This recipe by Martha Collison is a Peter Rabbit haven. It's a fun way to jazz up a carrot traybake, and would be a fantastic children’s birthday cake, too. Try making your own vegetables from fondant if you feel creative.
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Preheat the oven to 170°C, gas mark 3. Line a 23x33cm tray with baking parchment.
In a large bowl, whisk the sugars, oil and eggs together until smooth. Slowly add the flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger and ½ tsp salt, then beat until well mixed.
Stir in the carrots and walnuts until evenly dispersed. Pour into the lined tin and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin for 20 minutes, then turn out and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.
To make the icing, use an electric whisk to blend the soft cheese and butter together. Add the icing sugar in a few separate stages until it is all combined, then whisk on high speed for 5 minutes, or until the mixture is thick, pale and light.
For the chocolate soil, combine the caster sugar and 2 tbsp water in a small saucepan. Heat over a medium heat until the edges of the sugar syrup turn to a pale brown colour. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate, then stir vigorously until a soil-like powder forms. Spread onto a baking tray and leave to cool completely.
Place the cake onto a serving board and spread the top and sides with cream cheese icing. If needed, cut the chocolate sticks/fingers into lengths about the same depth as the cake, then use them to cover the outside edges to make a fence. Sprinkle the chocolate soil over the cake, then nestle in the fondant carrots. This cake will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Make extra chocolate soil and use it to decorate other Easter bakes. It looks great on cupcakes, over chocolate mousse or on my bunny tail biscuits.
Typical values per serving when made using specific products in recipe
Energy | 3,157kJ/ 756kcals |
|---|---|
Fat | 42g |
Saturated Fat | 11g |
Carbohydrates | 86g |
Sugars | 66g |
Fibre | 4g |
Protein | 7.7g |
Salt | 0.7g |
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