
Recipe
Raw Carrot Cake with Cashew Lemon Cream
Servings: 12
Equipment
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Box grater
- Food processor or high speed blender
- Parchment paper
- 20 cm (8 inch) square pan
Ingredients
- 2 cups finely grated carrots approximately 8
- 1 ½ cups rolled oats gluten-free if possible. Quinoa or rice flakes will also work
- 1 cup raw walnuts
- 1 ½ cups Medjool or soft dates pitted
- ¾ cup dried coconut
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon cardamom
- 1 pinch salt
Lemon Cashew Cream
- 1 cup raw cashew soaked for at least four hours if possible
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons water only if nuts are not soaked
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
Instructions
Cake Base
- Begin by grating your carrots on the smaller side of a box grater. Gently squeeze out the excess liquid from the grated carrots. You will end up with quite a lot of carrot juice. Save it for smoothies or add to soup. Once the carrots have been squeezed dry, measure them until you have about 2 cups.
- In a food processor or high-speed blender, grind the oats until they begin to make a coarse flour. Set the mixture aside.
- Next, grind the walnuts until they begin to turn into a flour, but not so much that they turn into nut butter (that's another recipe). Mix into the oat mixture along with the coconut, spices, and salt.
- Next, add the carrots and dates to the food processor/blender, and mix until the dates become well chopped. You may need to do this step in batches. If you have a Vitamix, I recommend using the tamper.
- Once the dates are chopped, combine the wet mixture to the coconut at oat mixture. Mixing well to combine.
- To make a cake press half the mixture in a small 15 cm (6 inch) pan (or if you're like me and don't have a small pan, try forming them into a symmetrical patty) which has been lined with cling film. Remove and repeat with the other half. Set this mixture in the freezer for about 30 minutes to firm up. Alternatively, you can press into a lined 20 cm (8 inch) square pan.
- Once the two cake have set up, they are ready to ice with the Cashew Cream (recipe below). Reserve ⅓ of the Cashew Lemon Cream to sandwich the two cakes together. Ice with the remaining cream. The bar, on the other hand, can be iced right away. Once iced garnished with pumpkin seeds, chopped crystallised ginger, walnuts, or coconut.
Cashew Lemon Cream
- Combine all the ingredients in a high-speed blender. If you haven't had time to soak the nuts, add the extra water. Puree until smooth. Taste and adjust the amount of lemon or maple syrup if needed.
Thank you! I love your recipes!
Ah, you're the sweetest! So happy you're enjoying the recipes, Leah xox
Hi. What are the wet ingredients for this cake? Thank you!
Hey Leah, in this case they would be the carrots and the dates 🙂
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Would it be ok for the icing to be out for a few days or does it *have* to be refrigerated I wonder? ... Awesome recipe!
Ah, I'm so happy you like it! Ha, I'm not too much into airy desserts either. I like 'em dense 🙂
Thanks, MamaKel. Desiccated Coconut is what I mean here.
Looks awesome! Is the dried coconut desiccated coconut or coconut flour?
I cannot believe that this is a raw (or almost raw, but whatever) cake! Looks absolutely amazing - pinning for later! Wow, I didn't know that about traditional carrot cakes - though actually that explains a lot, as I'm not much of a cake person unless they're chocolate, because chocolate, or carrot... not a fan of fluffy airy things like cupcakes. I like my deserts FULL of fat so that explains why I like carrot cake so much XD
Oh, thank you so much, Christine! Cake for breakfast is my absolute favourite too! I'm so excited to be a part of Pure Green Magazines Spring Submissions, I hope to see some of your great recipes shared as well 🙂
Oh, I'm so pleased you enjoy it!
This cake would probably be fine in the fridge for about four days, and yes, it should freeze just fine. Happy entertaining!
I would suggested maybe replacing the coconut with a bit more walnuts and oats.
Awesome! I'm so happy to hear that 🙂
Awe, thanks a bunch, Laura! I'm delighted you enjoy the recipe 🙂
Thank you so much, Katrina! The cashew cream is really yummy - it's definitely something you'd like to eat off the spoon.
How long would this cake 'keep' in the fridge? Could you freeze it? I'm thinking of making it for company--I have a string of guests coming over several days.
Carrot cake is my absolute favourite too, and I love playing around with raw desserts. Anything called "cake" that also passes for breakfast is a dream for me. I've become the type of person to actually stockpile raw nuts in my freezer and will definitely be making your version very soon! xo -- also, congratulations on becoming a Pure Green Community Leader, I love following your blog and was happy to see your name announced!
Is there a way this recipe could be adapted leaving out the coconut?
I tend to avoid raw desserts but this carrot cake I totally am enamoured by. Pinned!
This looks unbelievably delicious. I really love that cashew cream!
Oh my golly, this looks divine. I think the addition of lemon in the cashew cream would be sooooo delicious. Wish I had cashews to make this right now. Thanks for sharing!
This looks unbelievably delicious. I really love that cashew cream!
Nice to see an approachable, economically practical, and tasty raw cake recipe! Love the coconut in this as well as the idea of making it as a slice for an "everyday" sort of recipe.