Surprise Carrot Cake

By Tracy

16 Person

270 Minutes

595 Calories

Not only is this cake totally delicious, with rich, dark chocolate sponge, gooey chocolate icing and crumbled cookie topping, but it also contains a special Easter surprise. Impress your guests as you serve up this Easter treat - as each slice of chocolatey-goodness unveils a hidden carrot. Bake according to the recipe but stop before adding decoration or icing if called for. Allow cooling completely. Wrap well in clingfilm and tin foil (to prevent freezer burn) and freeze for up to 3 months.

Ingredients

Icing

6 cookies, split, cream removed and crushed
250 g ready-made green fondant icing
cornflour, for dusting
2 tbsp. icing sugar, sifted
2 tbsp. double cream
25 g unsalted butter
100 g good quality plain chocolate

Chocolate Cake

2 tbsp. boiling water
125 g good quality dark chocolate
2 tsp. vanilla essence
1 tsp. bicarbonate of soda
7 tbsp. good quality cocoa powder
125 g plain flour, sifted
125 g self-raising flour, sifted
4 medium eggs
350 g light soft brown sugar
300 g butter, softened

1 tsp. yellow food colouring
1 tsp. red food colouring
150 g self-raising flour
2 small eggs
150 g caster sugar
150 g butter, softened

Method

01

Preheat the oven to gas 4, 180°C, fan 160°C. Lightly grease and line a 2lb loaf tin with non-stick baking paper.
02

Place the butter and sugar into a mixing bowl and cream with a wooden spoon or electric hand whisk until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and flour and beat until smooth. Add the food colouring to produce a vibrant orange mixture.
03

Spoon into the base of the loaf tin and bake for 20-25 mins until well risen and a skewer inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 mins in the tin then remove (but keep in the baking paper) and cool on a wire rack.
04

Once completely cool, discard the paper – leave the cake upright and use a long serrated knife to level the top of the cake. Cut a 'V' shape from the sponge, cutting from the top of the cake (about 2.5cm in from the edge), down to the centre of the base, on both sides.
05

Grease and line the same loaf tin with non-stick baking paper and place the 'V' carrot shape in the middle of the tin, with its widest side down.
06

Now make the chocolate cake mixture. Cream the butter and soft brown sugar with a wooden spoon or electric hand whisk until light and fluffy, then add the eggs and the sifted flours, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda and vanilla essence and beat well until smooth.
07

Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water and stir until melted. Pour the melted chocolate into the cake mix and mix well then add the boiling water to loosen the mixture a little.
08

Spoon the mixture carefully around the ‘carrot’ in the tin making sure it reaches the corners then bake in the same temperature oven for about an hour, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
09

Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for 15 mins before removing from the tin and placing in its paper on a wire rack to cool completely.
10

To make the icing, put the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and place over a pan of gently simmering water – stir until melted. Add the cream and the icing sugar and stir again until thick and glossy. Turn the heat off but leave the bowl over the warm water until ready to use.
11

Using a large, serrated knife, cut the top from the cooled cake to level. Turn upside down and place onto a board or serving plate. Spoon the chocolate icing over the surface, spreading to allow the icing to drizzle down the sides of the cake. Sprinkle with the crushed biscuits, spooning them down the centre of the cake.
12

Lightly dust the work surface with cornflour and roll out the green fondant icing. Cut out carrot-top shaped leaves with a knife and place each leaf over a rolling pin and allow to dry for 1-2 hours until reasonably firm.
13

Using a skewer, make approx 5-6 holes through the cookie crumbs, into to the cake and place the fondant leaves in clusters, allowing the crumbs to support them. Serve in slices, each with a surprise carrot shape inside!

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Surprise Carrot Cake

4.5

( By Tracy )

01 Information

Grade medium
Serving 16 servings
Calorie 595 Kcal
Prep Time 180 Mins
Cook Time 90 Mins
Total Time 270 Mins

02 Ingredients

Icing

6 cookies, split, cream removed and crushed

250 g ready-made green fondant icing

cornflour, for dusting

2 tbsp. icing sugar, sifted

2 tbsp. double cream

25 g unsalted butter

100 g good quality plain chocolate

Chocolate Cake

2 tbsp. boiling water

125 g good quality dark chocolate

2 tsp. vanilla essence

1 tsp. bicarbonate of soda

7 tbsp. good quality cocoa powder

125 g plain flour, sifted

125 g self-raising flour, sifted

4 medium eggs

350 g light soft brown sugar

300 g butter, softened

1 tsp. yellow food colouring

1 tsp. red food colouring

150 g self-raising flour

2 small eggs

150 g caster sugar

150 g butter, softened

03 Method

Step 1

Preheat the oven to gas 4, 180°C, fan 160°C. Lightly grease and line a 2lb loaf tin with non-stick baking paper.

Step 2

Place the butter and sugar into a mixing bowl and cream with a wooden spoon or electric hand whisk until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and flour and beat until smooth. Add the food colouring to produce a vibrant orange mixture.

Step 3

Spoon into the base of the loaf tin and bake for 20-25 mins until well risen and a skewer inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 mins in the tin then remove (but keep in the baking paper) and cool on a wire rack.

Step 4

Once completely cool, discard the paper – leave the cake upright and use a long serrated knife to level the top of the cake. Cut a 'V' shape from the sponge, cutting from the top of the cake (about 2.5cm in from the edge), down to the centre of the base, on both sides.

Step 5

Grease and line the same loaf tin with non-stick baking paper and place the 'V' carrot shape in the middle of the tin, with its widest side down.

Step 6

Now make the chocolate cake mixture. Cream the butter and soft brown sugar with a wooden spoon or electric hand whisk until light and fluffy, then add the eggs and the sifted flours, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda and vanilla essence and beat well until smooth.

Step 7

Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water and stir until melted. Pour the melted chocolate into the cake mix and mix well then add the boiling water to loosen the mixture a little.

Step 8

Spoon the mixture carefully around the ‘carrot’ in the tin making sure it reaches the corners then bake in the same temperature oven for about an hour, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

Step 9

Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for 15 mins before removing from the tin and placing in its paper on a wire rack to cool completely.

Step 10

To make the icing, put the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and place over a pan of gently simmering water – stir until melted. Add the cream and the icing sugar and stir again until thick and glossy. Turn the heat off but leave the bowl over the warm water until ready to use.

Step 11

Using a large, serrated knife, cut the top from the cooled cake to level. Turn upside down and place onto a board or serving plate. Spoon the chocolate icing over the surface, spreading to allow the icing to drizzle down the sides of the cake. Sprinkle with the crushed biscuits, spooning them down the centre of the cake.

Step 12

Lightly dust the work surface with cornflour and roll out the green fondant icing. Cut out carrot-top shaped leaves with a knife and place each leaf over a rolling pin and allow to dry for 1-2 hours until reasonably firm.

Step 13

Using a skewer, make approx 5-6 holes through the cookie crumbs, into to the cake and place the fondant leaves in clusters, allowing the crumbs to support them. Serve in slices, each with a surprise carrot shape inside!

04 Author

Tracy

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