Best Cheesecake Carrot Bundt Cake Recipe

This recipe combines two popular holiday treats into one: a carrot Bundt cake with a creamy cheesecake filling. It’s a crowd-pleasing combination that everyone loves. The inspiration for this recipe came from my friend Jennifer Sabin Sattley’s website, Carlsbad Cravings.

To make this cake, you’ll need 2 blocks of cream cheese. When preparing the glaze, make sure it’s thick enough to generously coat the cake, unlike the usual thin and transparent glazes that can leave you feeling disappointed.

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Ingredients:

Here are the ingredients you’ll need for Cheesecake Carrot Bundt Cake:

•  400g/14 oz can of crushed pineapple in natural juice
• Unsalted butter for greasing
• 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting

For the cheesecake filling, you’ll need:

• 340g/12 oz block of softened cream cheese
• 1/3 cup full-fat sour cream (yogurt works too)
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 tsp lemon zest
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp plain/all-purpose flour
• 1 large egg at room temperature

For the batter, you’ll need:

• 2 cups plain/all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon powder
• 2/3 cup full-fat milk at room temperature
• 1 tsp white vinegar
• 3 large eggs at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup canola oil or other neutral oil
• 2 cups shredded carrots (about 2 carrots)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened desiccated coconut (finely shredded)
• 1 cup roughly chopped walnuts (optional)

For the thick cream cheese glaze, you’ll need:

• 115g/4 oz softened cream cheese
• 30g/2 tbsp softened unsalted butter
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups sifted powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 tbsp full-fat milk (plus more if needed)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

Instructions:

Here’s how to make the cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F (180°C fan). Grease a 12-cup Bundt pan with butter and dust it with cocoa powder.
2. Drain the crushed pineapple in a colander, reserving the juice. Set aside.
3. Prepare the cheesecake filling by beating the cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla until smooth. Beat in the flour and then the egg. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag and refrigerate.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside. In another bowl, combine the milk, vinegar, eggs, brown sugar, canola oil, and 1/4 cup of the reserved pineapple juice. Whisk until smooth, then stir in the crushed pineapple, shredded carrots, coconut flakes, and walnuts (if using). Pour this mixture over the flour mixture and gently stir until combined.
5. Pour about 2 1/2 cups of the batter into the Bundt pan. Cut a hole in the end of the piping bag and pipe a ring of the cheesecake filling on top of the batter, avoiding the sides of the pan. Cover with the remaining batter.
6. Bake for 30 minutes, then cover loosely with foil and bake for another 30 minutes. Use a skewer to check for doneness in both the cheesecake and the inner wall of the cake.
7. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then invert it onto a rack to cool completely. Spoon the cream cheese glaze on top, letting it drip down the sides of the cake. Sprinkle with walnuts if desired. Cut with a hot knife for neater slices and serve.

To make the cream cheese glaze:

beat the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla until smooth. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar in two batches, starting on low speed. Adjust the thickness by adding milk and lemon juice, a teaspoon at a time, until you achieve a thick glaze.