Why This Carrot Cake Tart Deserves a Spot in Your Modern Dessert Lineup
There’s carrot cake, and then there’s the carrot cake tart – a modern, elegant reimagining of the classic. This version is layered, textural, and flavour-forward. It starts with a deeply aromatic speculaas shortcrust pastry, filled with warm spices and a crisp bite. That’s topped with a thin layer of almond praline – rich, nutty, and slightly caramelised – providing a decadent base beneath the sponge.
At the heart of the tart is a tender carrot sponge, which brings moisture, subtle sweetness, and that iconic carrot cake character. If you haven’t made carrot sponge before, check out my full method here: Modern Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Mousse. The recipe is reliable and works beautifully in layered desserts like this one. Over the sponge, I layer a vibrant, slightly tangy carrot jelly. This element brings structure, a bright pop of colour, and a delicate, vegetal sweetness that balances the richness below. It’s subtle but essential.
The tart is finished with an airy, light vanilla cream cheese mousse, which replaces the traditional frosting with something more refined. It melts on the tongue and enhances the other components without overwhelming them. For the base, I used my signature shortcrust pastry recipe, spiced up with speculaas to give the tart a seasonal and aromatic foundation. Together, these layers create a visually striking and texturally sophisticated carrot cake tart – perfect for special occasions, modern pastry displays, or just elevating a humble vegetable into something unforgettable.
Watch This Step-by-Step Carrot Cake Tart Tutorial
Watch the video below to see how this carrot tart recipe comes together, layer by layer. I’ll demonstrate the key steps: baking the speculaas shortcrust, applying the almond praline, placing the carrot sponge, pouring the carrot jelly, and finishing with a silky vanilla cream cheese mousse. With clean visuals and detailed assembly tips, you’ll be ready to recreate this tart with confidence and precision.
Carrot Cake Tart
Ingredients
- 40 g almond praline 70:30
Cheesecake Mousse (for 1 mould 18 cm)
- 225 g cream cheese
- 65 g sugar
- 5 g gelatine powder
- 25 g cold water for blooming
- 50 g lemon juice
- 180 g whipping cream 35% cold
- 1 vanilla bean
Carrot Jelly
- 270 g carrot juice
- 80 g apple purée apple sauce
- 80 g sugar
- 18 g cornstarch
- 9 g gelatine powder
- 45 g cold water for blooming
Carrot Glaze
- 205 g carrot juice cold
- 6 g gelatine powder
Instructions
Cheesecake Mousse
- Bloom the gelatine powder in cold water. Let it sit for at least 10 minutes.
- Semi-whip the cold cream to soft peaks. Keep refrigerated until needed.
- Split the vanilla bean and scrape out the seeds. In a small saucepan, combine the vanilla pod, seeds, lemon juice, sugar, and lemon zest. Heat until just simmering.
- Remove from heat. Discard the vanilla pod, then stir in the bloomed gelatine until completely dissolved.
- Pour the hot mixture over the cream cheese and blend with a stick blender until smooth and fully incorporated.
- Fold in the whipped cream in two additions using a spatula, mixing until light and uniform.
- Use immediately to fill mould. Freeze until completely set.
Carrot Jelly
- Combine powdered gelatine with cold water and let bloom for 10 minutes.
- Place carrot juice and apple purée in a saucepan.
- Mix sugar with cornstarch, then whisk into the cold juice mixture.
- Bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Remove from heat and stir in the bloomed gelatine until fully dissolved.
- Cool to 30 °C before pouring over the baked sponge in the tart. Refrigerate until set, approximately 2 hours.
Carrot Glaze
- Sprinkle the gelatine over cold juice in a small saucepan.
- Let it stand for 10 minutes to allow the gelatine to fully absorb the liquid.
- Heat to 55-60 °C (131-140 °F), stirring until the gelatine is completely dissolved.
- Cool to 20-25 °C (68–77 °F) before pouring over the cream cheese layer.
Video
Carrot Cake Recipe Praline Component
I’ve used almond praline in this recipe—it adds a nutty depth and subtle caramel flavour that works beautifully with the spiced carrot filling. You can find it in stores under the name “almond spread,” but I prefer a low-sugar version, and it’s easy to make at home. Here’s the recipe I use: https://andbonbons.com/almond-praline-paste/
Craving more behind-the-scenes moments, step-by-step videos, and sneak peeks of upcoming recipes? Join me on Instagram @andbonbons for a closer look at the process, pastry tips, and plenty of chocolate inspiration.