Carrot Cake Cheese Cake and the Cheesecake Factory

"Carrot Cake Cheesecake" There is an ear to ear smile on my face these days.  You see, Jayz decided to spend her spring break at home here in CA with her Mom and Dad.  The anticipation and preparation began days ahead of her arrival.   (It actually began the minute she told me she was coming home.)  I made ready her room with cut flowers and  marketed for all her favorite foods.  I cleared my schedule allowing for mother/daughter time – shopping, crafting, baking, – or doing nothing at all other than relishing our time together before we once again find ourselves on different coasts.  Such joy that girl brings me.  ♥

"Creamy, cheesy, cakey, carrot cake cheesecake"When Jayz called to tell me of her plans, she asked if it would be okay for her to bring two friends home with her.  I told her it was more than okay.  The more the merrier!   I am happiest when my home is filled with guests.   One of my life long fantasies is to own a B & B.  So, I seized the opportunity to “play” a B & B owner by doing the things that would make my guests feel special and pampered; a sweet smelling candle on the night stand, toiletries placed in a basket on the bathroom vanity.  and even turn down service complete with a chocolate on their pillow.

"Carrot Cake Cheesecake is a cut above""Carrot Cake and Cheesecake all swirled together to make the ultimate cheesecake"More than anything else, feeding my guests is what brings me the most pleasure.  I love it when there are people – lots of people – around my table with hungry tummies.  As a baker, I am especially excited when my guests love sweets.  Fortunately for me, most college student do.  Let’s face it, most college students live on Top Ramen and cafeteria food so they are sure to be appreciative of anything fresh from the oven.  My house guests were no exception.

"Who could resist this Carrot Cake Cheesecake"It was by special request that I made this Carrot Cake Cheesecake.  Jayz asked her Grandparents to Sunday dinner so they could meet her friends.  The menu was comprised of some of her favorite dishes but I left the dessert for her guests to choose.  Not wanting to overly impose, the first request was for Carrot Cake.   “Sure no problem”.  Then a hand began to wave back and forth ….as though they were pleading with a teacher to call on them.  “Can I up the request” came the question.  “Sure” I answered.  “Could you make me The Cheesecake Factory’s Carrot Cake Cheesecake?”  Whoa….that stopped me in my tracks.  I love a challenge but hold on.  Dare I accept a request that specific.  Luckily it was easier than I initially feared.  A quick Google search and there it was!
"No one can eat just one bite of this delicious Carrot Cake Cheesecake"I love cheesecake but I rarely make one.  They can be rich, filling and sometimes even cloying.  But not this one.  The combination of carrot cake with cheesecake lightened things up a bit.  This is truly a delicious dessert.  Need more convincing?  It is a cinch to make and it is a perfect choice for company because it can be made days in advance.

Note:  I have received many comments regarding this cake since it was first published.  Everyone who has made this cake has given it rave reviews.  That said, several commenters shared that the center of their cakes did not fully bake.  After much deliberation I have concluded that this more than likely is a result of too much moisture/liquid coming from the carrots and pineapple.  I have found that pre-peeled bagged carrots seem to contain more moisture than fresh carrots.  Whether using bagged or fresh, after grating the carrots, remove any excess moisture by pressing them in between layers of paper towel or wringing them in a clean cotton dish towel.  Likewise, drain the pineapple in a sieve, pressing down on the pineapple with the back of a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible.

Source:  Adapted from Food.com




154 thoughts on “Carrot Cake Cheese Cake and the Cheesecake Factory

  1. I had the opportunity to taste this cake – and it was simply divine.

    Please excuse the bad pun, but one should take all of my comments with a grain of salt – as I am Mary’s husband and biggest fan (biggest in both girth and delighted taste buds)

  2. My two favorite desserts are Carrot Cake and Cheesecake.
    I will have to try this perfect combination.
    Do you need more taste testers for your blog?
    I will happily volunteer..

  3. Mary, You know very well what a sweet tooth I have. I have seen and tasted your baking and I think I’ll book the next flight to LA for some of your apple pie or carrot cake cheese cake combo! On second thought, can you ship it overnight frozen? It should be thawed and perfect by the time it arrives in Melbourne FL. I tried to lick the pictures on my laptop but it’s just not the same.

