Instructions: Make carrot and zucchini cakes. Heat oven to 350 degrees. 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 half of the flour mixture and continue mixing until well blended. Add the remaining flour and the eggs in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix until combined, about 1 minute. Transfer batter to a large mixing bowl. Stir in carrots or zucchini, orange zest or ground ginger 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. If necessary, using a serrated knife, trim cake tops level. Each cake should be about 1 1/4 inches high. (Makes two 10-inch by 2-inch round layers)

Make icing. 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. (

Makes about 3 1/2 cups)

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 a day in advance.

Make the pastillage. 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 heat-proof 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 eight 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 five 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. (Makes 1 1/2 pounds pastillage)

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.

This recipe yields one 10-inch layer cake.

MARZIPAN FRUITS AND VEGETABLES:
CARROT: Orange is made by combining orange, tulip red, and a touch of nut-brown paste food colors. The tapered root is rolled out by hand from a pea-size ball of marzipan to the desired length. A utility knife is used to etch small grooves along the surface in imitation of the irregularities found in homegrown varieties. The fern-leafed carrot top is cut from a rolled-out sphere of green marzipan, then inserted into a toothpick hole (the moisture of the marzipan should hold top in).

SPLIT WATERMELON: Follow the same procedure to create the green marbleized watermelon rind. Using a paring knife, cut green watermelon in half. Using your fingertips, create "bowl-like" shapes from each half. Make pink marzipan with a touch of rose pink and tulip red. Shape into a ball. Place the ball into one of the green "bowls" and top with remaining "bowl." Roll to adhere and shape into oval watermelons. Using a paring knife cut the watermelon in a zig-zag fashion so that it will appear as if it has been split. Using tweezers, place black sesame seeds on the pink marzipan to simulate watermelon seeds.

RADISHES: Radishes are made from marzipan colored with Christmas red, deep pink, and just a bit of violet. They are pinched and pulled while turning to achieve the desired shape, with a pointed root end, then topped with a single leaf.

ARTICHOKE: Green is a mixture of leaf green with a touch of yellow and nut brown. A hint of brown marzipan is worked in to create the artichokes marbled appearance. The stem and globe are rolled and shaped by hand; the leaves are cut with scissors.

RHUBARB: Rhubarb starts from marzipan mixed with tulip red and a dab of violet. Roll into strings; flatten with your fingertips. Shape stalks by pressing strips around a skewer brushed with cornstarch. Adhere a leaf or two to the top of each stalk (if marzipan isnt moist enough, apply a tiny bit of water with a paintbrush).

CAULIFLOWER: For the cauliflower, color marzipan with white, mixed with a touch of yellow and nut brown. Roll into tiny balls for florets; press them into the top of a pea-size ball of the same color. For leaves, roll and press small balls of marzipan colored with leaf green, white, and nut brown into a circle; add veins with leaf veiner. Place four leaves around ball. Bend leaves.

TOMATOES: The yellow and red tomatoes use two batches of marzipan; one colored with tulip red, orange, and yellow, the other with yellow and orange. With a toothpick, mark grooves along top of each tomato. Make leaves from leaf-green marzipan, using a plastic petal cutter. Thin tips with a plastic ball tool; adhere tops using a fluted/plain arrow tool. Pinch petals so they wont lie flat.

CABBAGES: Make cabbages from marbled green leaves. Mix two batches of marzipan: a blend of green, yellow, and white; and just white. Roll batches into strings; press strings together to make one fat string. Fold it in half; roll out again. Repeat until you get desired marbled effect, flatten into leaf, and add veins with leaf veiner. Use the same process for radicchio, with a batch of white marzipan and one colored with Christmas red and violet.

Yield: 1 ten-inch layer cake

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