Filled Pecan Carrot Cake, Carrot-Mango-Citrus Curd, Mascarpone Cream Cheese Whip, Candied Carrots, Homemade Carrot Crisps, and Whole Pecans.

You guessed it...

This week’s product is…

Carrots!

I’m so glad I was able to get everything down on one plate!

DISH NAME (Dessert)

Autumn Colours on a Plate

Autumn is high season for carrots, and it’s right around the corner here in Germany!! There are five main components on the plate depicting the colours of fall -- the beautiful yellow and orangey-brown shades of autumn leaves. Even in the dead of autumn, you still see snippets of greenery around, so I added two thin blades of green baby chives in the garnish.

Component #1: Filled Pecan Carrot Cake

Our star of the dish is a single-portion-serving carrot cake that is studded with chopped pecans and filled with a Mascarpone Cream Cheese Whip. The cake is delicious — very moist, light, an array of textures from the nuts and shredded carrots and a faint citrusy aroma provided by the orange zest.

Ingredients Used in the Pecan Carrot Cakes

Plain white flour
Brown sugar
White sugar
Baking soda
Ground cinnamon
Ground clove
Ground nutmeg
Ground vanilla bean
Sea salt
Chicken eggs
Extra virgin olive oil
Apple sauce
Grated orange carrots
Chopped pecans

How to Make the Pecan Carrot Cakes

Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and flour ramekins.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugars, baking soda, spices, and salt. Add eggs, apple sauce, and olive oil and whisk till combined. Stir in carrots and pecans (use a spoon or fork, the chopped nuts like to get trapped in the whisk).

Spoon mixture into ramekins and bake till set (25 min). Remove from oven and cool (5 min). Remove from ramekin and allow to cool completely.

Once my carrot cakes were cool, I used a wooden chopstick to poke out a hole in the bottom so I could pipe in some Mascarpone Cream Cheese Whip (see *Component #3).

Component #2: Carrot-Mango-Citrus Curd

A fruity blend of pureed ripe mango, orange carrots, lime zest, and orange juice, it's no wonder that this curd is rich in flavour, creamy, and refreshing. I couldn't stop licking the bowl after I'd transferred the contents into the saucepan. Mmmm

Ingredients Used in Carrot-Mango-Citrus Curd

Large ripe mango, peeled and deseeded
Orange carrots, chopped
Fresh orange juice
Fresh lime juice
Lime zest
Ground vanilla bean
Sea salt
White sugar
Egg yolks
Unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

How to Make the Carrot-Mango-Citrus Curd

Puree mango, carrot, lime juice, orange juice, lime zest, vanilla bean, and salt in a blender until smooth. Put water in a saucepan and rest a bowl in the saucepan (bottom of bowl should not touch the water). Whisk sugar and egg yolks on medium high heat in this makeshift double-boiler. Add butter and whisk till smooth.

Add pureed fruits and mix to combine. Remove bowl from 'double boiler', pour out water in the saucepan, and replace it with the semi-cooked curd. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until curd thickens and whisk leaves a visible trail (do not let it boil).

Remove from heat and strain curd through a fine-mesh sieve. Cover, pressing plastic wrap directly onto surface. Chill until cold (1 hour).

Component #3: Mascarpone Cream Cheese Whip

Cream cheese frosting is a standard icing for carrot cakes. Adding mascarpone brings the texture up one notch, resulting in a luxurious decadent whip that is as creamy as whipped cream, but with full-bodied feel in the mouth.

Ingredients Used in Mascarpone Cream Cheese Whip

Cream cheese
Mascarpone cheese
Cream cheese
Icing sugar
Vanilla extract
Ground nutmeg

Note: The photo shows butter as well, but I didn't add the butter because I was already too happy with my taste test.

How to Make the Mascarpone Cream Cheese Whip

Using a spoon, whip all ingredients together by hand till light and fluffy.

Component #4: Candied Carrots

When you get your hands on yellow and purple-exterior carrots, it's a pity not to make something that showcases their natural beauty. I cut cross-sections, juliennes and two hearts and made some candied carrots with them.

Ingredients Used in the Candied Carrots
Olive oil spray
Coloured carrots, peeled and julienned
Water
Brown sugar

How to Make the Candied Carrots

Preheat oven to 120°C. Bring water and brown sugar to a boil. Add julienned carrots, lower heat, and simmer (15 mins).

Drain carrots. Spread evenly apart on a baking sheet (I used a plate because I ran out of baking sheets) and bake for 30 mins.

When I removed the candied carrots from the oven, I tried to curl them by wrapping them around wooden chopsticks. My candied carrots reminded me of licorice. The result was not quite what I had in mind, but it was still fun to do. =D

Component #5: Homemade Carrot Crisps

I wanted to add in homemade carrot chips to add a little crunch to the dessert. Did you know that carrot chips crinkle up and shrink as you bake them, resulting in beautiful flowers? Now, I do!! This was a cool natural addition of 'flowers' to my dish! =D

Ingredients Used in Homemade Carrot Crisps

Carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
Olive oil spray
Sea salt

How to Make the Homemade Carrot Crisps

Heat the oven to 180°C. Gently coat carrot slices with oil and salt using your hands.

Lay carrot slices in a single layer on a baking sheet (I used an oiled plate because I had no baking sheet). Bake till carrot chips crinkle into pretty flowers and the edges start to brown (about 10 min). Place the chips on a wire rack and allow to cool till crisp.

Design the Plate

I assembled all the little components around the plate before starting to plate. I was a little nervous to begin. hehe

What are we waiting for?? Let's go!!

Spread a strip of Carrot Mango Lime Curd on the plate. Arrange Candied Carrots, Homemade Carrot Crisps, and Whole Pecans on top of and skirting the smear. Add a slice of fresh mango to support the cake, then balance the cake on it. Carefully slide a Mascarpone Cream Cheese Whip Quenelle onto the curd and top with Homemade Carrot Crisps. Pipe more Mascarpone Cream Cheese Whip wherever seems like a good place to do so and top with the Carrot Flowers.

Finally place two thin chive blades to signify the transition from summer into autumn.

I cut the carrot cake in half to show the filling. Yumm.

If you enjoy experimenting with cooking, I don’t think it’s too late to join me in 'Steemit Iron Chef Contest' too! Our talented and encouraging chef from Mauritius @progressivechef organises this contest. He is also this week’s Guest Judge of the Steemit Culinary Challenge — meaning he will be all stretched out judging food entries spanning two contests this week!!! Let’s test his limits, shall we? =P