Carrots may be an ingredient in this cake but I don’t know if I should call it carrot cake. It’s a true chocolate cake IMO. It sure was fun making this one. It looks like a “celebration” for sure.

Ingredients

Cake:
2-1/2 oz unsweetened chocolate
1-1/3 cups unbleached white flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1-1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
3 eggs
1-1/4 cups honey
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp. vanilla extract
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
3/4 cup buttermilk
1-1/2 cups grated carrots

Ganache:
6 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup honey
1 tsp. brandy

1. Bring all cake ingredients to room temperature. (Chocolate may harden when mixed with cold eggs or milk.) Preheat oven to 350.
2. Melt 2-1/2 ounces of chocolate in a double boiler. Set aside to cool.
3. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a bowl. Set aside.
4. In a separate bowl, beat eggs. Add 1-1/4 cups honey and beat until light.
5. Add oil to egg-honey mixture and beat well. Stir in vanilla and lemon zest. Add melted chocolate, mix well, then stir in buttermilk.
6. Stir dry ingredients into liquid ingredients until just combined. Stir in carrots.
7. Pour batter into two 9″ round cake pans, buttered and floured. Bake 20-30 minutes until cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cake cool before removing from pans.
8. For ganache, melt 6 ounces of chocolate in a double boiler. Let cool to room temperature.
8. Warm cream in a saucepan over low heat until just warm. Do not boil.
9. Stir honey, brandy and warmed cream into chocolate.
Stir gently with a spoon until well combined, then whisk for about 30 sec., until mixture lightens in color and looks silky. Do not overbeat.
Ganache will thicken as it cools. It can be refrigerated.
10. When cake is completely cool and ganache is at room temperature, spread ganache over one cake. Place second cake on top, and pour remaining ganache on top, letting some flow over the edges. Ganache will develop a silky sheen in a few minutes.