Can’t decide between cheesecake and carrot cake? Have both, in one epic cake! - St. Paul Pioneer Press

When my 15-year-old daughter, the baker in the family, asked her dad, whose birthday was coming up, what his favorite kind of cake was, he answered just like I told her he would: carrot cake or cheesecake.

She thought both of those were a little “basic,” so she decided to get creative by making a carrot cake/cheesecake layer cake. The miracle of the internet meant someone had already attempted the feat, and she had a recipe to work with.

Cheesecake layered carrot cake, pictured in January, 2019. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)

The polar vortex and three days of no school meant she had plenty of time to spend on it, too, which was good because it took two days to make the cheesecake, refrigerate it overnight, then make the carrot cake, put it all together and ice it.

The result was utterly delicious and kept in the refrigerator for about a week. I think it’s the first time our family has finished a layer cake without help!

Cheesecake Layered Carrot Cake

Adapted from sugarspunrun.com.

Cheesecake (needs to cool for at least 4-6 hours before you can layer it with the carrot cake):

24 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup sour cream

3 large eggs

Carrot cake:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup light brown sugar packed

1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1-2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

4 large eggs, room temperature

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

3 cups grated carrots

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, optional

Frosting:

16 ounces cream cheese, softened

8 tablespoons butter softened

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons heavy cream

To make the cheesecake: Prepare cheesecake at least 4-6 hours before you wish to assemble the cake.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper (remove the bottom, cover with a square of parchment paper and return rim (parchment paper will be sticking out the sides). This helps to make the cheesecake more easily transferable to the center of the other cake.

Using an electric mixer, beat together softened cream cheese, sugar and vanilla, scraping down the sides with a spatula occasionally to ensure it is mixed well.

Add sour cream, mix well, stopping once to scrape down the sides before mixing again.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating until just mixed after each addition (and scraping down the sides after each addition).

Pour cheesecake batter into prepared springform pan.

Bake for 40 minutes.

Remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature before transferring to fridge to cool for at least 4-6 hours. (Our cheesecake cracked on top, which is fine because it gets hidden in a layer cake.)

To make carrot cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease and flour two 9-inch-round cake pans.

In large bowl or standing mixer, whisk together flour, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Stir in canola oil. Add eggs, one at a time, pausing to scrape down sides of the bowl after each addition.

Stir in vanilla extract.

Stir in carrots and nuts (if using).

Evenly divide carrot cake batter between prepared baking pans and bake for 30-35 minutes (toothpick inserted in center should come out mostly clean with only few crumbs).

Allow to cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge and invert onto cooling rack to cool completely.

Frosting and assembly: In stand mixer or with hand mixer, cream together butter and cream cheese. Stir in vanilla extract.

Gradually, carefully, stir in powdered sugar until completely combined (be sure to scrape down sides of bowl to ensure ingredients are well-combined).

Add heavy cream (start with 1 tablespoon, only adding the second if needed) and beat on medium-high speed for 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl and then beat again for 15 more seconds.

Once cake and cheesecake have both cooled completely, carefully transfer one 9-inch carrot cake layer to cake stand/serving platter and layer the top with the cream cheese frosting.

Run a knife around the inside edge of the springform pan to loosen the cheesecake and remove the sides of the pan. Carefully place the cheesecake on the prepared carrot cake layer (you may need to trim the sides of the cheesecake with a sharp knife if it isn’t exactly the same size as your cake layer). Layer the top of the cheesecake with the frosting.

Place second carrot cake layer on top of iced cheesecake layer.

Apply icing to the top and around the sides of the cake. You may wholly cover the cake or run a straight edge spatula against the surface of the cake for a semi-naked look.

Serve. Keep uneaten cake in the refrigerator.

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