flavors combine together is heavenly! Here are a few tips to keep your carrot cake cheesecake tasting as dreamy as possible.

Don’t Overmix: This goes for both the cake and the cheesecake. If you overmix cake, gluten will develop and make it hard and rubbery. If you overmix cheesecake, it may crack, split, or deflate when baked.
Use Room Temperature Ingredients: When you think of cheesecake, you think of smooth. To keep your batter as smooth as possible, make sure all of your wet ingredients are at room temperature before mixing together. This will give both your cake and your cheesecake layers the best possible consistency!
Adding Nuts: Carrot cake is perfect for adding nuts to! Chopped pecans or walnuts are a great addition.
Let it Chill: When your cake is done cooking, it will have a slight wobble to it. However, this doesn’t mean it’s ready to serve. Your carrot cake cheesecake needs plenty of time to set before it’s ready to cut into! I always like to let it chill overnight in the fridge for best results.

Top-down view of 2 cut pieces of cheesecake.

Storing Leftovers

This tasty, nutty dessert can be enjoyed days after it’s made. It will taste just as good as when it was first baked!

In the Refrigerator: Store your carrot cake cheesecake in an airtight container for up to 4 days. You can serve chilled or set it out at room temperature for 30 minutes before consuming.