Welcome to another Holiday Recipe Club! Today we are sharing Easter/Passover recipes. Interested in joining Holiday Recipe Club? Contact me here!
This time we were all required to use carrots, spinach, or eggs in our post.
When thinking about this time of year eggs, rabbits and chocolate always come to mind.
But other than the hordes of chocolate, carrot cake is my favorite Easter dessert.
I’ve made carrot cake in the past. They were fine cakes, but that was before I knew about the milk bar methods.
So, I made this carrot cake using some of Tosi’s tricks. Carrot cake is baked and circles are stamped out then layered with liquid cinnamon cheesecake. Then you freeze all that and cover it with cream cheese frosting. Decadent, right?
Next time I plan on adding a layer of oatmeal cookie crumbs or pie crumbs on top of each cheesecake layer. The crunchiness would be a nice touch with the cheesecake!
Carrot Cake
Recipes from Momofuku Milk Bar
Cake Ingredients:
- 1 stick butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 1 1/4 cups flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 1/2 cups shredded carrots
To Make the Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cream the butter and sugars in your stand mixer on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and add the eggs, mix on medium high for 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl.
- With the mixer on low stream in the oil. Once all added mix on medium high for 4 to 6 minutes. You are done mixing when the batter is about doubled in size and very light in color. Scrape down the bowl.
- On low speed add the dry ingredients. Mix no longer than 1 minute. Fold in the carrots.
- Spray a 9×13 pan with Pam or line with a silpat. Pour the batter into the pan and smooth to an even layer. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the cake passes the toothpick test. Allow to cool completely.
Cinnamon Liquid Cheesecake
Liquid Cheesecake Ingredients:
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tbsp milk
- 1 egg
To Make the Liquid Cheesecake:
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F and spray a cake pan with Pam.
- In your stand mixer on medium speed paddle the cream cheese for 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape the bowl and add the sugar. Paddle for an additional 2 to 3 minutes and scrape the bowl again.
- In a separate smaller bowl whisk together the cornstarch, salt, cinnamon and milk. Whisk in the egg. Add this to the bowl with the cream cheese and mix until just incorporated. Bake for 15 minutes (the center will still be jiggly but the outer edges will be set.) Allow to cool completely.
Cream Cheese Frosting
Frosting Ingredients:
- 1 stick unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 (8 oz) block cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
To Make the Frosting:
- In the bowl of your stand mixer paddle the butter and cream cheese on medium speed for 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl.
- Add the powdered sugar and salt, mix in completely. Taste the frosting and adjust the consistency and sweetness with powdered sugar and a bit of milk (if too thick).
- Store in the fridge until ready to use.
Assembly
Using a 6 inch cake ring stamp out 2 circles from the baked cake. Place the cake ring on a plate and line the inside with acetate (see more instructions on how to do this here!) Take most of the scraps from around the stamped out circles and press it into an even layer in the bottom of the cake ring.
Pour half of the liquid cheesecake over the first layer of cake, smooth to just about the edges. Top the cheesecake with one of the cake rounds. Pour the remaining cheesecake over the cake and smooth to almost the edges. Place the final layer of cake on top of the cheesecake. Gently press it all down. Freeze the cake overnight before frosting.
When you are ready to frost the cake pull it out of the freezer, remove the cake ring and acetate paper. Quickly coat the cake in a layer of frosting. This is just going to be the crumb coat so don’t feel to pressured to make it perfect. Return the cake to the freezer for 30 minutes.
Remove the cake and cover it in another layer of frosting (to cover the crumb coat). Decorate the edges with chopped pecans, walnuts, or leave as is. Pipe additional frosting as desired. Store the cake covered in the fridge for 3-4 days.
About bigfatbaker
Gorgeous cake, Erin! And that “liquid cheesecake” sounds absolutely divine!
Thanks again for hosting this awesome club. I’ll be sure to join in on many more holidays
I love carrot cake and this is perfect!
That looks truly spectacular!! I wish I could eat a piece right now, you’ve left me with a real craving for good carrot cake.
Now THAT is a carrot cake! Wow, I have never run across a carrot cake like this with cheesecake in between the layers! That is crazy-awesome. I’m guessing this should be served straight from the fridge, right? I usually prefer to serve cakes at room temp but I’m thinking that wouldn’t be a good idea here.
Yeah, it would be okay to leave at room temp for 30 minutes to an hour or so. But it is easier to cut when it’s cold.
What a work of art, Erin!! And I LOVE that you used liquid cheesecake to fill this…wow!!!! I adore carrot cake and you’ve taken it to a whole other level. Marvelous!
Thanks Liz! The cheesecake is super decadent…perfect for the holidays, right?
I just got the Momofuku cookbook and can’t wait to start trying things out but everything is so intimidating! This looks SO good!
It’s my favorite cookbook! The recipes are so fun!
Another beautiful cake from the Holiday Recipe Club! Carrot cake is my first thought when I think of Easter and this one looks delicious!
I’ll take a piece of it right now, please!
I am totally going to try this the next time I want carrot cake – I have yet to find that one recipe I want over and over and this one sounds like it could be it! Great pick!
Thanks Pam! I hope you like it
Carrot cake is my FAVORITE and this looks delicious.
Yum! This cake looks perfect! I haven’t had carrot cake in forever!
Everything about this cake sounds great and it looks perfect. Delicious indeed!
What a decadent cheesecake! This is my first month participating but somehow I missed the memo on how to add the blog hop code. I sent you email. So far everyone’s dishes look great!
Such a pretty cake! Great job.
Cinnamon cheesecake? Are you kidding me? Oh MAN I would adore this. Wow. Well done!!
This is gorgeous! I am looking forward to trying this. Have a Happy Easter!
I adore you. I adore this cake. That is all.
Perfect match to my pancakes!
Your cake looks out of this world! I would like a big fat slice right about now!!!
I think that is the prettiest Carrot Cake I have ever seen. Thank you for such details so we can make one like it!!!
Oh my goodness. I love carrot cake and I love this one! I am going to make this – I hope I can do it justice.
Carrot Cake is a favorite in our house and this one looks amazing! I can just imagine how it tastes with those creamy layers. Looks like a keeper to me!
I’ve never baked a cake like this…I don’t even think I’ve eaten a cake like this before, but I can hardly deal. Love the cheesecake infusion!
I have never heard of this technique. My sister is the carrot cake maker in the family (which often serves as birthday cakes for everyone) so I am sending her in this direction. Thanks for hosting HRC!
Thanks for stopping by! Christina’s liquid cheesecake is my new favorite thing. I hope you guys enjoy it as well
This cake looks marvelous. Carrot cake plus a bit of cheesecake. Yum! Happy Easter!
Your carrot cake sounds amazing and looks delicious! Hope you are having a wonderful Easter weekend!
I had never realized how much I liked carrot cake until I just recently made one but yours turned out so much prettier! It looks wonderful and I would have felt guilty (only for a second) taking a bite.
Aww thank you Kita! I felt a little guilty about cutting into it…but those feelings are mostly gone after decorating ice cream cakes and watching them be destroyed (not in a good way) in front of my eyes lol.
Nice.