Carrot cake with vanilla (For about 10 lucky ones )
For the carrot cake
220g of multi purpose flour
2g of salt
1g of vanilla powder
8g of baking powder
2 medium size carrots (grated)
75g of unsalted butter
70g of melted margarine (30 seconds in the microwave on high for melting)
150g of castor sugar
2g (4-5 drops) of orange food coloring
3 eggs
30 ml of vanilla essence (I use Robson brand which is alcohol free)
1 small greek yogurt pot (refer photo step 2)
Mini loaf pan (purchased on Ebay)
For the decoration
Orange and green food colorings
1 rectangular cookie cutter (optional)
400g of white sugarpaste/ fondant
5cm base (diameter) cupcake liners
Cellophane paper and ribbons for packaging
Note: "Secret" ingredient........... LOVE !
Procedure
Step 1 : In your mixing bowl add your flour, salt, grated carrots, vanilla powder and baking powder and mix all together using your hand whisk. Put aside for use in upcoming step 5 .
Step 2: Mix your greek yogurt, orange food coloring and vanilla essence together until you obtain a smooth and uniform orange paste as shown below (right). Put aside for use in upcoming step 5 .
Step 3: In a mixing bowl and using your electric mixer, cream your butter and castor sugar until well combined.
Step 4: Add your eggs, one at a time, followed by your melted margarine while mixing continuously until all ingredients are combined.
Step 5: Add your flour mixture from step 1 and your yogurt mixture from step 2 .
Step 6: Perform a final quick mix* just until all ingredients are well combined and voila, your carrot cake batter is ready !
*Do not overmix as this may incorporate air in your cake batter such that when baking it will raise in the center then after baking/ cooling it will sink still in the center .
Step 7: Lightly grease your mini loaf pan, fill them accordingly (75% ) with your carrot cake batter and bake in a pre-heated oven at 175 degrees Celsius for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center.
Step 8: Out of the oven, hot hot hot !!
Step 9: Unmold your mini loaves of carrot cake and allow them to cool completely.
Step 10: Once cool, insert them in cupcake liners (just fold the liners on both sides as shown below - left)
Step 11: Using a cookie cutter or a knife, cut out rectangular shapes of white fondant/ sugarpaste (~250g rolled to a thickness of about 2mm) and place them on top of the mini loaves (use brush/ water to make the fondant adhere to the cake surface).
Step 12: Color a piece of fondant (~100g) using orange food coloring. Separate them into X small balls (where X represents the amount of mini loaves you have). Roll each ball into a carrot shape then use a knife to mark the lines as you would normally see on carrots !
Step 13: Color a piece of fondant (~20g) using green food coloring. Roll to a thickness of about 1mm. Cut out a small rectangle then cut a sort of 'grass' shape as shown below (left). Roll this 'grass' shape fondant circularly on itself. Press on the bottom edge and use some water (brush) to stick it to a carrot. Repeat with all the other carrots !
Step 14: Stick (water/ brush) one carrot on top of each of your mini loaf and voila, your baby carrot cakes are ready !Color a piece of fondant (~20g) using green food coloring. Roll to a thickness of about 1mm. Cut out a small rectangle then cut a sort of 'grass' shape as shown below (left). Roll this 'grass' shape fondant circularly on itself. Press on the bottom edge and use some water (brush) to stick it to a carrot. Repeat with all the other carrots !
Color a piece of fondant (~20g) using green food coloring. Roll to a thickness of about 1mm. Cut out a small rectangle then cut a sort of 'grass' shape as shown below (left). Roll this 'grass' shape fondant circularly on itself. Press on the bottom edge and use some water (brush) to stick it to a carrot. Repeat with all the other carrots !
Bon Appetit ..
Hmmmmmmmmmm !
Do not forget to package your cakes for spreading some love around you !
THANK YOU FOR WATCHING !...
