Carrot Cake Cheesecake

Carrot Cake:

• 1 box Duncan Hines Classic Carrot Cake Mix
• 1 cup hot tap water (for soaking carrots and raisins)
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 8 1/2 oz can crushed pineapple, packed in juice, drained well, reserve juice
• 1/2 cup coconut (optional)
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Cheese Cake Filling:

• 2 (8oz) packages cream cheese
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• 3 eggs

Pineapple Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 2 oz cream cheese (softened)
• 1 tablespoon butter (softened)
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 T pineapple juice

1. Carrot Cake:

1. Soak carrots and raisins in 1 cup HOT tap water, allow to stand for 5 mins. Drain and squeeze out excess water from carrots and raisins.
2. In mixing bowl add dry mix, 2 eggs, 1/4 cup oil. Add well drained carrots, raisins and pineapple. Add coconut and walnuts. Mix well by hand. Spread 2 cups of carrot cake on bottom of a greased 9-9 1/2" springform pan. Reserve remaining carrot cake.

3. Cheesecake:

1. In large bowl beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Beat in eggs.
2. Spread 1/2 of the cheesecake batter on top of the carrot cake. Spoon on remaining carrot cake and top with remaining cheese cake batter. Do not marble with knife.
3. Bake in a 350° preheated oven for 50-60 mins or until cake is set and cooked through.
4. Cool to room temperature. When cake is cooled frost with Pineapple Cream Cheese frosting. Or top with Duncan Hines Cream Cheese Frosting. Refrigerate for 3 hours and serve chilled.
5. Beat Cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and pineapple juice until smooth. Beat in powder sugar until smooth. Frost top of cheesecake.