Layered Carrot Cake With Edible Succulents

This 'Ible will show you how to make a layered carrot cake with edible succulents! :)

Step 1: Make the Carrot Cake

Carrot cake ingredients :

-5 Large eggs

-384g (3 cups) Wheat flour

-450g (3 cups) Grated carrots

-150g (1 cup) Roasted mixed nuts (cashew nuts, pecans, walnuts, almonds, brazil nuts, hazelnuts)

-300g (1.3 cup) Unsalted butter

-350g (1.5 cup) Granulated sugar

-1/2 Teaspoon chemical yeast/baking powder

-2 Teaspoons cinnamon

-1 Teaspoon nutmeg

-1 Teaspoon chinese five spice powder (cloves, star anise, cinnamon, Szechwan peppercorns)

-1/2 Teaspoon ground ginger

You will also need fondant and strawberry syrup (for drinks) for the succulents.

Cake batter :

First, preheat oven at 180 °C (356 °F) and melt the unsalted butter.

Combine eggs and sugar in a large bowl and beat at medium speed until the mixture is pale yellow.

Mix in melted butter, flour and baking powder. With mixer running, gradually add cinnamon, nutmeg, Chinese five spice and ground ginger.

Beat until well blended and smooth.

Grind mixed nuts in a food processor. Stir mixed nuts and grated carrot in the cake batter. Beat for 1 minute and scrape down the sides of the bowl if needed.

Pour the batter into 3 round cake pans (greased with butter). Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. I used small 6 inch cake pans. :)

Let cool for 15 minutes and unmold the cakes !

Step 2: Delicious Cream Cheese Frosting

For the Frosting :

-100g (1/2 cup) Butter

-200g (7 ounces) Cream Cheese

-150g (20 Tablespoons) Confectioner’s Sugar

-2 Teaspoons Vanilla Sugar

(20 Pistachios for the topping)

Butter and Cream cheese need to be at room temperature.

Combine butter, cream cheese and confectioner's sugar in a large bowl. Use an electric mixer to beat at medium/high speed. Mix in vanilla sugar (add sugar to taste) and you're done. So simple yet so good !

Step 3: Make Flat Cake Layers

You will need to wait until the cake is cool and firm.

Use a large knife to slice the top of each layer of carrot cake. First, trim off the dome. Then, level out the layers, and trim them. Make sure each layers are flat before assembling the cake.

Step 4: Assemble Your Cake

Chill the layers of carrot cake before frosting.
Evenly spread the cream cheese frosting between the layers of carrot cake.

If you want a really smooth layer of frosting on top of your cake you might want to make a "crumb coat". Spread a first thin layer of frosting on top of the cake (crumb coat) and cool the cake in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Next, spread another thicker layer of frosting and smooth evenly.

Carefully smooth the sides and the top of your cake. You can use a flexible spatula or a butter knife for this step.

This step takes patience, good luck! :)

Step 5: Sculpt "baby" Succulents - Graptopetalum Purple Delight

Let’s sculpt a few baby succulents. In this step we will make tiny Graptopetalum Purple Delight succulents with fondant ! This succulent grow in a beautiful rosette shape with purple and slightly pink leaves.

For this step you will need fondant, strawberry syrup, food coloring (blue and red) and confectioner's sugar.

I used purple and light pink fondant. Start by mixing white fondant with a drop of blue and red food coloring in order to create a light shade of purple. You will also need to make a ball of light pink fondant (white fondant with a drop of red food coloring).

Roll a small ball of pink fondant and sculpt a tiny bud shape as shown in the picture. Slice the tip in 4 parts with a sharp knife.

Take a chunk of purple fondant and roll it into 7 tiny balls. Flatten them with your fingers in order to make the leaves of the succulent plant. Shape the tip of the leaves by slightly pinching them, they need to be round and with pointy tips.

Next, you will need to wrap the leaves around the tiny bud. Attach the first leaf by gently pressing it against the bud. Place the leaves one by one, making sure they form a nice circular pattern.

You can slightly curl down some leaves with the tip of your fingers to make them look more natural.

If the fondant doesn’t stick well enough you can apply a tiny drop of strawberry syrup on the base of the leaves you need to attach to the succulent bud.

If the fondant is too sticky, sprinkle some confectioner’s sugar on it. This will make the fondant a little bit drier and easier to work with.

Step 6: Sculpt a Basic Echeveria Succulent

You can use the same method as in the previous step to make a larger Echeveria Succulent with fondant.