    Love Jim

    • Thanks Jim! I think I’ll make you come to LA instead of shipping. That way I’ll get to see you. Bring your lovely wife when you come.

  4. If Howie gets to be your biggest fan then put me down as your next biggest fan. This blog is amazing. This cheesecake looks divine. When you taught me how to make pies I was thrilled, now you will have the opportunity to offer your gifts and talents to the world!

  5. Hi Sister,
    First things first. Your blog is absolutely beautiful and depicts you perfectly! I know how long and hard you have been working on it but it has all paid off. Congratulations!
    Secondly, I have already made two of your recipes and both were delicious. The Raspberry Oat Bars were very yummy but the Carrot Cake Cheesecake is without a doubt, one of the best desserts I’ve ever eaten. I took it to work and everyone raved about it also. Keep on baking and sharing your wonderful desserts.

    Love you,

    Your sister Becky

    • Thanks Bec! So glad you are liking the recipes. You are an excellent baker in your own right so if you approve then it must be good. Love You!

  6. I work with Becky and I had to pleasure of trying both of the desserts she had made. I have to say, the Carrot Cake Cheese Cake, by far is the best thing I have ever tasted. I am definitely making it for Easter. My family is very big on desserts and I can not wait for them to try it. Thank you so much for sharing such a wonderful dessert.

  7. These are two of my favorite cakes, along with German chocolate :).
    I was looking for a Christmas dessert to make for myself, since all the rest of the family is covered and this is IT!
    Thank you for sharing

    • Danielle I have not personally tried it with a graham cracker crust. The only question would be whether or not the crust could support the moistness of the carrot cake batter without going soft during baking. That said, graham cracker crusts obviously support the moistness of cheesecake batter. Also, I’m not sure if I would like the struggle between the graham cracker crust and the carrot cake. You might find that there are just too many flavors going on. If you do try it, please let me know. I would like to share the information with my readers. Thanks for visiting my blog!

  8. Hi Mary, We had this cake at a dinner party recently, and it was so good I wanted to make it for one of our parties (yesterday).

    I was sad to see that when we cut into it, in the center bottom, the carrot cake part was really runny, almost still batter. I baked the cake 60-65 minutes (like the recipe said), and it was really quite brown on top. The “touch” test made it seem like it was done. Of course, being the inside bottom of the cake, there was no way to tell if that part was done or not (when I took it out of the oven).

    The only thing I can think of is I used a 10″ springform, not a 9″ or 9-1/2″ like the recipe suggested, but that seems like it would be done quicker, not need longer time. The recipe says “Bake … until cake is set and cooked through.” Of course, I couldn’t tell if it was “cooked through” until it was served.

    Anyway, I guess next time I would cover the top with foil while baking (toward the end) so it didn’t get overbrown, but bake it even longer…?

    Any thoughts or input? I would consider myself a pretty advanced baker, so I don’t think I skipped any steps or whatever.

    On the up side, everyone raved about the cake (at both the first and second party)! Thanks for sharing the recipe!

    • Patti, I am so sorry that the cake didn’t turn out quite right. I went back and read the recipe since it has been a while since I’ve made it. To be honest, I’m not sure what may have gone wrong, especially since you are a seasoned baker. There are a couple things that could be culprits – the cream cheese you used and the size of eggs. I prefer Philadelphia Cream Cheese over generic store brands when I’m making cheesecake. Sometimes there is a difference in the water content between brands. The other thing is the size of eggs. I always use large but if you used extra-large eggs that also could have had an effect. Since you bake often I will assume your oven is calibrated and that you aren’t having any problems with other recipes. Using a 10-inch pan would not have caused the problem, as you said, it should have baked even quicker. I don’t know if we will solve the mystery but if you make it again, please let me know how it turns out.

  9. Hi Mary,

    It is so kind of you to reply. Thank you very much.

    I did use Philly brand cream cheese, but I’m not sure about the eggs. To be honest, sometimes they end up out of their original carton and in a bowl (in the frig) if we are trying to consolidate and move things around. They could very well have been XL without me realizing. That would definitely have added more moisture to the recipe. As far as my oven goes… I do make sure to preheat it for a lengthy period of time. Though I have calibrated it, perhaps it is time to do so again.

