If you’re one of those people who scours every last molecule of cream cheese frosting from your plate of carrot cake, you’re going to love this. Henry’s Carrot Cake Cheesecake delivers nothing but the good stuff: sweet cream cheese times two—cheesecake and icing—and a thin layer of moist cake. The recipe was created by Henry’s co-owner Debbie Hackett; if you’re a regular there, you know about her mastery of both classic and innovative desserts. Among the cheesecakes alone, there’s German Chocolate and Bananas Foster, and she’s always got cobblers, pies and bread pudding ready, too. Twelve to 15 homemade desserts are available every day from a revolving list (somebody stop her!), so it could take weeks to sample everything she’s making.
 If you (like us) enjoy your cheese with a little cheese on top, indulge in a double dose of the creamy goodness with Henry’s Carrot Cake Cheesecake. |
Hackett loves to experiment, too, and she’s been known to take requests (I think I’m going to tell her about the coconut-pineapple custard cake that haunts my dreams). She’ll ask you, “Well, what would it taste like?” so be ready with the details. And I should mention how totally affordable her supreme creations are: $2.95 to $4.50 for a portion that would make an Italian grandmother proud. Next time you’re heading to the Mall, bring your sweet tooth.
Henry’s Carrot Cake Cheesecake
Crust:
1 1/2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs
3 Tbsp. sugar
3 Tbsp. melted butter
Cheesecake:
32 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
3 Tbsp. flour
1 Tbsp. vanilla
1 cup sour cream
4 eggs
Carrot cake filling:
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1/2 cup crushed pineapple
3/4 cup shredded carrots
Cream cheese icing:
4 oz. cream cheese
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 to 3 Tbsp. milk
To make crust: melt the butter and add to crumbs and sugar. Bake at 325° for five minutes in a 9" or 10" spring form pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. To prepare cheesecake mixture: soften cream cheese and add sugar, then mix till fluffy. Add flour, vanilla, sour cream and eggs, one at a time, and mix until combined. To make filling: mix dry ingredients together, add oil and eggs one at a time until combined, then crushed pineapple and carrots.
Pour half the cheesecake mixture into cooled crust, then add carrot cake mix and top with remainder of cheesecake. Bake at 325° for one hour and five minutes. While baking, mix icing ingredients together until uniform. When cake is cool, loosen rim of pan and refrigerate for two hours till set. Top with cream cheese icing, refrigerate another two hours. Serve. Makes 12 servings.