Carrot shaped carrot cake

While I have baked many a cake, I usually frost or glaze them - never mustered enough courage use fondant. I love carrots and carrot cakes. Sadly, my best taste tester (read hubby) does not. Needless to say, I rarely bake carrot cakes. 
So when we invited our friends over this Easter, I decided to bake a carrot cake and cover it with marshmallow fondant. I used my favorite carrot cake recipe here and made a carrot shaped carrot cake. Here it goes.


Preparation time: 
For cake: 10 minutes
For cream cheese frosting: 15 minutes
For fondant rolling/ decorating: 30 minutes + 8 hours rest.
Bake time: 30 minutes + cooling time.


Carrot Cake
Cake Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans

• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp coarse salt
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 3 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans
• 1 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 pound carrots (8 to 10 medium carrots), peeled and shredded
• 1 cups walnuts, finely chopped.

Cake Method:

• Grease and line a 11x9" sheet pan and a 8"x8" square pan (or any other shape) with parchment paper. I used only the sheet pan cake to make the carrot shape. I did not want to reduce the recipe to half, lest it changes the chemistry. You can use the other cake to make a smaller carrot, or any other shape. I just frosted it with cream cheese.
• Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, ginger, and nutmeg.
• Whip butter and sugar (Both white and brown) with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Add one egg at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla extract, water & grated carrots. Beat until well combined. 
• Reduce speed to low, and add flour mixture, then finely chopped walnuts.The batter will be very thick.
• Pour batter into prepared pans, dividing evenly. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Let cool completely.

Cream cheese frosting

Frosting Ingredients

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Frosting Method

• In a large bowl, beat together the butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer. 
• With the mixer on low speed, add the powdered sugar gradually until smooth and creamy. Add the vanilla extract and beat again.

Carrot Shape:

• Cut the sheet cake along the long side into half. 
• Frost one of the halves, with cream cheese frosting. 
• Gently flip the other half over.
• Cut and shape into a carrot, with narrow side being about 3/4" wide.
• Frost entire cake with cream cheese frosting.
• Refrigerate for 40 minutes.

Carrot top:

• Cut a small piece of cake, about 2"x1". Frost with cream cheese. 
• Layer with another piece, and frost completely. Refrigerate for 40 minutes.

Marshmallow fondant:

• Prepare white marshmallow fondant as per this recipe a day ahead. Refrigerate for 8 hours wrapped in cling film. 
• Orange fondant: 



Placing rolled fondant on carved cake

• Pinch tennis ball sized fondant, and microwave for 15 seconds to bring it to soft maleable form.
• Add yellow and red gel food color drops to get orange color. Start with couple drops and add as needed.
• Knead till color is evenly blended.
• Grease counter top thoroughly. With a rolling pin, the orange fondant into 1/2" thick disk. Greasing rolling pin might help the rolling process. Also, sprinkle corn starch/ powdered sugar to keep the fondant from sticking.



Trimmed excess fondant

• Gently lift the rolled fondant and place on the cake.



Lines and indentations to make it look 'real'.

• Trim the excess from sides.
• Use a cheese knife to make random lines on the fondant to resemble a real carrot.
• Green fondant:
• Follow same process to color a small piece of fondant into green, for the carrot top.
• Roll and cover the carrot top. 
• Trim and decorate. 
• Attach to the carrot, using cream cheese frosting as glue.

With green fondant carrot topping

• Everyone at the party seemed pleased, and my best taste tester loved the cake so much, that he finished whatever was left of the cake as a midnight snack!!
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Bon Apetit!
Hetal from Houston


PS. You can use any carrot cake recipe, or even a box mix.