Carrot Patch Chocolate Cake Food

CHOCOLATE CARROT CAKE

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt.
• Add the eggs, oil and carrots.
• Beat until combined.
• Pour into prepared 9x13, cupcake liners or 9 inch round baking pans. If using 9-in. round baking pans, line with waxed paper, and grease the paper.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, (less if making cupcakes).
• Cool 10 minutes before removing from baking pans to wire rack to cool completely.
• Frosting:.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, and butter.
• Beat until smoooth and fluffy.
• Beat in the powdered sugar, cocoa, and vanilla until smooth.
• If using 9-inch rounds:.
• Place one cake layer on a serving plate and spread with half the frosting.
• Repeat layers.
• Sprinkle with nuts and chocolate chips.

CHOCOLATE CARROT CAKE

Steps:

• Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat two 9-inch-round cake pans with cooking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Coat the parchment with cooking spray and dust with flour, tapping out the excess. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, apple pie spice and salt into a medium bowl. Beat the granulated sugar, brown sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, applesauce and vanilla in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until combined, about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and beat in the flour mixture until just combined. Fold in the carrots with a rubber spatula.
• Divide the batter between the prepared pans; bake until each cake pulls away slightly from the side of the pan and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool 10 minutes in the pans, then invert onto the rack to cool completely; remove the parchment.
• Meanwhile, make the frosting: Heat the heavy cream until almost simmering in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Remove from the heat, add the chocolate and butter and let sit, without stirring, 5 minutes; stir until smooth. Let cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.
• Place one cake layer on a platter. Spread the top with 1 cup frosting; refrigerate until the frosting is set, about 10 minutes. Top with the second cake layer and spread a thin layer of frosting on the top and side; refrigerate until set, about 10 minutes. Cover the cake with the remaining frosting.
• Make the web topping: Beat the marshmallows and food coloring in a large bowl with a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on low speed until the marshmallows break up, about 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium high and beat until glossy and smooth. Using two forks, pull out about 1 tablespoon of marshmallow at a time, stretch into thin strands and drape over the top of the cake to create a web. Photograph by Kate Mathis

"CARROT PATCH" CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs, water and oil. Blend with hand mixer until batter is smooth.
• Stir in chocolate chips.
• Spray a 9x13" cake pan with non-stick cooking spray and pour the batter into the pan.
• Bake according to package directions (usually 30-35 minutes for a 9x13 cake).
• While cake is baking, place the white baking chips into a small saucepan and begin stirring them over Medium-Low heat on the stove (or follow the instructions on the bag).
• When they are almost melted, add a few drops of orange gel food coloring to the mixture. Continue stirring until all candy is melted and it is all orange.
• NOTE: I tried this before with liquid food coloring and the candy coating hardened immediately. I did not have this problem with gel coloring. If you can find orange candy melts, you can use them and skip this step.
• Skewer the marshmallows with toothpicks and roll them around in the melted candy until they are covered. You only need to do the top and sides.
• Allow excess chocolate to drip off and poke the toothpicks into a piece of thick styrofoam (or through the top of a shoe box like I did). You can also remove the toothpicks and place them on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.
• Place in fridge until the candy is set (about 10 minutes).
• By this point, the cake should be about done baking. Remove from oven and allow to cool while you finish the marshmallow carrots.
• Remove the marshmallows from the fridge and use a tooth pick to poke 3 small holes very close to each other in the middle of the top of each marshmallow.
• Using the toothpick, push 1 piece of edible Easter grass into each hole to create the carrot tops. Set aside until cake is cool enough to add the icing.
• When cake is cool, icing it with the can of frosting (or your favorite recipe).
• Remove the marshmallows from toothpicks and gently press them down into the frosting until you feel the cake "give" a little. I made 3 rows with 4 "carrots" in each row.
• Sprinkle the Oreo crumbs over the chocolate frosting to create the look of dirt. Dust crumbs off of the carrot tops if any land there while sprinkling.
• You are finished!

CHOCOLATE CARROT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Grease and flour a ten inch tube pan.
• Combine brown sugar,oil, and eggs, stirring until smooth. Sift together baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, cocoa powder, and flour. Beat dry ingredients into liquid, mixing well. Fold in carrots and walnuts. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until a cake tester inserted near center of ring comes out clean.
• Cool in pan on rack for 15 minutes. Turn out cake and let cool completly.
• Melt white chocolate in the top half of a double boiler or in a microwave and pour over top of cooled cake.
• If desired, garnish with melted dark chocolate driizzled over cake and fresh fruit such as strawberries.

CHOCOLATE-ORANGE CARROT CAKE

Steps:

• Make cake:
• Preheat oven to 350¡F. Spray two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides with nonstick spray. Using electric mixer, beat 1 1/2 cups oil and eggs in large bowl until well blended and thick, about 2 minutes. Add flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt; beat at low speed to blend. Increase speed; beat 1 minute longer (batter will be very thick). Stir in carrots, coconut and orange peel, then orange pieces. Divide batter between prepared pans.
• Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool cakes in pans 10 minutes. Turn out onto racks; cool completely.
• Make frosting:
• Stir chocolate chips in heavy medium saucepan over very low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and cool to lukewarm. Spoon 1/3 cup chocolate into small bowl and reserve for decoration. Beat margarine and sugar in medium bowl until fluffy. Beat in remaining melted chocolate and orange juice concentrate.
• Place 1 cake layer on platter. Spread with 2/3 cup frosting. Top with second cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Arrange additional orange segments around top edge of cake. Rewarm 1/3 cup reserved chocolate to pourable consistency if necessary. Drizzle orange segments with chocolate. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and refrigerate.)

