A really long time ago, I’m gonna guess around 15 years ago, when we were still living in the Beaver Creek apartments on Hixson Pike, I bought a Family Circle Magazine. In that magazine was a recipe for Carrot Cake, which I made, and have made many, many times since. It is a keeper recipe, a family favorite for sure, because it is has the best balance of fruit and nut flavors, and because it has a texture you can not mess up. Not too dense, not too firm – the crumb is just right!
Well, I decided to try making it in a bundt pan for the first time, in honor of my mom’s 70th birthday – because she loves carrot cake! But, I didn’t just make carrot cake for this special occasion! I decided to borrow an idea from another recipe and add a cheese cake filling inside the bundt!
I can assure you cake #9 was a huge success! And, my mom mentioned to me today that the cake, several days now after her birthday, was even better with time – it remained moist and delicious! If you love cheesecake, and carrot cake, you don’t want to miss this recipe!
Carrot Cake with Cheesecake filling.
Cake Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon all spice
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
4 eggs
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 large carrots, finely shredded (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 8 ounce can crushed pineapple in juice
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup toasted coconut
Cheesecake Filling Ingredients:
8 oz full fat cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients:
4 oz cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons butter, softened
4 tablespoons pineapple juice (pineapple juice?)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
heavy cream as needed, for desired consistency
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
Instructions:
Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat the bundt pan with cooking spray (I use pam with flour).
In a medium-size bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and salt. In a large bowl, beat sugar, oil, eggs and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the vanilla until blended. On low speed, gradually beat in flour mixture until smooth. Stir in carrots, pineapple with its juice, nuts and coconuts. Spoon two-three cups of the batter in the bottom of the bundt pan.
Cream together the cheesecake filling ingredients, softened cream cheese and sugar first, then add the other ingredients . Using an icecream scoop, gently scoop the filling around the center of the bundt pan, being careful to not allow the filling to spread out touching the edges of the pan. Then carefully poor the remaining carrot cake batter over the filling.
Bake the cake at 350 for 45 minutes, then lower the temperature to 325, cover the cake with foil and bake it for another 15-20 minutes. When the cake has cooled for 20 minutes, remove it from the pan to cool completely.
Make the frosting when the cake is completely cooled. Whip the ingredients together to the desired consistency – and then pour over the cake.
daily portion 