Carrot Cake Cheesecake Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

I have to say that running this blog has opened me up to a couple of food firsts.

1. vegetable crust pizzas

2. browned butter anything

3. salted caramel

and, now...another food first....

Cake AND cheesecake in the same dessert.

*boom*

Mind blown.

Who thought of this? I mean...cake...cheesecake...more cake...frosting. The combinations are endless.

Plus...I love cake...I love cheesecake....I love frosting....I just can't lose!

Look at how beautiful that slice is....

The fact that this thing of pure awesomeness takes a little more work than your average dessert does NOT even matter. It's worth it.

Trust me.

I wouldn't lie about a thing like that.

Carrot Cake Cheesecake Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

Cheesecake

2 (8oz) bricks cream cheese, room temp

2/3 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/3 cup Greek yogurt

1/3 cup whipping cream

2 tsp vanilla

Carrot Cake

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 Tbsp baking powder

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

pinch salt

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup mayonnaise

3 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups grated carrots

1 (8 oz) can crushed pineapple, with juice

(The pineapple I buy is a little bigger than 8 oz but I still use the entire can and it turns out fine. )

1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans

3/4 cup dried cranberries

Cream Cheese Frosting

2 (8 oz) bricks cream cheese, room temp

1/4 cup butter, room temp

3 cups icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Directions

Cheesecake: Preheat oven to 325. Line a 9 inch springform pan with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Beat in sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat in Greek yogurt, whipping cream, and vanilla.

Pour into prepared pan.

Bake at 325 for 20 - 25 minutes, until cheesecake is set. Remove from heat and let cool on counter. When it is completely cool, cover with plastic wrap and freeze. (At least 5 hours but even better overnight - It is important to freeze the cheesecake as it is MUCH easier to assemble the cake.)

Carrot Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour 3 - 9 inch round cake pans.

Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, and salt in a bowl, and set aside.

Cream together the sugar, mayonnaise, eggs, and vanilla extract with an electric mixer until blended, scraping the bowl occasionally. Stir in the flour mixture, then fold in the carrots, pineapple, pecans, and cranberries. Divide evenly between the prepared cake pans.

Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan, and allow to cool completely on a wire rack. (You only need 2 of the layers - freeze the third for later use!)

Cream Cheese Frosting: In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Beat in butter, icing sugar, and vanilla. Chill in fridge for about an hour to firm up a bit.

To Assemble Cake: Place one layer of carrot cake on serving platter. Frost with a thin layer of frosting.

Place frozen cheesecake on top of frosting.

Trim, if necessary, to match cake layer. Frost top of cheesecake with a thin layer of frosting.

Place second cake layer on top. Frost the top of the cake layer with a bit more frosting.

Trim up side of cake and cheesecake so sides are smooth. Frost cake completely with remaining frosting. Decorate as desired. (We had this for our Easter dessert so I decorated with a little toasted coconut and some candy eggs)

Are you excited to see inside?

Get ready...here it comes!

*Tah-daaaaaaah!*

Amazing, right?

To make this easier to put together you can prepare your cheesecake one day and your cake the next. You can make everything well in advance and freeze it, well wrapped, until ready to use.

So.

Good.

I can't wait to make different versions of this. I already have an idea for a retirement party at work that involves caramel macchiato. Be sure to check back for that recipe!! 

Hop over to The Mandatory Mooch and The Busy Bees and My Turn (for us) and Kitchen Fun With My 3 Sons and Carole's Chatter and The Inspiration Network and Joy Love Food for some fun links!