Carrot cheesecake

Carrot cheesecake

6 hours 30 min
Dive into the velvety soft world of our baked carrot cheesecake. Featuring a spiced biscuit base, cream cheese filling, and carrot mousse, you get the perfect combination of a classic baked cheesecake and a delightful, flavoured mousse. Walnuts and julienned carrots on top add texture and make it a visual delight, too. Give it a try and bake your way to an irresistible dessert or afternoon treat.
https://www.arlafoods.co.uk/recipes/carrot-cheesecake/

Instructions

Base
  • Melt butter and mix well with biscuits and walnuts.
  • Secure a piece of baking paper between the ring and base of a springform pan (about 22 cm in diameter) and press the biscuit mixture into the bottom of the pan.
Cream cheese filling
  • Preheat the oven to 200°C (conventional oven).
  • Whisk cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and lemon zest until creamy using a hand mixer at low speed. Be careful not to over-whisk, as it can cause cracks and/or air bubbles in the cake during baking.
  • Gradually add egg yolks and egg whites while still mixing at low speed until smooth. Again, be cautious not to overmix.
  • Pour the mixture onto the biscuit base and pre-bake in the middle of the oven for about 10 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 100°C and continue baking for 1 hour without opening the oven.
  • Turn off the oven and let the cake stand in the residual heat without opening the door for about 30 minutes.
  • Remove the cake from the oven and refrigerate it while you prepare the purée and mousse.
Carrot purée
  • Boil water with carrots over medium heat with a lid for about 15 minutes. Drain the water and steam the carrots dry.
  • Blend carrots, lemon juice, and sugar in a food processor until smooth. Chill the purée in the fridge for about 30 minutes until completely cold.
Carrot mousse
  • Soak gelatine leaves in cold water for about 10 minutes.
  • Mix cream cheese and carrot purée until smooth.
  • In another bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar until light and fluffy and mix with the cream cheese mixture. Add lemon juice.
  • Lift the gelatine out of the water, retaining the water that clings to it. Melt in a bowl over a water bath.
  • Stir the gelatine with a bit of the cream cheese mixture, then fold it into the rest.
  • Whip double cream to soft peaks and fold it into the cream cheese mixture.
  • Remove the ring from the baked cheesecake and clean it. Place the cake on a dish and reattach the ring, possibly lined with a cake collar.
  • Carefully pour the carrot mousse over the cake. Cover and put the cake in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
Cream cheese topping
  • Mix cream cheese with lemon zest, lemon juice, and icing sugar. Be precise in measuring the icing sugar; too much can make the topping too thin.
  • Spread the topping onto the carrot cheesecake and decorate it with julienned carrots and walnut kernels.
Enjoy!
Tips

Using a plastic cake collar helps achieve a smooth, clean side of the cake when you release the ring and remove the plastic. Since you do not glaze or otherwise decorate the sides of the cake, a smooth and stringent side is worth trying for; and it is easily achieved with a cake collar. But you can, of course, make the cake without it; just run a knife around the edge of the springform pan before loosening the ring.

Ingredients

Base
Butter
75 g
Spiced biscuits (e.g., Bastogne), crushed
150 g
Walnuts, coarsely chopped
50 g
Optional: plastic cakes collar (about 8 cm wide)
Cream cheese filling
Cream cheese
700 g
Sugar
150 g
Vanilla pod (seeds only) or 1 tsp vanilla paste
1
Egg yolks
4
Egg whites
2
Lemon zest (unsprayed), finely grated
1 tsp
Carrot purée
Water
300 ml
Carrots (approx. 300 g), in small pieces
4
Lemon juice, freshly squeezed
3 tbsp
Sugar
1 tbsp
Carrot mousse
Gelatine leaves
4
Cream cheese
200 g
Egg yolks
8
Sugar
4 tbsp
Fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp
Double cream
200 ml
Cream cheese topping
Cream cheese
200 g
Lemon zest (unsprayed), finely grated
1 tsp
Lemon juice, freshly squeezed
2 tbsp
Icing sugar
50 g
Decoration
Carrots, julienned
Walnut kernels

Impress your guests with a carrot cheesecake

It is easy to impress your guests with a homemade cheesecake, and with this beautiful, layered version, your cake will be remembered for a long time. It has quite some elements but is easy to make and looks intricate and quite fancy, guaranteeing you a lot of praise. It has almost pastel-like coloured layers of carrot mousse and cream cheese filling on top of a dark, spiced biscuit base, and it is topped with julienned carrot, walnuts, and cream cheese frosting.

A classic biscuit base as the foundation

Using spiced biscuits means that you infuse the base with warm, aromatic flavours like cinnamon, nutmeg, or ginger; spices that naturally complement carrot. Adding crushed walnuts makes the base even crunchier and adds a nutty depth. It is not only a sturdy base to hold the cheesecake fillings but also serves to enhance the flavour with its rich, buttery, and spiced notes.

Soft layers with cream cheese and carrot mousse

The two filling layers harmonise beautifully, creating a delicate contrast in flavours. The bottom layer is a classic cheesecake layer of cream cheese filling. It is rich and indulgent with a dense, creamy texture. Infused with subtle hints of vanilla and citrus, it balances the richness of the cream cheese with a refreshing lightness. The carrot mousse layer adds a delicious twist with its lighter and fluffier texture. It has a natural sweetness and earthiness from carrots, elevated and balanced by lemon zest. Together, these layers make each bite of the carrot cheesecake complex and utterly irresistible, transforming it into a sophisticated dessert.

Top with cream cheese, walnuts, and carrots

The toppings are just as important as the cake itself. The cream cheese frosting adds a luxuriously smooth and tangy layer, contrasting beautifully with the dense, sweet base of the cheesecake. The julienned carrots offer a subtle crunch and a fresh, slightly sweet note that cuts through the richness of the cheesecake. Their vibrant colour also adds a bright touch, adding contrast and colour to the appearance. Walnuts add a nutty flavour and a crunchy contrast, complementing the spiced notes of the biscuit base. Together, these toppings create a harmonious blend of smooth, crunchy, tangy, and sweet, making each slice of the carrot cheesecake a complex, sensory delight.

Enjoy the beautiful carrot cheesecake as a dessert or with your afternoon coffee

Elevate your afternoon coffee break or treat your guests with a delightful dessert. The striking layers of carrot mousse and cream cheese filling atop a spiced biscuit crust make for an impressive presentation that is ideal for both an afternoon sweet treat and a dinner dessert table. It is a simple yet elegant way to impress your family or guests or treat yourself to something sumptuous, making your afternoon gatherings or dessert time a memorable affair.

Decorate to fit any occasion

With its delicate looks, it is easy to decorate this carrot cheesecake for exactly the occasion you need. For special celebrations like Easter, adorn the cheesecake with colourful edible flowers, pastel-hued frosting, or small chocolate eggs to add a playful and festive touch. For a birthday bash, decorate with vibrant, colourful toppings like rainbow sprinkles or multi-coloured fruit and, of course, birthday candles. You can also top it with drizzles of berry coulis, chocolate sauce, or caramel sauce, or you can dust it with edible gold or silver. To shake things up with the flavours, consider using orange zest and orange juice instead of lemon zest and juice. Simply substitute all lemon with orange. To complement the carrot in and on the cake, consider adding some spices to the carrot purée. If you need more inspiration for a special cheesecake topping, you can look at some of our other topped cakes. Our classic New York cheesecake has jam and fresh blackberries on top, our carrot cake with dates has swirls of skyr frosting and edible flowers on top, and our gluten-free Easter chocolate cake is decorated with chocolate nests and dragée eggs.