Carrot Patch Cake is a chocolate cake with a surprise carrot inside! I’m honored to be part of the McCormick Everyday Bakers. Today I’m sharing a fun and flavorful recipe for Easter.

Get ready because this is probably the cutest thing I’ve ever made. I had that moment after taking the photo above, where I began to worry that it wouldn’t turn out. Then, I bit the bullet and cut out a slice. You know, that hold your breath and squint your eyes moment.

Phew! Thank goodness it turned out, because it’s so cute!

Even while I was taking these photos, I couldn’t stop smiling. It’s such a happy cake and just in time for Easter this weekend!

As soon as you cut into the cake, every slice has the beautiful carrot in the middle. The chocolate cake surrounding the carrot is dense, almost like a chocolate pound cake. Then, you reach the soft and fluffy orange carrot on the inside and it’s like a match made in heaven the ground. Get it?

Since you flipped the cake over to present it to your guests, allowing the top of the carrot facing upwards, some of the orange is right on the outside of the cake. However, once the cake is topped with the ganache and dirt cookie crumbs, it looks like the carrots are really growing in the earth!

It took a little coaxing to get the green licorice to stand up straight. I ended up just sprinkling some extra cookie crumbs around the base of the licorice and it worked perfectly. Plus, it gave the cake a real look of being an actual carrot patch.

Basically, you just need to make this carrot patch cake and see for yourself. You’ll put a smile on any face that sees it and make their taste buds happy when they have a slice. It’s the perfect centerpiece for your Easter dinner, too!

Happy Easter and Happy Baking!

For more cute Easter recipes from McCormick and me:

Carrot Patch Cake

chocolate cake adapted from Recipe Girl and inspired by The Partiologist and McCormick

Ingredients

1 (16.5 ounce box) white cake mix, using ingredients on the box (mine required water, oil and 3 egg whites)

8 drops McCormick Red Food Coloring

50 drops McCormick Yellow Food Coloring

1 teaspoon McCormick Orange Extract

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup non fat plain greek yogurt

3 eggs

1 teaspoon McCormick Vanilla Extract

1 cup unbleached all purpose flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

(decoration) 1/2 cup heavy cream

(decoration) 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

(decoration) 1 cup of crushed chocolate cookies

(decoration) green licorice, cut into small strips

How-To

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 11 x 17 jelly roll pan with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. Mix the white cake mix according to the packaged instructions. Add in the orange food coloring and orange extract. Spread into the prepared jelly roll pan and bake for 15 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Allow it to cool completely. Using a carrot shaped cookie cutter, cut a lot of carrots. I only needed half of my cake. Place the carrots on a baking sheet and freeze for at least 20 minutes. Meanwhile, beat the butter and sugar together until creamy. Beat in the yogurt, eggs and vanilla until combined. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder. Beat the wet and dry ingredients together until combined. Place the carrots facing downwards in a solid line, in the middle of your greased 9×5 loaf pan. Pour the chocolate batter around and over the carrots. Bake for 35-45 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool for 5 minutes in the pan, before inverting it onto a cooling rack. Meanwhile, in a small sauce pan over medium heat, warm the heavy cream until it begins to steam. Remove from the heat and pour in the chocolate chips. Let sit for 3 minutes. Stir and let come to room temperature or until a pourable consistency. Pour over the cake. Sprinkle the cake with chocolate crumbs and decorate with the green licorice.

This post has been sponsored by McCormick. I received compensation for this post and all opinions are my own. Please read my disclosure policy for further information.