Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and wrap the exterior of  a 9” springform pan in a sheet of foil. Lightly grease and set aside.

Step 2

In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer begin to prepare the cheesecake. Cream the cream cheese on medium speed using the paddle attachment for 2 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the brown sugar, beating an additional 1 minute. Add the eggs one at a time and beat for an additional minute. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the heavy cream, vanilla, and cinnamon and stir to combine. Be sure no large clumps exist. If there are a lot of large clumps, your cream cheese may not have been entirely room temp and you make need to strain the mixture. Set aside the cheesecake batter while you prepare your cake batter.

Step 3

In the same bowl, now empty, beat the melted butter, eggs, sugar, and vanilla on medium speed for 1-2 minutes until smooth. Add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt and stir just till combined. Fold in the finely grated carrots. Spread half of the prepared cake batter into the bottom of the pan. Spoon about half of the cheesecake mixture on top, taking care to cover every bit of cake batter you see. Do no swirl or spread the mixtures. Spoon the remaining cake batter on top of the cheesecake batter and then finish with the remaining cheesecake batter. Be sure no parts of the cake are exposed or you could have bit chunks of cake burst through the top of the cheesecake. Bake in the preheated oven for about 1 hour. If you notice the top of the cake is already dark by about 35-40 minutes into the baking, gently tent the top with a sheet of foil. Cheesecake is done when the center appears set and the cake as a whole only barely jiggles. It won’t look liquidy or watery under the surface of the cake. Turn the oven off and allow it to rest in the warm oven for 1 hour, then cool entirely in the fridge. Just before ready to serve, prepare the topping. Cream the cheese and butter on medium speed until smooth. Add the sugar until combined and then drizzle in the whipping cream and vanilla. Beat for about 45 seconds or until the mixture fluffs up. Remove the cake from the pan and trim off any severely uneven edges. Smooth the topping on top of the cheesecake and garnish with chopped pecans. Enjoy!