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Last week I posted my Carrot Cake Role recipe which I decorated with some marzipan carrots. Since I received a number of questions asking how to make them, I thought I would share it here!

Before we start, you should know that I am not remotely an artist and am constantly struggling with making cakes and decorations look pretty. I say that so you understand how easy it is to make marzipan carrots. If I can make them, you can too!

What you Need to Make Marzipan Carrots

Marzipan

Of course, to make marzipan carrots, you need marzipan! What is marzipan? It’s a confection generally made from ground almonds, sugar, and sometimes corn syrup. I think it’s much more enjoyable to eat than fondant, and it is actually quite fun to work with. It’s almost like play-dough in terms of consistency.

Food Gel

To color the marzipan, it is best to use food color gels as opposed to water based food colors so that you do not add too much moisture to the marzipan. I usually use these Wilton gels which are great to work with.

Food Safe Gloves

While certainly not required, I highly recommend using some food safe gloves when you add color to the marzipan so you can avoid getting the color all over your hands.

Toothpick

We use a toothpick (or any similarly thin device) to poke a small hole at the thicker end of the carrot where the leaf will get inserted.

Paring Knife

The paring knife is to make some slight indentations around the carrots to make them look authentic.

How to Make Marzipan Carrots

As I said, these are very easy to make. It is probably best if you watch the video I included, but here are the basics:

For the carrots:

  • Portion out the amount of marzipan you need for the carrots. For example, if making “baby” sized carrots for cupcakes (or my Carrot Cake Roll), use approximately 5 grams per carrot. Multiply that number by the number of carrots you plan to make. If the marzipan is too sticky, knead in a little confectioner’s sugar. Be careful not to add in too much, as you don’t want to completely dry out the marzipan.
  • Knead in the desired color. (Orange works best for carrots.)
  • Portion out the amount by weight for one carrot. (It is best to do this by weight so you end up with similarly sized carrots. For scale recommendations, visit my Weighing vs. Measuring post.) Roll it into a ball between the palms of your hands, then into a log, bearing down on one end to make it more narrow and pointy.
  • Insert the toothpick a few centimeters into the center of the thicker end of the carrot and wiggle it around a drop to widen the hole.
  • Using the paring knife, make slight incisions circling around the carrot. Just drag the knife gently over the carrot, barely scoring it. You just want it to look like it barely has any impressions.

For the leaf tops:

  • Portion out the amount of marzipan you need for the leaf tops. For example, if making “baby” sized carrots for cupcakes (or my Carrot Cake Roll), use approximately 1-2 grams per carrot. Multiply that number by the number of carrots you plan to make.
    • Knead in the color. If the package does not include green, start with one drop each of yellow and blue, adding more as necessary to reach green.
    • Portion out the amount by weight for one leaf top. Roll it into a ball between the palms your hands, and bear down one end to form a tear drop shape. Use the paring knife the cut down the middle, just to the center of the tear drop. Doing so will give you two flaps that resemble leaves.
    • Insert the narrow end of the leaf into the hole on the top of the carrot.
    • Set aside and allow to dry.
    • As you are working, keep the unshaped marzipan covered in plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out.
Overview shot of carrot cake roll showing marzipan carrots.
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How to Make Marzipan Carrots

Learn how to make cute marzipan carrots for cake and cupcake decorations.
Prep Time20 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cake decorations, cupcake decorations, marzipan

Equipment

  • food coloring
  • toothpick
  • paring knife
  • food safe gloves (optional but recommended)

Materials

  • marzipan
  • confectionier's sugar (as needed)

Instructions

For Carrots:

  • Take as much marzipan as you need. For "baby" size carrots, I use 5 grams of marzipan for each carrot. For larger size carrots, I suggest 10 grams of marzipan for each carrot. Multiply the number of carrots you plan to make by the weight of each carrot.
  • Knead the marzipan to ensure it is pliable and smooth. If it is too sticky, knead in a little confectioner's sugar.
  • Add orange food gel, one drop at a time, kneading in after every drop until you obtain the desired color.
  • Weigh out the amount you are using for each carrot.
  • Using the palms of your hands, roll each portion into a ball and then into a log, bearing down on one end to make it thinner than the other end.
  • Use a toothpick to insert a small hole on the top of the carrot. (You will insert some green marzipan into the hole to look like the leaf.)
  • Use a paring knife to gently mark grooves around the carrots (circuling the carrot) to give impressions around it. Be careful not to cut into the carrots. You just want to make impressions.

For Leaves:

  • Weight out a smaller amount of marzipan for the leaves. For "baby" carrots, I recommend 1-2 grams. For larger carrots, 4-5 grams. Multiply the number of carrots you plan to make by the weight of each leaf.
  • Knead the marzipan to ensure it is pliable and smooth. If it is too sticky, knead in a little confectioner's sugar.
  • Add green (or yellow and blue) food gel, one drop at a time, kneading in after every drop until you obtain the desired color.
  • Weigh out the amount you are using for each leaf.
  • Using the palms of your hands, roll each portion into a ball and then bear down on one end to make it thinner than the other end, resulting a tear drop shape.
  • From the thicker end, cut down to the middle of the tear drop. The result will look like a couple of leaves.

Assemble:

  • Insert the narrow end of the leaf into the hole of a carrot.
  • Allow the carrots to dry until ready to use.

Notes

  • To keep the marzipan from drying out as you work, cover unused portions with plastic wrap.
  • Keep unused marzipan covered tightly in plastic wrap.

 

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