Candied Carrot Ribbons
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Pre-heat fan-forced oven to 100°C.
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Add 1 cup of water and 1 cup of granulated sugar to a medium size pot. Bring to the boil, ensuring all the sugar is melted. Now lower the heat to a simmer and add your peeled carrots. Simmer for 15 minutes, occasionally stirring.
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Drain, then arrange on a lined baking tray, ensuring none of the peels are touching.
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Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, and quickly wrap each peel around the handle of a wooden spoon. Gently slide off, and place on a plate. Set peels aside to dry out at room temperature until they become crispy – about 30 minutes.
Cake
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Increase the oven temperature to 160°C. Grease two 20cm by 7cm round springform cake tins, and line the bottoms and rims with baking paper.
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In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, spices, baking soda, baking powder and salt, until well combined.
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Add your grated carrots to a food processor and chop until finely grated.
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In another large bowl, add the two sugars, orange zest, vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla, coconut and dried fruit, whisking to combine. Now add in the finely grated carrot, mix well then set aside for 15 minutes, until the top of the mixture becomes foamy.
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Now add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, folding with a spatula until just combined.
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Evenly divide the batter between the two prepared cake tins. Gently tap the tins a few times to ensure the air bubbles pop.
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Bake in the pre-heated oven for 50 minutes, or until when a skewer is inserted in the centre of the cake, it comes out clean.
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Allow the cakes to cool completely in their tins on a wire rack. Remove from the tins.
Icing
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Meanwhile, make your icing by placing the butter, cream cheese, vanilla and orange blossom essence in the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment attached. Beat on a medium-low speed, until combined. Then, increase the speed to medium high and beat until light and fluffy. You will need to stop and start the mixer to scrape down the mixture on the sides of the bowl to ensure it is mixed well.
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Now add the icing sugar, 1/2 a cup at a time, beating on medium-low speed.
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Check to see if the top of each cake is flat. If not, use a serrated knife to level the cakes. Now place one of the cakes on a cake turntable, and scoop 1/4 of the icing on to the centre of the cake, then spread out just on the top, evenly.
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Place the second cake on top of the icing, and then place another 1/4 of the icing on top of the cake. now spread the remaining icing all over the top and sides of the cake.
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Decorate with crushed walnuts and candied carrot ribbons. Serve immediately, or store in the fridge for up to 5 days (if making ahead of time don’t decorate it until you remove it from the fridge).