    I will definitely make the cake again, and report back.

    Thanks so much.

    Patti

  10. Found this recipe on Pinterest a little while ago. With my husbands birthday coming up, I knew this would be his birthday cake. I fixed this last night and we ate it tonight. It was wonderful! This cake was not super sweet, which surprised us. I toasted some walnuts and put on top. All the layers blended so well together. However, I too had a problem with the middle carrot cake part being gooey. It was not terrible, but noticeable. I also baked it in a 10 inch spring form pan at 350 for 65 mins. The cake was wonderful and I will make again. Next time, I will try to find my 9 inch pan (just in case) and may put less cake batter in the bottom ?. Nonetheless, thank you for this recipe. It is definitely a keeper!

    • Kerri, so glad you liked the cake. I’m sorry to hear that you also had trouble with the center of the cake being too gooey. I’m determined to get to the bottom of the problem. I will be re-making this recipe soon and I will report back on how it turns out.

  11. Fantastic cake, absolutely divine combo, my whole family loved it 🙂 thanks for sharing this recipe, thank yoy, thank you, thank you 🙂

  12. I made it today since I did not have coconut I added extra carrots and since I did not have any walnuts I added pecans, It is so good. Moist and delicious

  13. I’m making this for our Easter dinner and was wondering if that is 8 and a half ounce can of pineapple for the carrot cake?

    • Yes, 8 1/2 ounces. I made a correction to the post so it reads more clearly. Also, I further clarified the preparation of the carrots. Hope you enjoy the cake, and Happy Easter!

  14. I’m in the middle of making this and just noticed the cheesecake portion of the recipe calls for 1 tsp of vanilla and the directions state 2 tsp. I’m going to wing t and go with one 🙂 crossing my fingers! I’m sure it won’t be a ginormous difference

    • It is suppose to be 1 teaspoon. Sorry for the typo. I’ve made the correction. In the end, the amount you used was accurate. Hope it turned out well!

    • Hi! Your cake sounds amazing.. m. i am not a dan of pineapple. If I leave it out should I add sonething else? I am afraid it could bee too dry without it.

      Thanks!

      • Michelle, if you omit the pineapple, you might want to consider adding another 1/2 cup of grated carrots so that the cake’s moisture is not compromised. In the frosting, just use milk, cream, or half & half in place of the pineapple juice. Enjoy!

    • Yes, you can definitely make the cake without the pineapple. I think it will be plenty moist without it. Hope it turns out well for you. Please let me know.

    • So sorry it did not turn out for you. I, too, am confused as to why this cake is turning out for some and not others. Please read the “Note” I have added to the post. Hopefully it will shed some light. I do hope you will try the cake again. It is well worth the effort when it meets with success.

  15. I have made this 3 times. First time perfect, second time I cooked it for 60 minutes and it was over cooked, third time cooked for 50 minutes and it looked perfect. As the cake cooled I noticed the middle had moisture forming. I always bake early and freeze so I froze the third one but afraid it not going to be done. I don’t know what I did different to the first one but sure wish I did.

  16. I KNOW what I did different!!! I dreamed about what went wrong and it came to me. I grated the carrots on 2nd and 3rd try but on the first try I chopped them in a food processor. The first try they were old carrots so they were drier than the other ones!!! You are right on about putting the carrots between the paper towels to drain off the excess moisture from grating the carrots. Will try it again one day soon.

    • I’m so happy you dreamed about carrots. 🙂 I’m also happy that our findings concur. The success of this cake definitely depends on extracting as much moisture as possible from the carrots and pineapple. If you make it again, please let me know how it turns out. I too, will be baking it again soon.

  17. I made this last night and served it today. It was very good, though I expected the cheesecake to be very different than it was. It was almost spongy instead of smooth and creamy. I wonder if it was overdone. I was wondering how baking a cheesecake at 350 was going to turn out. It was good, but next time I will just make carrot cake and cheesecake separately. For those who want to try it anyway, my cake was done in the center. I did remove all the excess moisture from the carrots and pineapple, as suggested. Something that occurred to me as I was measuring the pineapple is that maybe people whose cakes aren’t done put in too much pineapple. I always buy pineapple in a 20 oz can, never 8.5 oz, so I wonder if other people did the same and ended up adding the wrong amount. I decided to play it safe and only put in a little over a 1/4 c of “pressed” pineapple, figuring that half of the can it called for might be liquid. Anyway, the cake and frosting tasted great. The cheesecake left something to be desired, but the combination definitely looked pretty.