CHOCOLATE CARROT CAKE

Steps:

• Line two 9-in. round baking pans with waxed paper; grease the paper and set aside. In a large bowl, beat the carrots, sugar, oil and eggs until well blended. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into carrot mixture until blended., Pour into prepared pans. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely. , For frosting, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Beat in the confectioners' sugar, cocoa and vanilla until smooth. , Place bottom layer on a serving plate; top with half of the frosting. Repeat with remaining cake layer. Sprinkle with nuts and chocolate chips.

CHOCOLATE CARROT CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom only of 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray.
• In large bowl, make cake mix as directed on box. Beat in cinnamon. Stir in carrots. Pour into pan. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• In large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter with electric mixer on medium-high speed until smooth. Beat in vanilla. On low speed, beat in powdered sugar until frosting is smooth and creamy. Spread on top of cake. Cut into 4 rows by 3 rows. Cover and refrigerate any remaining cake.

CHOCOLATE CARROT CAKE WITH A DIFFERENCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Greas a 9 x 13-inch baking pan.
• Beat all ingredients together on low speed for 1 minute using an electric mixer. Increase speed to medium and beat 2 minutes longer.
• Stir in the carrots and nuts.
• Spread in prepared pan and bake in preheated oven 40 to 50 minutes or until cakes tests done.
• Chocolate cream cheese frosting would be delicious on this cake, but vanilla cream cheese frosting would work, too.

CARROT PATCH CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Oil and line a 900g loaf tin with baking parchment. Whisk the oil, yogurt, eggs and vanilla in a jug. Mix the flour, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg with a good pinch of salt in a bowl. Squeeze any lumps of sugar through your fingers, shaking the bowl a few times to bring the lumps to the surface.
• Add the wet ingredients to the dry, along with the carrots, raisins and half the pistachios. Mix well to combine, then scrape into the tin. Bake for 1 hr 10 mins or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. If any wet mixture clings to the skewer, return to the oven for 5 mins, then check again. Leave to cool in the tin.
• To make the icing, beat the butter and sugar together until smooth. Add half the cream cheese and beat again, then add the rest (adding it bit by bit prevents the icing from splitting). Remove the cake from the tin and spread the icing thickly on top. Scatter with some of the remaining pistachios. Dye the fondant or marzipan orange by kneading in a drop of food colouring. Roll into little carrot shapes, then use a skewer to make indentations and poke a few pistachios in to look like fronds. Top the cake with the carrots, then serve. Will keep in the fridge for up to five days (eat at room temperature).

CHOCOLATE CARROT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350º F. Grease two 8 inch square baking pans. Dust with flour; tap out excess.
• In a large bowl, beat together butter, oil, and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in melted chocolate, orange zest, orange juice, and sour cream.
• Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to chocolate mixture, beating just enough to combine. Stir in carrots, raisins, and chocolate chips. Divide batter between prepared pans.
• Bake 45 to 50 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Let cakes cool in pans ten minutes, then unmold onto racks to cool completely. Fill and frost cakes with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting. Refrigerate until serving time.

CHOCOLATE CARROT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Drain pineapple, reserving 1/2 cup juice and set pineapple aside.
• Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, oil, eggs, reserved pineapple juice and vanilla in a large bowl.
• Blend ingredients on low speed and beat 2 minutes on medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally.
• Stir in carrots and reserved pineapple. Pour batter into a well greased 12 cup bundt pan.
• Bake for 60 to 65 minutes or until done.
• Cool for 10 minutes in pan; remove from pan and cool completely.
• Can frost with cream cheese frosting, but it is good as it is.

RUDOLPH'S CARROT PATCH CAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Arrange 6 mini loaf cases (8 x 4 x 4cm) on a baking tray. In a large bowl, mix the sugar, flour, cocoa, bicarbonate of soda, spices, orange zest and ¼ tsp salt. In a jug, whisk the eggs, oil, milk and carrots. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix thoroughly. Divide the mixture between the cases and bake for 30 mins until risen and cooked through. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
• While the cakes are cooking, make the carrot decorations. Mix the orange food colouring into the fondant icing until evenly coloured, then divide into 6 pieces. Roll each piece into a cyclinder, about 5cm long, then roll one end a little thinner to create a carrot shape. Use a cocktail stick to make indentations along the sides. Set aside, standing them on their fattest end, to firm up for 30 mins. Now make the chocolate icing. Put the butter, cocoa, icing sugar and milk into a saucepan, and bubble for a few mins, stirring with a small whisk until smooth and shiny. Set aside to cool for 20 mins. For the green coconut 'grass', tip the coconut into a small bowl, add a little green food colouring and mix until evenly coated.
• To assemble the cakes, first cut a little hole, about 1cm, into the centre of each to 'plant' your carrot later. Stir the icing and spread over the cakes to cover the surface. Push your carrot into the centre, then scatter the green coconut around the edges. Stick a sprig of parsley into the top of each carrot and sprinkle the coconut grass with green edible glitter, if you like. Can be stored in a sealed cake tin for up to 3 days.