The entire inspiration behind this doughnut cream was childhood treasure hunting. I have never made a carrot cake doughnut cream before, and I knew that this was the perfect way to incorporate a few wordplays into the actual concept. The base is a carrot cake batter, then mascarpone cheesecake, swirled with blood orange reduction, a walnut milk mirror glaze, walnut milk truffle, gold-dusted walnut milk truffle, carrot feuilletine “soil” and carrot green powder “grass”.

For the carrot cake:
1 cup grated carrots
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 tablespoons browned butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
cinnamon
nutmeg
ginger
a pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine ingredients. Pipe into a silicone doughnut tin and bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes. Allow to cool completely before removing.

For the mascarpone mousse:
2 egg yolks
8 oz mascarpone cheese; chilled
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped stiff
1 1/2 teaspoons gelatin powder + 1 tablespoon water
3 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons of blood orange reduction*

Bloom gelatin in water. Melt with more water and sugar and turn into a syrup. Combine in the egg yolks and temper over medium heat for 1 minute. Fold in the mascarpone cheese, then the whipped cream, then the vanilla, and finally, the reduction. Pipe into the silicone doughnut molds and press the cakes into them. Freeze solid.

Blood orange reduction:
1 blood orange; juiced and zested

Reduce the juice and zest until it is about 3 tablespoons of liquid. Strain to remove the zest. Cool completely before using.

For the walnut milk:
1 cup water
2 tablespoons malted milk powder
1/2 cup walnuts

Simmer together the walnuts and water over medium heat for 20 minutes. Puree in the milk powder and strain out the solids. Cool completely before using.

For the walnut milk mirror glaze:
1 cup white chocolate chips
1/3 cup walnut milk
2 tablespoons mascarpone cheese.
2 teaspoons gelatin powder + 1 tablespoon water

Bloom the gelatin powder in the water then simmer into the walnut milk and mascarpone cheese. Pour over the chocolate chips and allow to sit until the chocolate is fully melted.

For the truffle:
1/2 cup walnut milk
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1 tablespoon mascarpone cheese
walnuts
edible gold dust

Melt together the walnut milk, chocolate chips, and mascarpone. Pour into mini silicone sphere molds and freeze solid. Chop up walnuts and toss in the edible gold dust. Roll the truffles, while still frozen, in the walnuts.

For the carrot feuilletine:
2 egg whites
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup finely grated carrots
2 tablespoons browned butter

Whip the egg whites and sugar to stiff peaks. Toss the carrots in the brown butter. Fold together. Spread out thinly on a silicone sheet and bake at 250 degrees F for 1 1/2 hours. Cool completely before breaking into smaller pieces.

For the carrot powder, please refer to this recipe.

Assembly:
Take the frozen mousses, and pour the glaze, heated to 90 degrees F over them. Place a truffle in the holes, garnish with feuilletine, and grated carrot green powder.