Double Chocolate Carrot Cake - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 cup self-rising flour
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp mixed spice, such as pumpkin pie spice
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 medium carrots, peeled and grated
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 None eggs, lightly beaten
None None FOR THE GANACHE
1/3 cup light cream
10 oz white chocolate, broken into pieces
None None FOR THE ICING
None None Orange and green gel food color
23 oz ready-made white fondant icing

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350\u00b0F. Lightly grease an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan. Line with parchment paper.
Sift flour, cocoa powder and spice into a large bowl. Mix in brown sugar, carrot, oil and eggs. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 40-45 mins, until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 mins. Remove from pan; cool completely on wire rack.
For the ganache, heat cream in a small saucepan on medium heat until almost boiling. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and let stand for 5 mins. Stir until smooth. Refrigerate for 15-20 mins, until spreadable.
Cut cooled cake into carrot shape as shown. Halve horizontally. Sandwich with one-quarter of ganache. Spread remaining ganache over top and sides. Refrigerate for 5 mins.
For the icing, knead orange food color into 16 oz of the icing. Roll out between 2 sheets parchment paper until 1/8 inch thick. Lift onto rolling pin and drape over cake. Press around cake. Trim edges. Press skewer on surface to create carrot markings.
Knead green food color into remaining icing. Roll out until 1/8 inch thick as above. Cut into strips. Roll square end of chopstick along strips for frills. Pleat to make leaf shapes. Position at top of cake.