Ingredients

• Carrot Orange Cake, recipe follows
• Zucchini Cake, see Carrot Orange Cake
• Cream Cheese Icing, recipe follows
• 1/2 cup chocolate cookie crumbs (approximately 20 cookies), finely ground
• 2 tablespoons green sprinkles
• Marzipan fruits and vegetables, about 25 pieces, recipe follows
• Pastillage Fence, recipe follows
• 1 pound Candy Pebbles, for garnish
• 2 cups walnuts
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 1/2 cups canola oil, plus more for pans
• 4 cups granulated sugar
• 8 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 8 cups grated carrots, about 1 1/2 pounds
• 2 oranges, zested
• 1 pound cream cheese, room temperature
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 pound almond paste
• 1/2 pound confectioners' sugar
• 6 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 5 cups plus 2 1/2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar, plus more if needed
• 6 tablespoons cornstarch, plus more for dusting
• 2 teaspoons powdered gelatin
• 2 tablespoons cold water, plus 1 tablespoon
• 1 large egg white
• 1/2 lemon, juiced

Instructions

1. Make carrot and zucchini cakes as directed, cool to room temperature. If necessary, using a serrated knife, trim cake tops level. Each cake should be about 1 1/4-inches high. Make icing as directed. Place the zucchini layer on a 10-inch cake round and spread top of cake with 1 1/4 cups of cream cheese frosting. Place a carrot layer on top of the zucchini layer. Chill until icing is set, about 15 minutes. Ice the entire cake with the remaining frosting. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes. This can be done up to 1 day in advance. Sprinkle top of cake with 1/2 cup of cookie crumbs leaving a 1/4-inch border around perimeter of cake. Using a paring knife, lightly mark cake top dividing into quarters or four "plots". "Rake" the plots with the tines of a fork. Place green sprinkles on the perimeter of cake. Arrange prepared fruits and vegetables on the plots. Carefully press pastillage fence posts on to the side of the cake, about 1/4-inch apart. Serve cake at room temperature.
2. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread walnuts on a baking pan; bake until fragrant, about 7 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack. Coarsely chop walnuts and set aside. Lightly oil two 10-by-2-inch round cake pans and line bottoms with parchment. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, combine oil and sugar on low speed. Slowly add 1/2 of the flour mixture and continue mixing until well blended. Add the remaining flour and the eggs in 3 additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix until combined, about 1 minute. Transfer batter to a large mixing bowl. Stir in carrots, orange zest and walnuts. Divide batter equally between prepared baking pans (6 1/2 cups per cake pan for the carrot and 6 cups for the zucchini). Bake until golden brown and firm, about 1 hour. A wooden skewer inserted in the center of the cake should come out clean. Transfer pans to wire rack to cool completely before unmolding. Yield: 2 (10 by 2-inch) round layers
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Gradually add sugar and vanilla and beat on low speed until well blended. Increase speed to high, beat until completely smooth, about 2 minutes. Use immediately. Yield: about 3 1/2 cups
4. In the bowl of a food processor, combine almond paste and sugar. Pulse until combined. Add the corn syrup, and pulse again until combined, about 15 times. Mixture should hold together when pressed. Transfer to a clean work surface; knead until smooth dough is formed. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Color and shape as desired. Yield: 1 pound
5. Sift confectioners' sugar and cornstarch into bowl of an electric mixer. Set aside. In a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over 2 tablespoons cold water. Let stand 5 minutes. In a medium heatproof bowl, combine egg white and 1 tablespoon water. Set bowl over a pot of gently simmering water; stir continuously until warm to the touch, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat; add gelatin mixture. Stir until dissolved. If gelatin does not dissolve completely, return mixture to double boiler; stir until completely dissolved. Remove from heat and immediately add to cornstarch mixture. Add lemon juice; mix on low until mixture comes together. Do not over mix. If it appears too dry, add a few drops of lukewarm water, if it appears too wet, sprinkle in confectioners' sugar that has been sifted. Transfer pastillage to a clean work surface dusted lightly with cornstarch. Knead until smooth, 2 to 3 times. Using a pastry brush, dust off excess cornstarch. Wrap in plastic wrap. Chill up to 24 hours (bring to room temperature before rolling). To roll, unwrap a small piece of pastillage; place on a clean work surface dusted with cornstarch (keep the rest wrapped). Roll small piece out to 4 1/2 by 5 1/2 inches and 3/16-inch thick. Cut lengthwise into 8 (1/2-inch) strips. For top of fence, cut a half-moon along top edge of pickets; use the edge of a 10-inch bowl as a guide. The longest pickets (on both ends) should be 5 1/2 inches tall, the shortest (in middle) 3 3/4 inches. With a spatula, transfer pickets to a parchment-lined baking sheet to dry at least 6 hours. Repeat steps 6 and 7 four times. For posts, roll out a 3/16-inch-thick piece of pastillage. With a paring knife cut into a 3 by 6-inch rectangle. Cut rectangle lengthwise into 5 (1/2-inch wide) strips. Cut top of each post to a point. Transfer posts to a parchment lined baking sheet to dry at least 6 hours. Immediately after icing cake, apply pickets and posts 1/2-inch apart around perimeter. Yield: 1 1/2 pounds