Carrot Cake Éclair
This is my creation that won the people's choice award in 2017 in Savour Patissier of the Year Competition.

Three years ago I humbly entered Savour Patisserie of the Year competition and was awarded for the People's Choice Award for the Éclair Category. Amongst many other amazing creation from the competitors I was very humbled by the award and have learnt a lot from the competition. A lot of people have asked me if there is something I can change in this Carrot Cake Éclair creation of mine, I always tell them : "Everything!" When I was creating this éclair for the competition, I was trying too hard to make an impression and from that I learnt that sometimes simple is key. It is a learning curve for me and I am learning still.
Below you will find the components with some technicality but I am here to share with you the combination of textures and flavour I have incorporated in my Carrot Cake Éclair. It is a post to share and hopefully someone can recreate it in to something better.
Below are the original recipes of all components, but if you want to attempt in making them less complicated, do consider using the recipe and apply them as different component in your own take.
RECIPE
Choux Pastry
Water 600g
Butter 280g
Salt 10g
Caster Sugar 10g
Skim Milk Powder 50g
Plain Flour 330g
Whole Eggs 600g
Oil Soluble Orange colour 2.7g
Method
1. Combine water, cold butter salt and sugar in a pot and bring to boil.
2. Add the skim milk powder and whisk to dissolve.
3. Turn heat to low and with a wooden spoon stir in the plain flour and cook out for
about 8 minutes.
4. Transfer the choux pastry in to the mixer bowl and paddle on low speed and gradually add in the eggs +/-.
5. Transfer choux pastry in to a tray and wrap to store in fridge to rest overnight.
6. Pipe choux pastry with a star tip nozzle and blast freeze then cut in to 12 cm length.
7. Defrost and bake at 160 degrees Celsius for 45 minutes, turn the tray and lower heat to 150 degrees Celsius and bake for further 20 minutes.
8. Leave to cool before cutting the top off.

Carrot cake
Baking powder 10g
Soft Flour 200g
Bi-carb soda 6g
Ground cloves 5g
Ground Cinnamon 5g
Brown sugar 250g
Grated Carrot 340g
Currants 100g
Walnuts Chopped 40g
Olive oil 150g
Eggs 110g
Method
1. Mix eggs and sugar together. Gradually add the oil and fold in the rest of the ingredients except walnuts.
2. Wrap the sides of the cooled éclair top trimmed off with aluminum foil, pipe in 15 g of carrot cake in to the base of the éclair and press in chopped walnuts.
3. Bake in oven at 160 degrees for 17 minutes.
4. Remove éclair and leave to cool
Single Origin Pastry Cream
Milk 250g
Cream 50g
Butter 25g
Yolks 45g
Sugar 40g
Custard powder 15g
Cacao Barry Cuba 70% 112.5g
Method
1. Heat milk and cream, then make anglaise with previously whisked together yolks, sugar and custard powder.
2. Pour anglaise over the chocolate gradually whisk in butter until smooth. Cool.
3. Pipe the pastry cream to fill the éclair on top of the carrot cake and smooth out with a palette knife.
Carrot Puree