    • Thanks Meghan for all of your insights and thoughts on the cake. It certainly is a recipe that has garnered a lot of comments and differing results. As vowed in an earlier response to another commenter, I will be re-making this cake soon and adding any new discoveries to the post.

  18. Thank you Mary! Pure deliciousness:) I found this recipe on Pinterest 3 weeks ago and I’ve already made it four times…So obviously it has been a hit! I did make Carrot cake, Cheesecake Cupcakes (that’s a mouthful I know) one time, as I wanted individual servings. These came out great as well (just a little more work), and I got 22 regular sized cupcakes out of the recipe. Thanks again for sharing, I look forward to your posts. I’m trying the Chocolate Malt Cake this week…sounds yummy!
    p.s. In response to some of the other posts, I’ve found following the recipe exactly makes a perfect cheesecake…but…it is best with a full day of refrigeration before serving. It went from good to fabulous with a little patience 🙂

    • Nancy, I’m glad you found success with this recipe. It remains one of my favorites. I would love feedback if you make the Chocolate Malt Cake. And thank you for following along here on my blog.

      • Dot, I have never made this recipe into cupcakes so I can’t advise on the timing. I suggest looking at other cheesecake cupcake recipes to get an idea of an average time they bake. Report back and let me know how they turn out. Enjoy!

  19. I tried this wonderful yummy cake tonight at a dinner we had for 10 friends
    . Rave reviews all around.
    I followed te recipe to the letter, after an house I tested it with a pick in the middle , it wasn’t done at all si I foiled it and cooked it for 15-20 mins longer and it came out beautiful!!
    Everyone loved it!
    Thank you so much …great blog by the way, I shall return!

  20. Hi Mary!

    Im from México and yesterday was mothers day here. I made this delicious cake and everyone loves it.
    Thank you for your blog a for sharing your recipes

  21. Nancy M,
    How long did you cook the Carrot Cake CheeseCake Cup Cakes ? Do you have any other advise about making them into cup cakes?
    I want to make these soon for a baby shower.

  22. Any advise about making this recipe into cup cakes ?
    Time baking ect.
    I want to make this soon for a baby shower.
    Thanks

    • Missy, thanks for asking. Although I have no first hand experience with substituting coconut oil for canola oil, I did a little reading up on the subject. My guess is that I think it should work just fine. Carrot cake is a fairly forgiving cake and so I think it can handle this substitution. If you try it, please let me know how it worked for you.

      • baked it yesterday afternoon and ate it this afternoon. I used coconut oil instead of vegetable. I put foil on the bottom of my pan as it sometimes leaks and then put water in a pan on the next shelf down…not sure if that did any good or not as it still cracked some. I took it out after 65 min and it was browning but decided to give it around 4 more minutes. I probably shouldn’t have done that. It was also bubbling up(the top of cheesecake throughout cooking) which I don’t think I have seen cheesecake do before. When I sliced into it, the batter was cooked…probably too much. The carrot cake seemed dry. It still tasted good(may have been because of the frosting to add moisture). I did wring out the carrots and pineapple…maybe I shouldn’t have so much. Don’t think I will make it again as it was alot of prep, but my family did like it.

  23. One question, do you remove from the spring form pan when it’s cooled and is there a trick to removing from the bottom of pan. I always seem to have trouble doing this!!

    • Janice, good question. The cake remains in the spring form pan until ready to serve. If the cake is completely cold from the refrigerator, the spring form ring should remove pretty easily. Try running a knife around the inside edge of the pan before releasing it.

  24. Muchas gracias por esta receta, nos ha encantado a toda la familia.Sin duda la repetire muchas veces. ESQUISITA.

  25. This is amazing! I couldn’t believe it when I saw this recipe, carrot cake is my favorite cake and cheese cake is a close second. It turned out perfect. I wouldn’t change a thing! Thanks!

  26. if i dont have an electric mixer/food processor, can i make this with a handheld mixer (that has the two little whippers)?