Start with a chunk of light green fondant, and sculpt the succulent bud as shown in the pictures. Roll out the fondant and carve 21 medium and small leaves with a sharp knife. They need to be slightly pointy at the tip. You can sculpt the midvein of the leaves with a toothpick as shown in the pictures (make a small indentation at the center of the leaf with a toothpick).

Use a ball stylus in the center of the medium leaves to curl them up.

Next, attach the leaves to the succulent bud in a circular pattern as shown in the video. Start by wrapping the small leaves around the bud of the succulent, then add slightly larger leaves one by one. This will give the plant a nice rosette shape. Curl down some of the leaves and you're done!

Step 7: Sculpt a Sedum Burrito (Donkey's Tail) Succulent With Fondant

Let's sculpt Sedum burrito succulents with fondant!

You will need pastel green, yellow, pink and light purple fondant.

First, roll a few thin logs of pink and purple fondant. These will be the stems of the succulents.

Then, create the leaves with pastel green and yellow fondant. You will need to roll a dozen tiny balls of fondant. Shape them into a tear drop shape with the tip of your fingers. The leaves should be about the size of a rice grain.

At the tip of the stem, attach a first very small teardrop-shaped leaf. Next, add slightly larger leaves that will overlap the first leaf. Attach the leaves as shown in the picture. You can use a tiny drop of strawberry syrup to make the leaves stick to the stem.

Step 8: Sculpt a Sedeveria "Lilac Mist" Succulent

In this step we will make a beautiful Sedeveria Lilac Mist succulent with fondant.
Sedeveria "Lilac Mist" has a lovely color gradient of lilac and pastel green color. This succulent also grows in a rosette shape, it's one of my favorite!

In order to obtain a lovely color gradient, you will need to sculpt the center of the succulent with lilac colored fondant. You can sculpt the smaller leaves around the succulent with lavender fondant, the medium leaves with a beige color and the largest leaves with pastel green.

The method we will use is similar to the one used in the previous steps but this time, the succulent bud needs to be split into 3 parts. You can sculpt 3 thick and tiny leaves with lilac colored fondant, and give them an almond shape by gently squeezing the tips of the leaves with your fingers. Wrap those 3 small leaves around the succulent bud and add 6 slightly larger leaves.

The center of the succulent must be lower than the rest of the leaves. You might need to cut off the excess fondant under the base of the succulent. Use a sharp knife to make a clean cut.

Sedeveria "Lilac Mist" has small and fleshy leaves that curls upward. Once you're done sculpting the center of this succulent, you will need to gently curl it's leaves upward with your fingers.

Shape 7 large pastel green leaves with fondant and assemble them in a flat circular pattern as shown in the picture. Next, you can make 7 medium leaves with beige fondant. Attach the beige leaves at the center of the circle of green leaves by simply pressing them down with your fingers or a sculpting tool.

Once your done arranging the beige leaves, place the tiny purple succulent bud at the center and you're almost done !

You can add tiny pastel green leaves under the large green flat leaves as shown in the pictures to make the succulent look fuller.

Step 9: Bonus Step : Sculpt Echeveria Agavoides !

Echeveria agavoides has triangular green leaves with red tips.

For this succulent, you will need green fondant, red food coloring, kitchen paper and a tiny cupcake mold.

Roll out a chunk of green fondant into a thin sheet. Use a sharp knife to carve small and medium triangular leaves as shown in the pictures.

Sculpt a tiny bud shape with green fondant, and split it's tip in half with a sharp knife.

Assemble the leaves in a circular pattern around the bud to form a nice rosette shape. Smooth the edges of the leaves with your fingers.

Echeveria agavoides leaves are turned upward. Once you're done sculpting you're going to need to wrap this fondant succulent in kitchen paper and place it in a small cupcake mold. Place it in a refrigerator for at least an hour so that the leaves hold their shape.

Step 10: Add Colors to the Leaves

Use red food coloring and thin paint brush to slightly color the leaves of some succulents.

Use a very small amount of food coloring on your paint brush. If you've applied too much food coloring on the tips of your succulent sculpture you can smudge it quickly with some kitchen paper.

Step 11: Pistachios Topping

Chop twenty toasted pistachios and sprinkle them on top of the cake in a crescent shape.

Step 12: Decorate the Cake With Fondant Succulents

Place the edible succulents on top of the chopped pistachios. Attach the Donkey's tail succulents to the sides of the cake by gently pressing them on the cream cheese frosting.

And you're done ! :)