Carrot Bundt Cake with a Cheesecake Filling

A silky smooth carrot bundt cake, with a surprise cheesecake filling in the centre. 

Anyone else struggling to stay motivated these days? It seems I go from having crazy productive days where I just want to do a thousand and one things, and then I go to hardly getting anything done. 

Last weekend was one of my busiest in lockdown with about 5 different bakes, planting and cleaning, on probably the hottest day of the year so far. But in the week days, as I've returned to work in the office, I just want to spend my evenings as a potato.

I told myself I would exercise every day after work this week. But that never happened. I told myself I'd start that new online course. But that hasn't been started. 

But what has happened, is the softest carrot cake with a bonus cheesecake centre. I can feel this carrot cake becoming one of my most regularly baked items already. 

Ever since I saw Kristie from Sweet & Simple Kitchen make her carrot cake in a totally different way on an Instagram story, I’ve been wanting to try it out. And let me tell you this, I’ve been converted.

I’ve never seen anyone make a carrot cake this way. Not by grating the carrot in, nope… by cooking and mashing it.

Yes, it does take longer. But it is worth every second you spend boiling and mashing those carrots to a smooth consistency.

No bits of grated carrot in the cake, but instead you have a silky smooth batter and soft cake, with all the same carrot cake flavour and texture that you would normally expect.

This carrot cake pick me up is for anyone who needs a treat, or you want to treat someone else. It should also definitely be the motivation you need to use up those carrots you've got in the fridge that you haven't touched in weeks. 

It can be made with or without the cheesecake filling. But it feels a bit extra with the cheesecake. You can of course add in any walnuts or any other seeds/nuts that take your fancy to this cake batter. But I prefer a smooth no-nuts carrot cake.

So go challenge yourself today with this carrot cake, even if you feel like being a potato.

Carrot Bundt Cake with a Cheesecake Filling

Ingredients:

Carrot cake batter

400g carrot, about 4 average sized carrots

300g plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

3 tsp mixed spice

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

1 orange, zested

300ml vegetable oil

275g light brown sugar

4 large eggs

Cheesecake filling

300g cream cheese

1 egg

50 caster sugar

Cream cheese frosting

100g unsalted butter, room temperature

350g icing sugar

200g cream cheese, room temperature

1tsp vanilla extract 

Directions:

1. Peel and chop the carrots into chunks and ether steam or boil them until soft and mashable (technical term). Once soft, drain and empty into a bowl and mash until the carrot is smooth. As an optional extra, you can then puree the carrot to make it even smoother.
2. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F and grease a large bundt tin with vegetable oil, then set aside. Make sure that every bit of the bundt tin is greased, to ensure that the cake doesn't stick.
3. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, spices and most of the orange zest (reserve some to sprinkle on the top of the cake) until well combined.
4. In another bowl, whisk together the oil, sugar and eggs until light and smooth. Then whisk in the mashed carrot.
5. Gradually whisk the wet ingredients into the dry until just combined, being careful not to overmix. Then set aside to rest while you make the cheesecake filling.
6. For the cheesecake, mix together the cream cheese, egg and sugar until smooth.
7. To assemble, pour in half of the carrot cake batter into the bundt tin. Then carefully spoon in the cheesecake mix on top, ensuring it goes round the entire tin. Then spoon the remaining batter on top of the cheesecake.
8. Place in the oven to bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Allow the cake to sit in the tin for at least 10-15 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely. It's important that the cake isn't hot when it gets turned out, or it will break, so just be patient here.
9. While the cake is baking, make the cream cheese frosting by beating the butter with a hand mixer on high until pale and fluffy, then gradually add the icing sugar in 4 batches. Once all the icing sugar has been added and it's starting to come together, then add the cream cheese and then beat for another 4-5 minutes until the frosting is light and smooth.
10. When the cake is completely cool, spread the frosting on top and sprinkle the reserved orange zest on top. Serve and devour immediately, or store in the fridge, or slice up and freeze any leftovers that make it to being leftovers...

Have you ever made a carrot cake like this before?