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Individual Carrot Cakes Recipe

🐣🐰 These individual carrot cakes are the perfect Easter treat, whether for yourself, for the kids or as treats for family, friends and neighbours! Don’t forget to send us your photos if you make them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or by email to [email protected], we love to see everything you’re all baking at home…

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Icing + Marzipan Carrots

Makes 9

🐰 120g light soft brown sugar
🐣 120ml vegetable oil
🐰 2 eggs (beaten)
🐣 120g self raising flour
🐰 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
🐣 1 tsp mixed spice
🐰 Freshly grated nutmeg
🐣 100g grated carrot
🐰 75g pecan nuts (optional)
🐣 75g raisins

Method

1. Pre heat oven to 180c or 160c fan assisted.
2. Beat the sugar and oil till smooth and combined, gradually add the beaten eggs.
3. Sieve together the flour, bicarb and spices and add to the wet mixture.
4. Fold the carrots, nuts and raisins through the cake batter.
5. Fill your cases three quarters up as the cake will rise as it cooks.
6. Place in oven for 25-30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean, cool on a wire rack.

Cream Cheese Icing

🐣 200g Cream cheese
🐰 100g icing sugar
🐣 50g Soft unsalted butter
🐰 1 orange

Method

1. Beat cream cheese and butter till fully combined and finely grate in the zest of the orange.
2. Add the sieved icing sugar one spoon at a time.
3. Pipe on to the top of your cooled cakes

Marzipan Carrots

🐣 30g marzipan
🐰 Orange food colouring
🐣 Red food colouring
🐰 Small bunch curly parsley, washed thoroughly.

Method

1. Tint marzipan with orange and red food colouring, a drop at a time, to reach desired colour.
2. Divide the coloured marzipan into 12 pieces. Shape each piece into a ball, and then roll into logs, tapering 1 end, to resemble carrots.
3. Carrots will keep, covered, for up to 1 week. When ready to use, cut a slit into the end of each carrot and slip in a piece of parsley.

ENJOY 😋

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Strawberry Tarts Recipe

Sweet Pastry

  • 450g Plain Flour
  • 150g Icing Sugar
  • 225g Unsalted Butter
  • 1 Egg
  • 1 Tablespoon Milk

Method

  1. Rub the butter and sugar together
  2. Add the egg, flour and milk, bring all the ingredients together to a smooth paste and roll out into a 15cm round cling film and chill for ½ hour.

To Make the Tart

  • Roll out the pastry and line a 24cm 3.5 cm deep ring
  • Bake blind at 200 c /400 f/ gas 7 until golden and dry.
  • Remove the beans, allow he base to cool slightly brush the inside of the base with the egg yolks.

Crème Patissiere

  • 6 egg yolks
  • 125g sugar
  • 40g flour
  • 500ml milk
  • 1 vanilla pod, split

Method

  1. Place the egg yolks and about one – third of the sugar in a bowl and whisk until they are pale and form a light ribbon. Sift in the flour and mix well.
  2. Combine the milk, the remaining sugar and the split vanilla pod in a saucepan and bring to the boil. As soon as the mixture bubbles, pour about one – third onto the egg mixture, stirring all the time. Pour the mixture back into the pan and cook over gentle heat, stirring continuously. Boil for 2 minutes, then tip the custard into a bowl. Flake a little butter over the surface or dust lightly with icing sugar to prevent a skin from forming as the custard cools.
  3. Add a little cocoa or coffee powder to the custard instead of the vanilla to give you a chocolate or coffee – flavoured cream. If you use cocoa, use a little less flour and add a touch more sugar.

Napage to Glaze

  • 200ml double cream
  • Vanilla pods
  • Icing sugar to sweeten

Add your creme pattissiere to your pastry tart, top with sliced strawberries and finish with your glaze.