Carrot cake has always been one of my weaknesses. Firstly, they usually look super pretty and delicious, that you can't avoid buying a piece.
Secondly, they do taste like heaven.
However, they are usually quite heavy to digest, lacking nutrients and they can even create a bit of guilt feeling... boosting negative emotions towards yourself.
For this reason, I have been experimenting with different recipes I have found online, and trying to make them gluten-, dairy- and sugar-free (if possible).
I started once by trying a baking version, but it was rather unsuccessful :-D I honestly think I am just good at raw cakes and I shouldn't even try baking. So I decided to try creating a raw version. The raw cheesecake filling wouldn't work since we still want that cake consistency with a carrot cake, right?
I tried out different variations inspired by some of my favorite dessert pages like Unconventional Baker and Minimalist Baker. I ended up doing a mix of ingredients I found around their recipes and recreating today's carrot raw cake.
Perfect to have it for breakfast or as dessert together with a warm cup of tea or coffee! I am not going to lie, I love desserts. And I also love eating healthy and nutritious, fueling myself with food that will help me performing every day and boosting my mood. Hence, this kind of raw cake are the perfect choice to find a balanced lifestyle. Thanks to the ingredients, the cake is high in fiber, unsaturated fats and anti-inflammatory. It does contain fructose (sugar) from the dates and raisins though, but in small quantity.
And almost everyone loves them! Making them a great choice for dinners with friends and family gatherings.
In order to create this gluten-, dairy- and refined sugar-free carrot cake, you will need the following ingredients:
Cake:
2 1/2 cups shredded carrots
2 1/2 cups walnuts
3/4 cup almond flour
2 1/2 cups dates without pits
1/2 cup raisins
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Sea salt to taste (I use himalayan salt)
Frosting:
2 cups cashews (soaked in water minimum for 2h)
1/2 cup soya cream (I use Migros V-Love Soja since it has a slightly coconut flavour)
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
3 tbsp Agave syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
Start by soaking the cashews minimum 2 hours prior to cooking. You can even leave them overnight if you want! For frosting purposes, I usually have them 4-6 hours soaking, just to ensure they are soft enough when I blend them.
Then, when the time to cook arrives, prepare first the springform pan: either you use coconut oil around or you can wrap it with baking paper. I prefer the second option, so it is easier later to take out the cake without breaking it apart :)
Start peeling the carrots and grating them. Either you use a box grater or a blender. The Braun’s Multiquick 5 hand blender with the S-shape blender can grate them in small pieces that are perfect for blending with other ingredients afterwards. Once you grate them, check that you have exactly the 2 cups and half, and set it aside.
Blend the dates until you get a sticky dough, and set it aside.
Blend now the walnuts together with 1/4 cup of almond meal and the spices in the blender. Add the dates and carrots, and blend everything in low speed. Be careful not to overdo it, not that the dough becomes runny!
Place the dough in a bowl and add the 2/4 cup of almond meal, raisins and sea salt to taste. Mix well all the ingredients with a spoon. If you see that the dough isn't sticky enough, you can always add a bit of boiling water and mix again. If you see that it is too runny, try adding more almond flour. Move the mix to the springform and press it down until achieving a uniform dough. Then leave it resting in the fridge.
For the cashew frosting, add all ingredients to the blender (wet container also works!). Blend it in high speed until achieving a uniform and consistent dough. Take out the springform from the fridge and pour the frosting on top of the cake. You can use a dough scraper to help you spread the frosting.
Leave it resting for 3 hours in the fridge before serving it!
I hope you enjoy this raw cake as much as we did it in the family. It feels heavy, however remember that it is high in nutrition and fiber. Easy to digest and anti-inflammatory.
xx
Zohar