  27. SOOOOOO good. Perfect. Cooked through just fine. DELICIOUS!! I might add just a few raisins to the carrot cake batter next time, just for the full carrot cake effect. But there WILL be a next time..and a time after that..!

  28. Thank you for sharing such a fabulous recipe! I made this for my sister’s birthday today since she loves carrot cake and she loved it as did I! I can not believe how amazing this tastes. I usually don’t love nuts in my food but I loved the little bites of walnut. The only changes I suggest to others are to add 1 more tablespoon of butter to the icing as well as 1/2 a tablespoon of pineapple juice. This really improved the taste from the original recipe as it originally tasted too much like powdered sugar. Thanks again!

  29. Hello,
    I was reading through your raves and I was curious if you put the carrot cake cheesecake in a hot bath as you do a regular cheesecake?

    • No water bath required for this cheesecake. Just straight forward on the oven rack baking. If you try this recipe using a water bath, please let me know how it turns out.

  30. Hi there,
    I have an awesome carrot cake recipe and I was wondering if it would work to replace your cake batter recipe with mine?

    • Haley, that would be impossible for me to predict. I would compare the amounts of the the various ingredients in both recipes. A recipe for a two layer carrot cake would probably make a larger quantity of batter than you would need for the cheesecake recipe.

  31. Hi, Mary…

    Found this delicious-looking recipe on your blog and had to make it for hubby’s b-day. He loves carrot cake AND cheesecake, so ‘viola’!

    As we have some sensitivities in our house, I did make some substitutions to create a gluten/ sugar-free version; subbed the all-purpose flour for almond flour (1:1), the sugar for Swerve (1:1) and the vegetable oil for coconut. The same with the frosting: subbed the sugar for Swerve Confectioners 1:1.

    I did not ‘squeeze dry’ the pineapples nor the carrots after I processed them and I baked for exactly 65 minutes. Chilled in the fridge for 24hrs (discovered this really allows it to rest & mellow the flavors) and then frosted with the Pineapple Buttercream. Also coated the sides w/crushed walnuts, and, for a pop of color/texture, the top perimeter with left-over shredded carrots and unsweetened coconut.

    Turned out beautiful… I was really pleasantly surprised, being as my first go-arounds with substitutions usually need some tweaks! lol (especially with coconut flour, almond meal and the like)

    Thanks for the great recipe – will make this again for a special, decadent holiday dessert.

    Really great job on the blog, too – you’re quite the captivating writer/photographer! =)

    Blessings!

    P.S. Just an afterthought – I did have have the separate cake batters prepared in the bowls and had to, unexpectedly, put all in the fridge for about 4hrs before coming back and mixing together and baking. Maybe this helped to ‘set’ the ingredients and possibly soak up any extra moisture?

    • Karen, thank you for your kind words regarding my blog. And many thanks for the detailed instructions in making this cake gluten/sugar free. I know other readers with similar sensitivities will appreciate them as well.

  32. Mary, what nice comments people wrote about you. You must feel very loved. I enjoyed reading the comments from your friends and family the best. I’m am going to give this a crack for one of my friends who had a bad day today. Can’t wait to see how it turns out. Thanks for posting.

    • So glad you enjoyed this post and the comments left by my loved ones. Hope the cake turns out well for you. What a “SWEET” thing for you to do for a friend.

  33. this cake has turned out perfectly delicious each time (5 as of tonight in a four week span). i do have to say that i leave out the pineapple because i have an allergy to it and i also take medication that is counteracted by pineapple. i also only use 1/2 cup confectioners sugar in the frosting because of my diabetes BUT I WILL NOT LEAVE THAT DELICIOUS TARTY GOODNESS OFF THIS MASTERPIECE (in case my doctor reads this)!!!! please just follow the recipe instructions to the letter and you will dream sweet dreams after enjoying this ludicrous ridonculous wonderment. please. i mean it.

    • Oh my gosh, Lili, thanks for the ringing endorsement. Wow, 5 times in four weeks. Glad the adjustments you made worked for you. I will keep your secret – your doctor need not know. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by Sifting Focus and for your lovely comment.

