Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Do not burn this cake!!! Cheesecake Factory's Carrot Cake Cheesecake Recipe

Okay, I'll have to make an exception: this recipe is way too good to be left in the oven unwatched, so I grab a book and sit on the kitchen floor instead of wandering off as usual until a something-is-burning-smell wafts past me. Of course I set a timer most times when I cook or bake, because of my addiction to reading and terrible short term memory, but then I forget to bring it with me into another room...
But now, let'sopen the curtain for The Best Ever Carrot Cake Cheesecake --

Ingredients for the ***cheesecake***:
16 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp flour
3 eggs

***Carrot Cake***
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 can (8.5 ounce size) crushed pineapple, packed in juice, drained well, reserve juice
1 cup grated carrots
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

***Pineapple Cream Cheese Frosting***
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 Tbsp butter, softened
1 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 Tbsp reserved pineapple juice
Preparation:
In large bowl of electric mixer, beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Beat in flour, eggs and vanilla extract until smooth. Set aside.
Meanwhile, prepare Carrot Cake:
In large bowl, combine oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla extract; mix well. Stir in dry ingredients; mixing well. Stir in drained pineapple, carrots, coconut and walnuts.
Spread 1 1/2 c. carrot cake batter over bottom of greased 9 or 9 1/2" springform pan. Drop cream cheese batter over carrot cake batter by spoonfuls; top with large spoonfuls of remaining carrot cake batter. Repeat with remaining cream cheese batter, spreading evenly with a knife. Do not marble with a knife. Bake in preheated 350 degrees F oven for 50 to 65 minutes or until cake is set and cooked through. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate. When cake is cold, prepare Pineapple Cream Cheese Frosting:
In a bowl of electric mixer, combine cream cheese, butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract and reserved pineapple juice. Beat until smooth and of spreading consistency. Frost top of cheesecake. Refrigerate 3-4 hours before serving.
Cook's notes: Don't skimp on the ingredients (and don't use store brand or generic). Use regular cream cheese, real butter, and pineapple packed in juice, not sugar syrup. You will be glad you did. (Recipe found on Cheesecake Factory's website).
Well, my friend Paula made this amazing cake for my birthday and dropped it over that night. It's basically creamcheese cake baked inside a carrot cake and tastes so good that you'd think you died and went to Cheesecake Factory heaven. Needless to say, I hogged it.


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