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