Carrot Cake Cheesecake

Directions

• For the cheesecake, use a medium bowl, put 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.
• In a large bowl using the electric mixer, beat together the oil, brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth for the carrot cake.
• 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.
• Now, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Lightly grease a 9- or 10-inch spring form pan with cooking spray.
• Spread half of the carrot cake batter into the bottom of the prepared pan.
• Add half of the cheesecake batter on top of the carrot cake layer in large spoonfuls. Don’t spread or swirl together. Just dollop.
• Dollop the rest of the carrot cake batter on and around the spoonfuls of cheesecake batter. Again, don’t spread it out. Don’t stress with the lumpiness, it will work out, you’ll see.
• Spread the last half of the cheesecake batter on top of all the layers and spread with an offset spatula into an even layer.
• Tap the pan on the counter a couple of times to get rid of any air bubbles.
• Bake the cheesecake for an hour or more. On this part, observe it closely and be careful not to overdo or pull it out too early. If you are using a 10-inch spring form pan; it won’t bake as long as a 9-inch pan, tenting the top of the cheesecake with foil the last 20 -30 minutes of baking if it is browning too quickly.
• The cheesecake will puff a great deal in the oven because of the leavening in the carrot cake and it might crack. That’s fine though as it will settle after it cools and will be covered with frosting so the cracks won’t matter. Just take care not to over bake the bottom or the sides will be dry. Keep in mind that each oven can vary in temperature so watch closely as it gets to the 60 minute mark. 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.
• Let the cheesecake cool completely on a wire rack in the pan.
• While it cools, make the frosting by whipping 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, spread the frosting evenly over the top of the cheesecake.
• Cover with tin foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled before serving.