Easter Carrot Pound Cake with Cheese Cake Swirl

Happy Easter everyone! To me Easter is about gathering around with family and celebrating. Ham is never the focus for our meal though, we are unconventional that way, we like dessert! So Easter dessert is always something fun for me to make, and right now I'm really into rustic looking bare cakes with flowers. So I decided to use my new bunt cake mould and create a classic cake. 

Isn't it pretty? I love decorating cakes, but I like the simplicity of this bundt cake, and man was it tasty. Everyone kept coming up to tell me how much they loved it, and people were taking second slices to take home! That made me feel like one proud baker.

Okay so heres how to make it:

WARNING: This cake is not in any means "light" and you will crave more! Beware how much you shovel into your face & for the guilt you may feel after eating the whole thing!

Cake Ingredients:

• 3 cups all purpose flower 
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon 
• 8 oz soft cream cheese
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp pineapple juice (leftover from the can)
• 1 cup (2 sticks) melted butter
• 1 cup grated carrots (about 2 medium sized carrots)
• 1 cup crushed pineapple

Cheesecake Swirl Ingredients:

• 8oz soft cream cheese
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 Tbs flour

Directions:

     Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a stand mixer on medium speed beat the cream cheese and sugar until incorporated and light and fluffy and there are no longer any sugar granules (approx. 2 mins). Then add the eggs one at a time and the vanilla and pineapple juice making sure the ingredients are well incorporated. Then slowly add the melted butter and beat for another 2 minutes making sure everything is very smooth and light. 

     

     Then turn the mixer off and add all of the dry ingredients at once (flour, baking powder and soda, salt, and cinnamon). Mix on low until the ingredients are just incorporated, be careful not to over mix. Next add the carrots and the drained crushed pineapple and mix with a rubber spatula, making sure to scrape the bottom and fully incorporate the goodness. 

     Now start the cheesecake filling, it's really simple. Just combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix. You can use a mixer, or be lazy like me and use a fork and elbow grease. 

     Pour the carrot cake batter into the pre greased bunt pan half way, then pour in all of your cheesecake filling. Next carefully pour the rest of the batter on top of the cheesecake filling being careful not to mix the cheesecake and the carrot cake. Bake the cake for about an hour and twenty minutes to an hour and forty five minutes, depending on your oven. Rotate your cake half way through and it's done when a tooth pick comes out clean. Let it cool and then devour, nom!

Enjoy! xoxo