Carrot Cake Showstopper

Steps

1. Prepare the dehydrated carrot blooms in advance. Warm the oven to the low and prepare a bun tin. Peel the carrots to remove the skin.  Using a sharp knife or peeler create very thin strips of carrot peeling around and around the carrot to create the longest strips you can. To begin with your peels will be shorter than you’d wish as you master the technique the peels will get longer and longer.
2. Arrange the peels within the recesses of the bun tin, overlapping lengths until you have created large carrot blooms. Dehydrate them slowly in the low oven for 3 hours then allow to cool fully.
3. To make the cake preheat the oven to 160c (fan)/180c/Gas Mark 4 and grease and line the bases of 3 x 8” sandwich tins. In a large bowl combine the flour, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, ginger and mixed spice and set to one side. In another bowl whisk together the melted Stork, soft brown sugar and eggs.
4. Fold in the dry mixture followed by the grated carrot and sultanas.
5. Divide the batter between the three cake tins and bake in the oven for 35 minutes until springy to the touch. Turn out onto a wire rack and allow to cool completely. Whilst the cake cools prepare the frosting. Beat together the Stork and cream cheese until combined. Add the icing sugar and mix well. Chill until needed.
6. Continue to whisk until the frosting thickens to a stiff consistency. Ensure that the frosting is beaten well enough to form a consistency that will hold its shape. Chill until needed.
7. Sandwich together the 3 layers of cake with a layer of cream cheese frosting. Coat the top and sides of the assembled cake with the remaining frosting. Place in the fridge to chill.
8. Prepare a sheet of acetate or non-stick baking paper the height of the assembled cake and long enough to wrap around the outside of the cake. Set it onto a larger sheet of non-stick paper. Gently melt the white chocolate in a heat proof bowl over a pan of simmering water.
9. Place the melted chocolate into a disposable piping bag, cut the end from the bag and pipe the chocolate over the acetate in a swirl fashion ensuring the swirls cover the acetate/baking paper strip entirely.
10. On the larger sheet of paper pipe swirled shards of chocolate. Allow the swirled collar to sit at room temperature (100c (fan)/120c/Gas Mark ¼) until almost completely set but still allowing a little flexibility. Leave the shards to set firm.
11. Remove the covered cake from the fridge and carefully lifting the acetate/baking paper of the collar wrap it around the outside of the cake and allow to set fully at room temperature before carefully peeling away the paper to reveal the lacy chocolate collar.
12. Decorate the top of the cake with large dehydrated carrot blooms and the white chocolate shards. Add a scattering of white chocolate curls around the base of the cake and serve.