Recipe: Gluten Free Carrot Cake Baked Cheesecake

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Every year around my birthday, I go on a cake mission. 

A mission to create a birthday cake (or dessert) that's a little bit different and something that's extra special. Why? Because I bake cakes and muffins and brownies all year long - so birthdays deserve a little extra oomph! 

This year I decided that extra oomph would come in the form of a Carrot Cake Cheesecake. 

When I first suggested it to Jesse, he looked at me like he often does when I have new ideas; like I had two heads. He said, reaaaally slowly for dramatic effect, "Carrot Cake Cheeeeeeeeeesecake? Is that what you said? Why on earth would you put carrots in a cheesecake? That's gross, Kristy". 

Ah, ye of little faith. 

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Little did he know, my plan was never to put carrots in the cheesecake, but to put cheese on top of carrot cake. So I ignored his lack of confidence in my genius ideas and went ahead and made it anyway.

Only I made it a few days before my birthday because I knew I wouldn't have time to make it on the weekend (as my birthday was Saturday). 

I made the cheesecakes, not really sure if they'd work out - but as soon as I took the first bite I was hooked. 

Why have I never put cheesecake on top of cake bases before?!?!? It beats biscuit bases by a mile and is the perfect base - and this cheesecake had so much flavour from the carrot cake at the bottom. 

I knew it was a hit when Jesse returned home from work, tried it and then asked for a second. WINNING! Or not quite winning, because then I had to share.... 

We can safely say this was a birthday success (and don't worry, I did have cake on my birthday too! My parents surprised me with a gluten free chocolate mud cake that I didn't have to make myself as they knew the carrot cake cheesecake had already been gobbled up!). 

So let me share the recipe with you! >> 

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Gluten Free Carrot Cake Baked Cheesecake Recipe

makes 12 mini cheesecakes or one standard 8" cheesecake 

gluten free, low fat, lower sugar, clean eating friendly, refined sugar free

For the Carrot Cake Base: 

2 cups (220g) finely grated carrot 

1/2 cup (120g) unsweetened applesauce 

1 egg 

3 tbsp (50g) honey 

1 tsp baking powder 

1/2 tsp baking soda 

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp mixed spice or pumpkin pie spice 

1 1/3 cups (160g) gluten free plain flour 

Optional but recommended: 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans 

1/4 cup milk 

• To make your carrot cake base, preheat your oven to 180C/355F and grease and line either 12 muffin tins or mini cheesecake tins or one 7" springform tin (using a springform or loose base tin makes it easier to get them out - here are my favourite mini tins and here is my favourite large tin). 
• In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine your grated carrot, applesauce, egg and honey and mix until combined. 
• Add in your baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, mixed spice, flour and nuts, mixing until combined and adding just as much milk as needed to bring the mixture together. It should be like a thick muffin batter.
• Spoon your carrot cake mixture into the bottom of your tins, filling each tin around 1cm thick. 
• Bake your cheesecake base for 10-20 minutes (depending on thickness) or until cooked through and firm to the touch. 
• Allow your bases to cool completely before moving onto the cheesecake filling. 

For the Cheesecake: 

2 cups (500g) cottage cheese 

1/2 cup (120g) plain greek yogurt 

2 eggs 

1/2 cup (100g) coconut sugar or brown sugar 

1 tbsp cornflour/cornstarch 

• Preheat your oven to 180C/355F
• Place all of your ingredients into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. 
• Spoon your cheesecake mixture onto your cooled bases, filling the tins until just below the top (leave a little bit of room for the cheesecakes to puff up). 
• Bake your cheesecakes for 10-20 minutes or until lightly golden and the edges are set. They will be a little bit wobbly in the middle but they will firm up as they chill. 
• Allow your cheesecakes to cool for ~20-30 minutes before placing your cheesecakes in the fridge to chill completely. 
• Once your cheesecakes are cold, remove them from their tins and enjoy!
• These cheesecakes will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for 2-3 days (or longer... but we'd never be able to test that as they disappear!) 

But tell me, what kind of birthday cake do you usually have?

Do you go for the same thing every year - or do you like to have something different? 

When I was a kid, I always had the same cake. It was always a butter cake with either my Mum's buttercream frosting (from when I was really little until about 10) or chocolate fudge frosting (from about 13-18) and in that in-between period it was ice cream cake because I decided I hated cake for a few years... weirdo.... keep in mind that my birthday is in WINTER so that wasn't the smartest cake choice... 

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