CARROT PATCH RECIPES

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).

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350° and line a 9”-x-13” pan with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, McCormick Ground Cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until combined. In a medium bowl, stir together eggs, McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract, carrots, sugars, pecans, and oil until combined. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake until a crust begins to form on top of the cake, 15 minutes. Meanwhile, make cheesecake filling: In a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat together cream cheese, sour cream, and sugar until smooth. Add eggs, vanilla, and salt and beat until combined. Pour over baked carrot cake layer and bake until only slightly jiggly, about 25 minutes. Let cool slightly, then refrigerate until firm, at least 3 hours or up to overnight. Meanwhile, make orange chocolate: In a small bowl, microwave white chocolate chips and coconut oil on high for 1 minute, stirring every 20 seconds to remove clumps. Add McCormick Red and Yellow food coloring, then mix until combined. Keep adding until desired orange color is achieved. Make carrots: Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Pierce each strawberry with a skewer and dunk in melted orange chocolate, repeating to coat, if necessary. Place on prepared baking sheet and refrigerate until set, 15 minutes. When cheesecake is cooled and “carrots” are set, top cheesecake with whipped cream and chopped pecans. Top with “carrots” and slice into bars before serving.