  34. Cooked it exactly like you said and it came out perfectly. Yay! thank you, this will be *my* knock-your-socks-off carrot cake recipe! I’m blogging my happiness at finding the recipe from you. cheers! xo amy

    • Thanks Amy! I jumped over to your blog and let me just say I was drawn in immediately by all the beautiful crafts and photographs. I subscribed and look forward to each and every new post from you.

  35. I made this for Easter 2013 and my husband could not stop eating it and told me I was not to make again till next Easter because he said it was the best thing I every made. I made it almost the same but I didn’t have a spring form pan so I used my bunt pan where the center pulled out so I didn’t have the problem with the center not setting up I also don’t like coconut so I left it out I’m making it again for my sister’s birthday cake….I CAN NOT WAIT TO SLICE INTO IT

  36. How far in advance could you make this cake before serving do you think? Today is Thursday and I need it for Saturday afternoon. Could it be made today or better off to wait until tomorrow evening?

    • So sorry Donna that I did not receive your comment until this morning. Cheesecake can be made two to three days ahead and be just fine. In fact, cheesecake freezes quite well, too. Please let me know how it turns out.

      • No worries. I made the cheesecake and it was a success! We had a bake-off at work yesterday and out of 10 contestants, I won with your recipe! Thanks so much for sharing, the cake is simply AMAZING!!

  37. I married into a wonderful family in November and have somehow quickly marked myself as the One to bring delicious desserts to family functions (though I’m not a baker, just a Pinterest-er). My grandmother-in-law’s birthday is this Sunday- I’m so excited to maintain my title with this beauty of a cake!

  38. I tried this recipe yesterday to make for my daughters birthday. She loves cheesecake and carrot cake. I was a little skeptical at first about how it would cook and taste. I gave it a try. I made it , tasted it without the icing, then with the icing. The icing brings out the flavor more. It is really delicious! My whole family loved it. Nest time I will use only a cup of the confectioners sugar with the cream cheese. Great Cake!

    • Thanks Anita for letting me know that the cake turned out well for you. If you make it again and adapt the icing, please let me know if it is successful.

    • Stacy, I have not tried this recipe in any other form or using any other pan other than the one as stated in the recipe. If you are interested in making them in bar form, I would suggest reading some cheesecake bar recipes and adjusting this recipe accordingly. Good lucK!

  39. Mary! I called dibs on making dessert for Easter so I could finally make this carrot cake cheesecake! So excited to finally make it for everyone. Xoxox

  40. Hi Mary,

    I can’t wait to make this recipe for Easter, but I was,reading the comments and just want to know if the problem with the gooey middle was solved?
    Thank you 🙂

    • Jennifer, I went back and read over the comments. A few people did state that the centers of their cakes were under baked, however, for others, the cake turned out perfectly. I would suggest you make sure that your carrots are patted very dry and the pineapple is drained very well. If the cake seems to be browning before testing done, lay a sheet of foil over the cake and continue to bake. Test the cake in several places instead of just one. Since the cake is swirled and layered with both carrot cake and cheesecake, it might test differently in different areas. Hope that helps. Please let me know how it turns out for you.

  41. I made this cake for Easter. and trust me I am neither a great cook or baker. My critical daughter and everyone else loved it. She said it is now my ‘go to receipe’. I didn’t even tell them I messed up and forgot to put the pineapple juice in. I just poured it over the topping and it still turned out great. Will make sure it is in next time though. Thanks for sharing Mary.

    • Dorothy, thank you so much for letting me know that the cake turned out well for you. Hope you enjoyed a lovely Easter with your family.

  42. I made this cake but it took 85 minutes to bake. I tested if it was done at 65 but cake was not set although top was brown. Next time I will try cover in with foil paper to prevent it from getting to brown.

    • Annie, I doubt this cake would be successful using a 9×13-inch pan. That said, it would definitely be worth experimenting with the idea. You could be onto something. Let me know if you try it.

  43. This is absolutely delicious! I baked it for 75 minutes, but I also (by mistake) reached for the 20oz can of crushed pineapple. Fortunately I realized it before I stirred it into the batter and was able to take out most of the extra. What a great combination of cake and cheesecake.
    Thanks for a great recipe!

