Duncan Hines Carrot Cake Cheesecake Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 (20 ounce) box duncan hines decadent carrot cake
• 1 cup hot tap water (for soaking carrots and raisins)
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 8 1/2 ounces crushed pineapple, packed in juice, drained well, reserve juice
• 1/2 cup coconut
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 eggs
• 2 ounces cream cheese (softened)
• 1 tablespoon butter (softened)
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons pineapple juice

Instructions

1. Soak 1 cup of hot tap water with the carrots and raisins for about 5 minutes before draining and squeezing out excess moisture.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the dry carrot cake mix, 2 eggs, and 1/4 cup of vegetable oil. Stir in the well-drained carrots, raisins, and crushed pineapple.
3. Add the coconut and walnuts, mixing well by hand until everything is evenly distributed.
4. Spread 2 cups of the batter into the bottom of a greased 9-9 1/2 inch springform pan, reserving the rest for later.
5. In a large bowl, beat 2 (8 ounce) packages of cream cheese with 3/4 cup of sugar and 2 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract until smooth. Then, beat in 3 eggs until fully incorporated.
6. Spread half of the cheesecake batter over the carrot cake layer in the pan. Spoon on the reserved carrot cake batter, then top with the remaining cheesecake batter, ensuring not to marble the layers with a knife.
7. Bake in a preheated 350° oven for about 50-60 minutes or until the cake is set and cooked through.
8. Allow the cake to cool to room temperature. Once cooled, frost with the homemade Pineapple Cream Cheese frosting or Duncan Hines Cream Cheese Frosting as preferred.
9. To make the frosting, beat 2 ounces of softened cream cheese with 1 tablespoon of softened butter, 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla, and 2 tablespoons of pineapple juice until smooth. Gradually beat in 2 cups of powdered sugar until creamy and spreadable.