Carrot Cake Flapjacks

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There are some household brands that have been a part of the South African pantry for decades, and with every new generation, with a tweak here and an elevation there, they grow with us. I don’t know where the carrot cake came from originally, but it must be one of my all-time favourite cakes. In keeping with my nostalgic mood, I adapted my carrot cake recipe from The French Affair (my first cookbook) this week and turned it into a flapjack recipe, which I layered with caramel and dessert cream into petite portions that are just perfect for a dinner with friends – or something quick and easy to keep on hand for the upcoming festive season!

Carrot Cake Flapjacks

Cooking time: 30 minutes (chilling time: 1 hour) | Serves: 8

for the caramel filling

300 g Nestlé Caramel Treat

50 ml Nestlé Dessert Cream

for the pancakes

375 ml (206 g) cake flour

5 ml cinnamon

1.25 ml nutmeg

1.25 ml ground ginger

1.25 ml salt

10 ml baking powder

40 ml honey

1 large egg

4 large carrots (grated)

40 g pecan nuts (chopped)

5 ml vanilla extract

250 ml Nestlé Dessert Cream

30 ml butter, melted

for the carrot garnishes

1 carrot

50 ml sugar syrup

for the caramel filling

In a mixing bowl whisk all the ingredients together until combined and keep in the fridge for 1 hour before using.

for the pancakes

In a large mixing bowl add the grated carrots, egg, Nestlé Dessert Cream, and vanilla, mix until well combined. In a separate bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together and add the carrot mixture to the bowl. Add the melted butter, honey and half of the chopped pecan nuts and mix until combined, ensuring you do not overmix the batter.

Heat a nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Once the pan is warm to the touch add a small amount of butter to the pan. Use a ladle or measuring cup to pour dollops of the batter into the pan.

(Tip: use a round cookie cutter to make perfect circles of about 5-8 cm in diameter depending on the size of the cups you plan to serve your treats in.).

Cook for 3-4 minutes on the first side until you start to see bubbles forming on the top. Once you see the bubbles forming, flip the pancakes over and cook for another 2 minutes.

for the carrot garnishes

Preheat the oven to 80°C. Peel the carrot and make thin round slices. Blanch the carrots for 10 seconds in boiling water. Remove from the water and add to a cooled down simple sugar syrup. Assemble the carrot slices by slightly overlapping each slice on the inside of a half sphere mould. Use 7 – 12 carrot slices per flower depending on how you would prefer the flower to look in the end. Dry flower out overnight.

Tip: If you do not have a half sphere mould use silicone cupcake holder or a cupcake baking tray to assemble the flowers.

To assemble Layer the flapjacks with the caramel filling and garnish with remaining pecan nuts. Add the carrot flowers and fill the inside with caramel.