My healthy, raw (but still delicious!) take on the traditional carrot cake. The ‘cream cheese’ icing is better than it’s original counterpart – you’ll never guess that it’s dairy-free!
Course Dessert
Cuisine European
Keyword be good organics, cake, carrots, dairy free, dessert, easy, gluten free, healthy, raw, recipe, vegan, vegetarian
1cwalnutssoaked overnight & well drained - for a milder flavour, use 1/2c cashews + 1/2c walnuts
1ccurrantsor sultanas
1/2cdesiccated coconut
5dates
1tspvanilla powder
2tspcinnamon
1ccoconut flouror almond/cashew flour
2tbspcoconut oilmelted
1/4tsporganic sea salt
Pinchnutmeg
Cream Cheese Icing
1ccashewssoaked 2-3 hours or overnight, rinsed and drained
1/4cwater
1tbsplemon juice
3tbspcoconut nectar
5tbspcoconut oilmelted
2tbspcoconut butter*
Instructions
Raw Carrot Cake
Set aside 1/2 cup of carrots and add the remaining 1 1/2 cups to a food processor or blender. Set aside 1/2 cup of currants and add the remaining 1/2 cup to the food processor. Then add your walnuts, desiccated coconut, dates, vanilla, cinnamon, coconut flour, coconut oil, sea salt and nutmeg. Process until well combined but be careful to not over process, as you want the cake to still retain a defined texture.
Add the remaining currants and carrot and pulse a couple of times. You want them to be mixed into the mixture but not be blended into a pulp. Pour mixture into a bowl and set aside.
Cream Cheese Icing
Add the cashews, lemon juice, coconut nectar, coconut oil, water and coconut butter to your food processor/blender. Process for 3-4 minutes until super creamy, scraping down the sides in between to make sure there are no lumps.
Assembling your Raw Carrot Cake
Line your cake tin with a circle of baking paper and add 1/3 cup of the cake mixture to your tin, spreading evenly with the palm of your hand or a spatula. Add 1/4 cup of your icing mixture and smooth evenly over the top. Then add another 1/3 cup of the cake mixture over top of the icing, and spread evenly. Add another 1/4 cup of your icing mixture over that layer, and spread again. Finally add the last 1/3 cup of cake mixture to the cake, and smooth evenly with the remaining 1/2 cup icing to create a nice layered effect, with the thickest layer of icing on top.
Freeze 2-3 hours of keep in the fridge overnight. Once set, decorate with extra walnut halves and desiccated coconut.
This cake will keep in the fridge for up to four days. Otherwise slice it into individual servings and put them in a sealed container in the freezer for up to three months. Simply pull a slice or two out 30 minutes before you need it so it can thaw.
I like to serve this with a generous dollop of my Coconut Cashew Chia Cream, some fresh seasonal fruit (kiwifruit or banana goes perfectly), a herbal tea and a good documentary (of course).