Twisted Carrot Roses From "BraveTart" Recipe

Twist up thin strips of peeled carrot into simple, abstract roses to add a special touch to carrot cake.

By
Stella Parks
Stella Parks
Stella Parks
Editor Emeritus
Stella Parks is a CIA-trained baking nerd and pastry wizard, dubbed one of America's Best New Pastry Chefs by Food & Wine. She was the pastry editor at Serious Eats from 2016 to 2019.
Learn about Serious Eats' Editorial Process
Updated Apr. 08, 2019
20170912-bravetart-carrot-cake-vicky-wasik-24.jpg
Vicky Wasik

Why It Works

  • Peeling gives the carrot strips a smooth, delicate edge.
  • Poaching in simple syrup makes the carrot strips glossy and pliable.

Carrot cakes are often topped with carrot-shaped squiggles of frosting or marzipan, but you don't need any special ingredients to create these simple carrot roses. For a rainbow bouquet, grab packs of orange, red, and purple "confetti carrots" at the grocery or farmers market.

Reprinted from BraveTart: Iconic American Desserts with permission from W. W. Norton.

Recipe Facts

Active: About 30 mins
Total: 30 mins
Makes: 12 to 30 roses, depending on size

Rate & Comment

Ingredients

  • About 6 large carrots, at least 1 inch thick and preferably 7 to 8 inches in length
  • 8 ounces water (about 1 cup; 225g)
  • 7 ounces sugar (about 1 cup; 200g)
  • 1/4 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use about half as much by volume or the same weight

Directions

  1. Peel the carrots, then place on a cutting board; with a vegetable peeler pressed firmly against the root end, drag the blade down its length. Discard the first few thin and irregular strips, and continue peeling to amass a pile of thick, even ribbons.

  2. Combine water, sugar, and salt in a 2-quart stainless steel saucier over medium heat, and bring to a boil. Drop carrot ribbons into the bubbling syrup, simmer 30 seconds, then shut off the heat. When cool enough to handle, fish out a ribbon and let the excess syrup drip off.

  3. Holding the skinny end with your dominant hand, twist and wrap a carrot ribbon around itself to form a "bud." Continue twisting and wrapping to create the remaining petals, then tuck the end of the strip underneath itself. If you like, more strips can be added to create a larger rose. Place on a fully frosted Brown Butter Carrot Cake, repeating with additional carrot roses to create a lush bouquet.

    Carrot strips twisted into roses.

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

Special equipment

Vegetable peeler, 2-quart stainless steel saucier

Notes

For a fancy, luminous effect, dissolve a few grams of pale gold luster dust in a tablespoon of lemon juice to brush over the finished roses.

This Recipe Appears In

More Serious Eats Recipes