Carrot cake

MAKES 10

You will need

1 quantity Chouxmaca Buns

1 quantity Zumbaron Shells, coloured orange

CARROT CAKE

melted butter, for greasing

120 g (4¼ oz) eggs

165 g (5¾ oz) canola oil

225 g (8 oz) caster (superfine) sugar

150 g (5½ oz) self-raising flour

¼ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

pinch salt

65 g (23/8 oz) grated carrots

70 g (2½ oz) walnuts, chopped

Preheat the oven to 160°C (315°F) and grease a 20 cm (8 inch) cake tin with the melted butter. Put the eggs and canola oil into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Turn onto low speed and combine.

When the mixture is well combined, increase the speed slowly to medium and add the caster sugar. Continue whisking until the mixture thickens slightly, then fold through the sifted dry ingredients. Lastly fold in the carrot and walnuts.

Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin and bake for 50 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool, then remove from the tin. Wrap the cake in plastic wrap or store in an airtight container.

CARROT CAKE PURÉE

445 g (15¾ oz) carrot cake

170 g (6 oz) milk

Break the carrot cake into pieces, and put them into a food processor. Add the milk and process until a paste is formed, adding a little more milk if necessary. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until needed.

WHIPPED CREAM CHEESE

135 g (4¾ oz) cream cheese

100 g (3½ oz) caster (superfine) sugar

100 g (3½ oz) sour cream

1 g (1/32 oz) finely grated lemon zest

235 g (8½ oz) pure cream (35% fat)

Place the cream cheese, caster sugar, sour cream and lemon zest into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Turn to medium speed and start to whip the cream cheese mixture, then slowly pour the cream into the bowl while the cream cheese is being whipped. Once all the cream is added, whisk the mixture until firm peaks form. Cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator until needed.

CITRUS CRÈME PÂTISSIÈRE

350 g (12 oz) Crème Pâtissière

4 g (1/8 oz) finely grated lemon zest

4 g (1/8 oz) finely grated orange zest

15 g (½ oz) lemon juice

15 g (½ oz) orange juice

Put all of the ingredients into a medium mixing bowl and use a whisk to gently bring them together. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator until needed.

TO ASSEMBLE

Place the prepared chouxmaca buns onto a clean baking tray and use a small knife to cut a 2 cm (¾ inch) diameter hole in the very top of each bun. Put the carrot cake purée in a piping (icing) bag (no nozzle is needed) and fill the choux bun halfway. Put the citrus crème pâtissière in another piping bag and fill the remaining space in each chouxmaca bun.

Put the whipped cream cheese in another piping bag with an 11 mm (7/16 inch) star piping nozzle and pipe it on top of the choux bun in a spiral motion until it is roughly 4 cm (1½ inches) high. Lastly, place one zumbaron shell on top of each chouxmaca. Keep in the refrigerator until consumed. These are best eaten within 4–5 hours of filling.