Carrot Cake Torte with White Chocolate Ganache Frosting

6 layers of deliciousness! Carrot Cake Torte has 3 layers of carrot spice cake and 3 layers of white chocolate ganache. The perfect cake for spring!

Carrot cake is a classic dessert recipe for spring. It has cinnamon spice flavor, is loaded with carrots, and many times, also pineapple (and raisins) or nuts. You may prefer just a simple 9×13 carrot cake, but if you are looking for something a little extra special, give this 3 layer Carrot Cake Torte a try.

overhead view of Carrot Cake Torte with carrots on top

By using extra carrots and fresh herbs, you can quickly make a gorgeous cake that is perfect for company, but easy enough for every day too!

Does carrot cake have carrots?

This seems like a silly question, but you’d be surprised how many times this comes up. Yes, carrot cake has carrots in it. It may sound strange, but the carrots add flavor and keep the cake moist. They are delicious in cake!

Do you have to peel carrots for carrot cake?

Although you don’t have to peel carrots for every use (as long as you wash them well), we do suggest peeling them for carrot cake. The carrot skins might have a slightly bitter tastes so quickly peel them for the best flavor and texture.

How to Make Carrot Cake Torte

You’ll want to plan ahead to make this cake because the ganache has to have time to thicken in the refrigerator. Plan for at least 2 ½ hours. Not all of that time will be hands on so don’t let that big number bother you.

Make the cake.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray three 8-inch round cake pans with non-stick cooking spray and line the bottom of each pan with a circle of parchment paper.
Mix wet ingredients well.

Add all the dry ingredients. Stir to combine until just mixed but smooth. Do not overmix.

Divide batter evenly between the three cake pans and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then drag a knife along the outside of the cake to make sure it isn’t sticking to the pan before removing the cake from the pan. Turn them out onto a wire rack to continue cooling.

heavy cream pouring into a bowl of white chocolate

Make the ganache.

Ganache seems like a tricky thing to make, but it is really very easy. We use a double boiler to melt our chocolate and cream together, but if you don’t have one you can also use an oven safe bowl on top of a saucepan. It works great!

Prepare the ganache by combining white chocolate and heavy whipping cream in the top of a double boiler. Place water in the bottom of the double boiler and place over medium-low heat. Heat while stirring, until the white chocolate melts and the ganache becomes smooth.
Allow the ganache to cool until room temperature and then place in the refrigerator to chill. When it is cold, use a hand-held mixer or a stand mixer with the whisk attachment to whip the ganache.

Assemble the cake.

To assemble the cake, place the first layer top side down on a cake plate. Top it with ⅓ of the whipped ganache.
Repeat this process with the remaining layers, reserving a small amount of ganache to decorate the top of the cake. Scrape any ganache that is hanging over the sides around the cake using a scraper, which will lightly frost the sides. This is a “naked cake” so you can see the sides of the cake through the frosting.

If you have leftover ganache, decorate the top by putting some of the whipped ganache in an icing bag and pipe icing around the edges of the top layer.

Other topping ideas: walnuts, caramel, carrots, or strips of carrots.

Carrot Cake Torte with white chocolate on a plate

How to Store Carrot Cake

This cake is safe to store at room temperature in a sealed container. However, if we are keeping it for longer than 24 hours, we store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

You can also freeze the cake. The carrots keep the cake moist so it freezes really well! We double wrap cakes to protect them during freezing. First in plastic wrap, then again in a storage container or in a plastic zippered bag.

Carrot Cake Torte

4.50 from 2 votes

Layered homemade carrot cake with white chocolate ganache.

Servings 12

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 22

Chill Time 1

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Ingredients

For the Cake

1 ½ cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups carrots (diced or shredded in a food processor)
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup chopped dates*

For the Filling:

12 ounces white chocolate
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream (4 ounces)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray three 8-inch round cake pans with non-stick cooking spray and line the bottom of each pan with a circle of parchment paper.
Mix wet ingredients well, then add all the dry ingredients. Stir to combine until just mixed but smooth. Do not overmix.
Divide batter evenly between the three cake pans and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then drag a knife along the outside of the cake to make sure it isn’t sticking to the pan before removing the cake from the pan. Turn them out onto a wire rack to continue cooling.
Prepare the filling by combining white chocolate and heavy whipping cream in the top of a double boiler. Place water in the bottom of the double boiler and place over medium-low heat. Heat while stirring, until the white chocolate melts and the ganache becomes smooth.
Allow the ganache to cool until room temperature and then place in the refrigerator to chill. When it is cold, use a hand-held mixer or a stand mixer with the whisk attachment to whip the ganache.
To assemble the cake, place the first layer top side down on a cake plate. Top it with ⅓ of the whipped ganache. Repeat this process with the remaining layers, reserving a small amount of ganache to decorate the top of the cake. Scrape any ganache that is hanging over the sides around the cake using a scraper, which will lightly frost the sides. It is okay for the cake to show through on the sides.
To decorate the top, put some of the whipped ganache in an icing bag and pipe icing around the edges of the top layer.
Optional toppings to add to the top of the cake: walnuts, caramel, carrots, or strips of carrots.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 24 hours, then refrigerate any leftovers after that.

Notes

The calories shown are based on the cake being cut into 12 pieces, with 1 serving being 1 slice of cake. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information.**