Carrot cake and cheesecake are swirled together, baked and topped with luxurious cream cheese frosting. This is a showstopper of a dessert!

This epic dessert is a mashup of cheesecake + carrot cake, and it is absolutely divine.

Slice of carrot cake cheesecake on white plate.

Cheesecake Batter

The cheesecake swirl for this recipe is really basic. All the ingredients get mixed up together:

  • cream cheese
  • granulated sugar
  • eggs
  • bity of flour
  • vanilla
  • sour cream

Blend it well! And then set it aside to wait for The Great Assembly.

Eggs, sugar, cream cheese, sour cream, and flour in glass bowl.

Carrot Cake Batter

The carrot cake batter is modeled after my favorite carrot cake of all time. It is the best carrot cake I’ve ever had. Soft, moist, yummy.

Even better, it’s a one bowl recipe!

Flour, cinnamon and salt in glass bowl with cake batter.

I use finely shredded carrots. The pre-shredded matchstick carrots in the produce aisle at the store will likely be too thick.

Shred the carrots yourself (no need to peel them first) on the small holes of a box grater or in a food processor.

Don’t bother squeezing out any excess liquid. Just throw them in the cake batter and give it a good stir!

Shredded carrots in glass bowl with cake batter.

Assembling Carrot Cake Cheesecake

A 10-inch springform pan works best for this recipe to bake the cake evenly without the cake layers being dry.

To assemble:

  1. Spread half of the carrot cake batter in the bottom of the pan.
  2. Dollop half of the cheesecake batter across the top. DO NOT SWIRL!
  3. Spoon the remaining carrot cake batter on top.
  4. Spread the last of the cheesecake batter over the carrot cake.

It’s going to be tempting to swirl it all together, but DO NOT give in to the dark side. Just leave it be.

Carrot cake in springform pan; dollops of cream cheese batter on carrot cake; more carrot cake on top of cream cheese; cream cheese layer on top.

Bake and Frost

Bake the carrot cake cheesecake until no longer jiggly. It’s hard to know when cakes like this are done, but it is important not to over bake or the cake layer might be dry.

The very center of the cheesecake may still have a bit of jiggle to it, but the edges should be set.

Once the cheesecake has cooled completely, frost the top with the cream cheese frosting. This will hide any cracks or imperfections.

If you want to garnish the edges of the cheesecake with chopped, toasted pecans, add them right after the frosting has been spread across the top.

Dollop of cream cheese frosting on baked cheesecake.

Make Ahead Carrot Cake Cheesecake

The cheesecake needs to chill in the refrigerator to fully set up for several hours.

It can be made several days in advance! Just keep it in the refrigerator, well-covered, until ready to serve.

Triangle slice of carrot cake cheesecake on cake server.

There is nothing quite like that carrot cake/cheesecake combination. So classic and so yummy!

The swirl-effect in this cheesecake is different every time I make it. Sometimes the layers separate into more defined sections, and other times, the swirl is more evident.

Reading through the comments can give some insight into other people’s experiences, but I don’t stress much about how the cheesecake and carrot cake batters behave in the oven. It tastes delicious no matter what!

Bite of carrot cake cheesecake on fork.

Carrot Cake Cheesecake

This delicious carrot cake cheesecake is stunning and elegant! And it is a tried-and-true favorite of ours in the spring time. So many of you love it, too!

Jane: You nailed this one! Oh my goodness, it all happened – my guests tried to steal the last piece, I successfully hid it from my family, and had it for breakfast the next day! Yum on all counts. 

Elizabeth: I committed myself to making this for a group of 30 or so and having never made a cheesecake before, I was terrified. I agonized over it for days, afraid I’d cut into the finished product and uncooked cheesecake would just spill out all over the table. I am happy and relieved to report that the finished product looked exactly like the photos above and it was to die for! Delicious! Thank you so much for such a wonderful recipe, my desert was the hit of the Easter dinner.

Johanna: Made this tonight. Ummm, this cake is everything!!! So unbelievably to-die-for!

Belinda: Made this cheesecake for Easter dinner. It was a hit! Thanks for another great recipe.

Slice of carrot cake cheesecake with bite taken out on white plate.
Slice of carrot cake cheesecake on white plate with fork.

Carrot Cake Cheesecake

4.56 stars (226 ratings)

Ingredients

Cheesecake:

  • 16 ounces (454 g) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
  • ½ cup (106 g) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon flour
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup (113 g) sour cream

Carrot Cake:

  • ¾ cup vegetable, canola or other neutral-flavored oil
  • ¼ cup (53 g) packed light brown sugar
  • ¾ cup (159 g) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ¼ cups (178 g) all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • Pinch cloves
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ pound finely grated carrots (about 1 cup or so)

Cream Cheese Frosting + Pecans:

  • 3 ounces (86 g) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons (28 g) butter, softened to room temperature
  • 1 ½ cups (171 g) powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 tablespoon sour cream
  • ½ cup chopped, toasted pecans for garnish (optional)

Instructions 

  • For the cheesecake, in a medium bowl using an electric mixer on high speed, beat the cream cheese, sugar, eggs and flour until smooth. Add the vanilla and sour cream and mix just until blended. Set aside.
  • For the carrot cake, in a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat together the oil, brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until the mixture is light creamy and light. Stir in the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt until just combined. Mix in the carrots.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 10-inch springform pan with cooking spray.
  • Spread half of the carrot cake batter into the bottom of the prepared pan. Dollop half of the cheesecake batter on top of the carrot cake layer in large spoonfuls. Don't spread or swirl together.
  • Dollop the rest of the carrot cake batter on and around the spoonfuls of cheesecake batter. Spread the last half of the cheesecake batter over the top in a thin layer. Tap the pan on the counter a couple of times to get rid of any air bubbles.
  • Bake the cheesecake for 60-70 minutes, tenting the top of the cheesecake with foil the last 20 -30 minutes of baking if it is browning too quickly. Take care not to over bake the cheesecake or the carrot cake bottom and sides will be dry. The top center part of the cheesecake (just about a 2- or 3-inch diameter circle) should still be slightly soft and jiggly when you take it out, but the sides should be set. It's ok if the top of the cheesecake cracks as it will be covered with frosting.
  • Let the cheesecake cool completely on a wire rack in the pan.
  • For the frosting, whip together the cream cheese and butter until creamy and smooth. Mix in the powdered sugar a little at a time until the frosting is well-combined with no lumps. Add the vanilla and sour cream and mix well.
  • When the cheesecake has cooled completely, spread the frosting evenly over the top of the cheesecake. Sprinkle the pecans around the edge of the cheesecake.
  • Cover and refrigerate 2-3 hours so it is set up and well-chilled.

Notes

Make Ahead: the cheesecake can be made and frosted 1-2 days in advance and kept in the refrigerator until serving.
Serving: 1 Serving, Calories: 554kcal, Carbohydrates: 55g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 35g, Saturated Fat: 13g, Cholesterol: 122mg, Sodium: 302mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 43g
Follow @MelsKitchenCafe on Instagram and show me the recipes you are making from my blog using the hashtag #melskitchencafe. I love seeing all the goodness you are whipping up in your kitchens!

Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe (cheesecake layer adapted from this Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake; carrot cake and frosting adapted from this Unbelievable Carrot Cake recipe)

A piece of carrot cake cheesecake topped with white frosting, on a white plate.