Easter Carrot Patch Traybake Cake

Name: Easter Carrot Patch Traybake
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 65 min
Ingredients: 250 g White chocolate; Few Drops Orange food colouring ((see notes)); 12 Strawberries, washed and patted dry; 250 g Butter, softened; 250 g Caster sugar; 1 Teaspoon Vanilla extract; 4 Medium Eggs; 220 g Self-raising flour; 30 g Cocoa powder; 2-3 Tablespoons Milk; 190 g Icing sugar; 1 Tablespoon Cocoa powder; 1-2 Tablespoons Milk; ½ Pack Oreos, crushed into crumbs ((7 Oreos))

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This fun carrot patch traybake cake is sure to be a hit this Easter! It's a simple chocolate sheet cake topped with chocolate glacé icing, Oreo 'soil' and 'carrot' chocolate covered strawberries. It's super easy to make and great for sharing!

overhead image of carrot patch traybake cake

If you're looking for an easy but impressive Easter bake, say hello to my carrot patch traybake cake!

I have been meaning to make an Easter traybake for a while and planned to use the usual Mini Eggs and Easter sprinkles to decorate it, but I changed my mind immediately when I saw these adorable carrot chocolate covered strawberries on Pinterest! How cute are they?!

Despite how fancy it looks, this dessert is actually surprisingly easy to make. In fact, it's so easy that even beginners can do it! You'll probably have most of the ingredients in your kitchen already.

If you're ready to get started, keep reading for my ingredient and equipment notes, step-by-step images and top tips. For those who are a bit more experienced or just want the simplified version, feel free to skip to the recipe card at the end of the post. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Strawberries: You'll need 12 evenly-sized strawberries, washed and gently patted dry.
White chocolate: To coat our 'carrot' chocolate covered strawberries.
Orange food colouring: Use gel food colouring for best results. If your chocolate starts to stiffen after colouring, you can add ¼ teaspoon of oil to help make it smooth again.
Butter: Make sure to soften it before you start baking, as it can be a bit tricky to mix in with the sugar otherwise. You can use baking spread or margarine instead but I personally prefer the flavour of real butter.
Caster sugar: This is the best type of sugar to use for baking as it'll dissolve more easily into the fat, giving the cake a smoother texture.
Vanilla extract: For extra flavour. You can also use a splash of cold coffee to intensify the chocolate flavour if you like.
Medium Eggs: 4 medium eggs, to bind everything together.
Self-raising flour: If you don't have self-raising flour, you can use plain/all-purpose flour and add 2 teaspoons of baking powder to the recipe separately. Don't get this confused with baking soda!
Cocoa powder: Use unsweetened cocoa powder for the best flavour.
Milk: Just a splash, to help loosen the batter.
Icing sugar: AKA powdered sugar, for our glacé icing.
Oreos: Crushed Oreos create the 'soil' to pop our chocolate strawberry carrots into.

Equipment

Mixing bowls: A large one for the cake batter, a medium one for the icing, and a smaller heatproof bowl (or a saucepan) to melt the white chocolate.
Baking tin and tray: An 8x10-inch tin for the cake and a flat baking tray to set your chocolate strawberries on.
Baking paper: Both the tin and the tray need to be lined to prevent sticking.
Piping bag: Or a teaspoon, to drizzle extra melted chocolate over the strawberries.
Stand mixer or electric hand whisk: You can mix the cake batter by hand but it's a bit easier if you use an electric whisk.
Wire rack: Putting your cake on a rack to cool will prevent the bottom from becoming soggy.
Utensils: A wooden spoon, a tablespoon, a teaspoon, a toothpick, and a sharp knife.
Blender or food processor: To crush the Oreos into fine crumbs. You can do this by hand if you prefer, using the end of a heavy rolling pin.

close up of chocolate easter traybake cake slices

How to make a carrot patch traybake cake for Easter

Step 1: Start by making your carrot chocolate strawberries so that they can set in the fridge while you prepare your cake. Wash 12 medium strawberries and gently pat them dry.

Step 2: Melt 250g of white chocolate over low heat (or in 20-second bursts in the microwave), then stir in some orange gel food colouring. It's best to start with a small amount and add more as needed until you get your desired shade of orange.

Step 3: Dip your strawberries into the melted chocolate one by one then place them on a lined baking tray. Use the remaining chocolate to drizzle a pattern over the strawberries, as pictured below. Pop them in the fridge to set for 1 hour.

drizzling the carrot chocolate strawberries with more orange chocolate

Step 4: Now it's time to make your chocolate traybake cake! Start by mixing 250g of softened butter with 250g of caster sugar and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.

Step 5: When that's smooth, whisk in 4 eggs, 220g of self-raising flour, 30g of cocoa powder and 2-3 tablespoons of milk, a little bit at a time. Keep mixing until you have a smooth cake batter.

Step 6: Transfer the cake batter to a lined 8x10-inch tin and bake for around 25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Let it sit in the tin for about 10 minutes then gently flip it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Step 7: Once the cake is cool, blitz 7 Oreos in a blender to make fine crumbs.

Step 8: Prepare your icing by mixing together 190g of icing sugar, 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder and 1 tablespoon of milk. If it's too thick, you can add an extra splash of milk to loosen it.

Step 9: Spread the chocolate icing over your traybake cake, then stick on your Oreo crumbs. Use a small dot of leftover icing to stick your carrot strawberries on top.

tray bake cake covered with crushed oreo crumbs

Step 10: Let the cake sit out at room temperature until the icing has set then cut your cake into slices and enjoy!

Top Tips

To achieve a vibrant orange colour for the strawberries, use gel food colouring. It's more concentrated and won't seize the chocolate like liquid colouring will. I use Wilton orange food gel.
Use an 8x10-inch tin to ensure baking time stays accurate. If you'd like to use a different size of tin, you can use my cake pan converter to adjust the ingredient quantities accordingly.
Glacé icing can be swapped for chocolate buttercream if you want a richer and more indulgent topping.
Letting the icing harden before cutting your cake will make your slices look neater.

FAQs

How long will this carrot patch traybake last?

You can bake the cake a day or two ahead and store it in an airtight container at room temperature. It'll keep well for about 3 days with the icing and strawberries on top and for up to 5 days without. I'd recommend adding the toppings on the day you plan to serve it to keep it tasting as fresh as possible.

Can I freeze this recipe?

I wouldn't recommend it due to the water content in the strawberries- they can become a bit mushy after defrosting and may spoil the texture of the cake. The traybake cake itself can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

one slice of easter carrot patch traybake cake on a white surface

More Easter desserts:

I hope you like my Easter carrot patch traybake cake! If you make it at home, please leave a comment and rating below to let me know what you think. Enjoy!