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Easter Carrot Cake

Easter Carrot Cake

This Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting, Orange Curd Filling and Easy Marshmallow Fondant Décor Makes a Fun and Festive Easter Dessert.
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Course Dessert

Ingredients
  

Ingredients for the cake:

  • 3 eggs
  • 100 g sugar
  • 100 g brown sugar
  • 120 ml vegetable oil
  • 220 g unsweetened applesauce
  • 300 g grated carrots
  • 100 g roasted chopped walnuts
  • 200 g all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp allspice seasoning
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • Zest of 1 orange (optional)
  • 2 Oreo cookies ( for decor)

Ingredients for the orange curd filling:

  • 250 ml freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 1 ehh yolk
  • 1 whole egg
  • 75 g sugar
  • 15 g cornstarch
  • 60 g butter
  • Zest of 1 orange

Ingredients for the cream cheese frosting:

  • 600 g cream cheese (at room temperature)
  • 250 d softened butter
  • 150 g powdered sugar
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice (optional)

Ingredients for the marshmallow fondant:

  • 100 g marshmallows
  • +/-100 g powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp butter
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • Gel food coloring

Instructions
 

  • In a large mixing bowl combine the eggs, salt and sugar. Using a hand mixer beat all together until light and fluffy.
  • Add the vegetable oil, applesauce, vanilla extract and give it a quick whisk.
  • Next, sift in the flour, baking soda, baking powder and spices. Using a hand mixer whisk the cake batter again.
  • Add the carrots, chopped walnuts and stir all together with a spatula. Divide the cake batter into three portions. I used a kitchen scale to make sure that the cake batter is evenly divided.
  • I will bake the cake in an 8-inch baking springform bottom of which I covered with parchment paper. Transfer the first portion of cake batter into a prepared baking form, spread it evenly with a spatula and bake at 350 F degrees for 30-35 minutes or until the skewer inserted into the cake comes out dry.
    Let the cake cool in the baking pan for about 5 minute or so, then run a knife between the cake and the baking pan. Take the ring part off, invert the cake and carefully take off the parchment paper from the bottom. Let the cake cool down.
  • Repeat the process with the rest of the cake batter. You can bake the cake layers a couple of days in advance, tightly cover them in plastic wrap and keep refrigerated until assembling the cake.
  • In a heavy-bottomed saucepan combine the orange juice, egg yolk, the whole egg, sugar with orange zest and cornstarch. Whisk all together to combine the ingredients. Place the saucepan over medium-low heat and add the butter.
  • Cook until thick, while constantly stirring, so no lumps form. To check the readiness of the curd, dip a spoon or spatula into the custard, then run your finger through it. If the line stays, the mixture has properly thickened. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the curd into a prepared piping bag. Let it cool to room temperature and chill in the fridge.
  • In a mixing bowl combine the marshmallows, butter and lemon juice. Start by microwaving all the ingredients for 20 seconds (or 10 seconds if at a high temperature) then take the bowl out and give it a stir. Place the bowl back in the microwave and repeat the process of cooking for another 20 seconds or until the marshmallows have melted.
  • Next, sift in about half of the powdered sugar. Start mixing with a spatula to combine the ingredients. When the mixing become too hard, dust the work surface with more powdered sugar and transfer the fondant on top. Start kneading the fondant, adding more powdered sugar as needed. Ready fondant will be slightly sticky and very elastic.
  • Divide the fondant into three pieces. One piece will stay white. Cover it with a plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out. Using an orange gel food coloring, color the biggest piece of the fondant. Just add one drop of the color and knead the fondant until colored evenly. Add more powdered sugar, if needed. Don’t forget to cover it with a plastic wrap. Using green gel food coloring, color the smallest piece of the fondant.
  • I’m not a great sculptor, so forgive me for the primitive figures. The idea is to make the back part of the bunny look like they are sticking out of the ground. So, I made a pear-shaped body with a tail and hind legs. It’s very easy to work with this fondant and sticking the pieces together.
    I also made carrots for my cake garden. Part of the carrots will stick out of the ground and other part of the carrots will be already on the ground. Watch my video to better understand how to mold the figures.
  • The last piece of the cake is the cream cheese frosting. In a large mixing bowl place, the butter and powdered sugar. Mix a little with a spatula. Using a hand mixer beat the butter until light and fluffy.
  • Scrape the sides of the bowl, add the cream cheese, vanilla extract, lemon juice and on the lowest speed of your mixer combine all the ingredients. Don’t overbeat the cream cheese frosting or it will get grainy. For your convenience, transfer the frosting into a pastry bag.
  • Finally let’s assemble the cake. Place the first cake layer on the cake board or a serving plate and cover it with a thin layer of cream cheese frosting. Pipe a border along the outside edge of the cake, then fill it in with a half of the orange filling. Spread it evenly. Repeat the process with the second cake layer.
  • Spread a thin layer of frosting on top and sides of the cake, then refrigerated for 30 minutes. Add a couple drops of orange gel food coloring into the rest of the cream cheese frosting and mix well. Transfer the orange frosting into a piping bag.
  • Pipe the cream cheese frosting on the side and the top of the cake. Using a cake spatula make vertical or horizontal lines to give some texture.
  • Sprinkle Oreo cookie crumbs on top of the cake to simulate dirt. Add the bunnies and carrots on top. I also used edible grass for cakes which luckily, I had in the freezer. I have a separate post on my blog on how to make the Edible Moss (don’t forget to check it out).

Notes

All the ingredients should be at room temperature.
You can use any other spices you like.
You can bake the cake layers a couple of days in advance, tightly cover them with
plastic wrap and keep refrigerated until assembling the cake.
Each cake layer turned out approximately half an inch thick. If you prefer thicker cake layers, you can double the cake ingredients to make a thick 8-inch cake layers or you can use 6-inch cake pan. Anyway, the baking time will change.
You can make the orange curd filling the day before the cake is assembled and store it in the refrigerator.
Homemade marshmallow fondant can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container for up to a month.