Things I Make (for Dinner): #SixteenCheesecakes: Carrot Cake Cheesecake

So.
In families, there are many traditions. I've talked in the past about traditions surrounding my family, food and Christmas. Today, we talk wedding traditions.
Why weddings? Well, because it's Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla's wedding anniversary! And like last year, we're celebrating with a virtual blog party of cheesecake. Cam had cheesecake at her wedding, so here we are.
I asked on Facebook what kind of wedding traditions my friends families had. I got a few responses: from honouring departed loved ones to making sure that there are pictures with all of the family, weddings are a time to celebrate with family and friends.
Which brings us back to what I made. I haven't really mentioned it around here, but my mom remarried last weekend. We didn't have cheesecake at the dinner afterwards, but I made this for the night before the wedding to share with my mother's family. J and I also made sure that the tradition of my mother's family lived on.
When I was growing up, we had a blue suitcase. Every time you used it, a few stray pieces of confetti would come out with your clothes because my grandmother had stuffed my mother's honeymoon bag with confetti. Confetti and clothing. Sigh.
Knowing of this, I guarded my own bag when I got married - and almost made it away before giving my car keys to my maid of honour when I went to get changed to leave. I pulled my nightgown out that night at the hotel and a stream of metallic hearts spewed across the bed at the Best Western. We still find heart confetti courtesy of my mother from that suitcase.
Not to let her get away this time, J and I got our hands on my mother's bag and...well...let's just say there's now a partial bag of green and gold shamrock confetti sealed up in the back of our car. Traditions - they're important to keep, even if they're somewhat nefarious.
Now, a cheesecake. If you can't decide between cake and cheesecake, this is the compromise for you! Make a small cake and a small cheesecake, and then marble the two to form one delicious dessert with a sour cream and cream cheese topping. Delicious as the centrepiece dessert for a celebration.
I present to you now Cooking Classy's Carrot Cake Cheesecake:

Ingredients
For the Cheesecake:2 pkgs cream cheese (8 oz each), softened
2/3 c white sugar
1-1/2 tsp flour
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c sour cream
For the Carrot Cake:
1-1/4 c flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 c oil
1/4 unsweetened applesauce
2/3 c white sugar
1/3 c brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1-1/3 c carrots, finely grated
For the topping:
2 oz cream cheese, softened
1 Tbsp butter, softened
1-1/4 c icing sugar
1/4 c + 2 Tbsp sour cream
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp ground pecans

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9" springform pan and set aside.
2. Make the cheesecake batter: In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk together sugar and flour. Add cream cheese and beat until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time beating until just incorporated. Blend in sour cream and vanilla. Bang bowl on the counter to release any air pockets in the batter. Set aside.
3. Make the carrot cake batter: In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients. Stir with a whisk. In a separate bowl, combine oil, applesauce, sugars, eggs and vanilla. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet, and then add carrots, mixing until well distributed. Bang bowl against counter to release any air pockets.
4. Assemble the cheesecake: Pour 1-1/2 cups of cake batter in the bottom of the springform pan and spread into an even layer. Top with about 1/3 of the cheesecake batter in dollops (not a solid layer. The marbling comes from the way you add the batters. You don't stir this, so leave cake batter poking through) Spoon remaining cake over the cheesecake dollops, and then drizzle with remaining cheesecake, working to cover everything evenly. Bake at 350F for 60 minutes, until the middle barely jiggles. Tent with foil if the cheesecake browns too quickly. Let cool for an hour on a wire rack before covering and refrigerating.
3. Make the topping: Whip cheese and butter until fluffy. Add remaining ingredients and beat until pale and smooth. Spread over the top of the cake and decorate with ground pecans before returning to refrigerator.

From Cooking Classy

I prepped everything, and then made the cheesecake and the carrot cake. Mise en place FTW!

Here's the first few layers in the pan. I used a spoon to drizzle the remaining cheesecake over the top.

I probably let this over-brown a little, but I figured that the top was going to be covered with topping anyway. It's the easiest way to make things pretty.

Then I put one pecan half in the middle and sprinkled ground pecans around the edge. Very pretty!

But even prettier on a plate, ready to eat! Happy anniversary, Cam! J, the cats and I wish you all the best on your continuing adventure with your husband. And that your suitcase for the adventure always remains safe and confetti free.

Last year Camilla at Culinary Adventures with Camilla rallied some blogging friends to help her celebrate her 15th wedding anniversary. She was only looking for fifteen cheesecake recipes. But we posted waaaaaay more than #FifteenCheesecakes.

It was such a hit and we all had so much fun that she decided to see if she could get enthusiasm for another round of cheesecakes. Yep. This is an encore performance by some of her favorite foodie bloggers.