  44. This looks awesome, only I have a question. My boyfriend is nuts for carrot cake and cheesecake, however, he’s allergic to coconut, will it affect the flavor too much if I leave it out? Thanks 🙂

    • Shayla, the cake will turn out just as well if you omit the pineapple. Add a teaspoon or two of freshly squeezed lemon juice to the cream cheese frosting in place of the pineapple juice. Enjoy!

  45. Hello. I just made this cake/ cheesecake the day before yesterday, kept it in the fridge for 24 hours and enjoyed the smooth-cheesy-cake taste. Even without the cream cheese frosting.. it was divine. Family loved it as well.
    It’s my first time to bake a cheesecake. I do have a question though: is the cheesecake batter meant to be liquid? I mean with only 1 Tbs of flour the batter turned out to be really liquid, so by saying “drop large spoonfuls of cream cheese batter over carrot cake batter” I guess there was something wrong maybe I have done because the right word to be used here will be “pour”. Also I didn’t know how much do I need to pour so I ended up having only a little batter left for the top. Next time I will keep more. I didn’t use any coconut and replaced them by carrot.

    A wonderful, wonderful recipe.. tastes amazing! thank you for sharing.

  46. What type of flour do you use for the carrot cake cheese cake? I am not sure if plain or self rising flour should be used.
    Thank you

  47. Hi Mary. I saw this wonderful recipe on Pinterest and just had to make it. Carrot cake and cheesecake are two of my families favorite desserts, I never thought of putting the two together (glad you did). I made the recipe exactly the way the recipe read (no substitutions or adjustments). My cheesecake batter was thin and runny so I was not able to dollop it on top of the cake mix. I was just going to through it out, but decided I should bake it and see what happened. The cake came out perfect. After eating one piece I had to take 1/2 of it into the office or I would of ate it all myself. I received great feedback from my co-workers. Will definitely be making this recipe again. Thanks for sharing.

    • Marlene, so glad the cake turned out well for you. This is one of the most popular recipes on my blog, and for good reason!

  48. I just have to let you know that I made this delicious recipe for our Thanksgiving family gathering at Palmas Del Mar in Puerto Rico, (where I’m from) and it was a total success. Not only tasted heavenly, it looked beautifully after removing it from the sprinform ring. I just added 1/4 cup of applesauce to the cake mix and toasted pecans instead of walnuts and about 1/4 cup of sour cream to the cheesecake batter and 2 tbsp for the cream-cheese frosting.
    Thank you so much for sharing this recipe and I really love your blog.
    Many blessings for you and your family during this season.

    • Thanks so much Maritere for your kind comment. I’m thrilled the cake was a success for you and looked beautiful too. It remains one of my most popular postings. Happy Holidays to you and yours!

  49. Wow this was amazing!! I made it a bit healthier by subbing 8 oz of 1/3 less fat cream cheese for some of the cream cheese in the filling and cut the oil in the cake to 1/2c and added 1/4 c greek yogurt! I don’t know if it was because of my substitutions, but at 59 minutes the cake actually seemed a bit over done! Next time I’ll probably bake it for 50-55 minutes 🙂

    I made sure my carrots and pineapple were extra drained of their liquid and I think that really helped! Thanks again for the awesome recipe!

    • The standard for substituting cake flour for all-purpose flour is to use 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons cake flour for every cup of all-purpose flour called for in a recipe. That said, I have not made this cake with cake flour so I can’t vouch for how it will turn out if you make the substitution. If you do make this cake using cake flour, please send me a comment on how it turned out. Good luck!

  50. I am making the cake for my daughter’s birthday and found the the cheesecake portion at the top has cracked. What can I do to prevent this for next time.

  51. Mary,
    I cannot wait to try this recipe. I did have a slice of this cream cheesecake from the local restaurant in my town and ever since been checking the internet for a similar recipe.

    I just wanted to thank you for posting it.

    • Valeri, you can omit the pineapple all together. A bit of grated orange peel in the cake would be a nice addition, along with a tablespoon of orange juice in the frosting. And, if you’re not a fan of oranges, the cake will be just as delicious without the pineapple or the addition of orange flavoring.

  52. As I read the wonderful comments and smell the carrot cake cheesecake I have baking in the oven for my sisters birthday, I am becoming more excited. Frost in the morning and then hopefully my sister will love as much as everyone else. Thank you

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