Creamy cheesecake meets moist carrot cake in this irresistible carrot cake cheesecake recipe. Perfect for holidays, birthdays, or any sweet celebration.
Carrot Cake Cheesecake – Two Classic Desserts in One
If you love carrot cake and cheesecake, this Carrot Cake Cheesecake is about to become your new favorite dessert. It combines the warm, spiced flavor of homemade carrot cake with a rich, creamy cheesecake layer, all topped with a sweet sour cream glaze and crunchy chopped pecans.
I first made this for David’s birthday, when he wanted something different but couldn’t really tell me that was. So I blended two desserts he likes. The result? A smooth, perfectly baked cheesecake resting on top of a moist carrot cake base. It’s festive, indulgent, and ideal for fall gatherings or the holiday dessert table.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Two Desserts: You get two dessert instead of one.
- Perfect Texture: creamy cheesecake + moist spiced cake.
- Make-Ahead Friendly: this cake is even better the next day!
- Presentation: Gorgeous, festive presentation for holidays and birthdays.
Ingredients You’ll Need
I’ll go over ingredients here, but you can find the complete list of ingredients with measurements in the recipe card at the end of this post.
For the Carrot Cake Layer:
- Pecans (optional, plus extra for garnish)
- All-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda
- Cinnamon, ginger, salt
- Vegetable oil, sugar, eggs
- Shredded carrots
For the Cheesecake Layer:
- Cream cheese, sour cream, granulated sugar
- Eggs
- Flour, lemon zest & juice
- Vanilla extract
For the Sour Cream Glaze:
- Confectioners’ sugar
- Sour cream
- Vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
How To Make Carrot Cake Cheesecake
Basically you bake the carrot cake and slather it down with cheesecake filling and allow it to rest in the refridgerator (the hardest part of this recipe). Then glaze it and eat your heart out!
Make the Carrot Cake Base:
- Toast pecans; mix dry ingredients.
- Whisk oil, sugar, eggs, and carrots; combine with dry mix.
- Bake 20-25 minutes at 350 dgrees F. Cool completely.
Prepare the Cheesecake Layer:
- Beat cream cheese, sour cream, and sugar until smooth.
- Add eggs, then flour, lemon zest, juice, and vanilla.
- Pour over cooled carrot cake; bake in a water bath for 1 hour.
- Let rest in oven 30 min, then chill at least 8 hours.
Finish with Sour Cream Glaze:
- Whisk sugar, sour cream, vanilla, and salt until smooth.
- Spread glaze over chilled cheesecake and garnish with pecans.
- Refrigerate 30 minutes before serving.
Quick Tips for Recipe Success
- Use room-temperature ingredients for a smooth batter.
- Avoid overmixing to prevent cracks in your cheesecake.
- Bake the cheesecake in a water bath for creamy texture.
- Cool the cheesecake slowly to avoid splitting.
- Chill overnight for the best flavor.
Check out more cheesecake tips from King Arthur Baking!
Serving Ideas
Personally, I don’t think it needs anything else. I love it how it is served chilled. However, you may wish to serve with a drizzle of caramel or a dollop of whipped cream. It’s the perfect dessert for Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any fall celebration, including birthdays.
Storage
Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze (without glaze) for up to 2 months.
I forgot to roast and toss the pecans into the carrot cake layer when making this recipe. David was a little annoyed, but I put them all over the top as the garnish.
This carrot cake cheesecake is a perfect recipe for the upcoming holidays to share with family and friends, with the pecans in the carrot cake layer or not (sigh).
Carrot Cake Cheesecake
Useful Equipment:
Ingredients
Carrot Cake Ingredients
- ½ cup pecan halves optional + more for garnish
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups carrots shredded (2 to 3 medium carrots)
Cheesecake Ingredients
- 24 ounces cream cheese softened
- ⅔ cup sour cream
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Sour Cream Glaze Ingredients
- ½ cup confectioners’ sugar
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- pinch kosher salt
Instructions
First make the carrot cake layer
- Place the oven rack in the middle position of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. (You will need an ungreased 9-inch springform cake pan.)
- Bake the pecans spread out onto a baking sheet, until golden, about 10 minutes. Allow them to cool and chop them up.
- In a large bowl, combine the chopped pecans, flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and ¼ teaspoon salt; set aside.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk the oil, sugar, and eggs together. Once they are incorporated, stir in the carrots. Fold the carrot mixture into the flour mixture until just combined.
- Pour into the springform cake pan. Tap the pan on the counter to even out the batter and bring bubbles to the surface. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely, before adding the cheesecake layer.
Make the cheesecake layer
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Make sure you have a large roasting pan and hot water ready to go when needed.
- Using a mixer, beat the cream cheese, sour cream, and granulated sugar, until smooth, about 3-5 minutes. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Crack the eggs one at a time into a small bowl and then add to the mixing bowl, beating well after each addition. Beat in the flour, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract.
- Wrap aluminum foil around the bottom and sides of the springform pan with the carrot cake inside, to seal out any water. Pour the cheesecake mixture over the carrot cake; smooth out with a spoon or offset spatula. Place the springform pan inside the roasting pan; fill with water halfway up the sides of the foil covered springform pan.
- Bake for 1 hour or until the cheesecake is pale yellow. Turn off the oven, leaving the cheesecake inside to rest for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven; let cool completely on a rack. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.
Make the sour cream glaze
- Run a knife along the side of the springform pan. Remove the ring exposing the carrot cake cheesecake.
- In a small bowl, whisk together confectioners’ sugar, sour cream, vanilla, and salt. It will start thick, but will quickly thin out, just keep stirring.
- Pour the glaze on top of the cheesecake; garnish with chopped pecans, if desired. Place the cheesecake back in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Cheryl "Cheffie Cooks" Wiser says
Yum-ooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!
The Mountain Kitchen says
Thanks Cheryl!
Colleen says
Looks good! Bob and his sister Linda had never had carrot cake before I came along…the whole nut allergy thing. I think they would both love this one…without nuts of course!
The Mountain Kitchen says
Well I did forget to put them in the cake and it was still good!
Dana@IveGotCake says
Wow wee!! You are quite the baker babe!
<Such gorgeous presentation too!
The Mountain Kitchen says
I could not do this all the time. Cramps my style being so strict…lol! ?
Baishakhi says
It looks awsome. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
The Mountain Kitchen says
Sure thing! We hope you enjoy it!