Preheat the oven to 200°C/ Fan 180°C/ Gas Mark 6

Begin by greasing the mini loaf tin with a little butter.

Place the butter, sugar and mixed spice in a food mixer and beat until light and fluffy.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour and the bicarbonate of soda. Crack one egg into the butter sugar mixture along with a spoonful of the flour and beat on high speed until combined. Repeat with the second and third egg.

When the eggs are incorporated, add the orange zest and juice along with the remaining flour. Beat until thoroughly mixed. Fold in the grated carrot.

Spoon the mixture into the mini loaf tin and bake for 15 minutes.

Once baked, remove from the oven, and allow to fully cool. Prepare your decoration.

In a bowl combine the coconut and green food colouring until all the flakes change from white to green. Set aside.

Make the bunnies by rolling a ball of white icing to the size of a walnut before cutting in half - this will be the bottoms of two bunnies. Make two flattened ovals which are the bunny’s feet and a small pea sized ball for the tail. Using a little water stick the tail and feet to the body.

Using the pink icing make two feet pads. Begin rolling two larger balls followed by 6 smaller balls. Stick on the larger ball and 3 smaller balls to the white feet using water. Crumble up the biscuits to form crumbs.

When ready to assemble, spread a little vanilla icing on top of each cake. Sprinkle with the coloured coconut to represent grass (pressing down slight to ensure it has sufficiently stuck) before sprinkling with a pinch of biscuit crumb where you want the bunny to burrow.

Place the bunny bottoms where the biscuit crumb has been sprinkled. Repeat for all the cakes.

Cook’s Notes

If you are not keen on fondant icing, these carrot cakes are delicious simply topped with buttercream, orange zest and roughly chopped pecans.