I love the fact that my entire family is moving closer and closer to a whole foods, plant based diet. My youngest son is the only hold out, although he’s figuring it out on his own more and more.
This cake is nothing but whole foods and is the perfect melding of flavors.
I first made it earlier this year for my daughter’s birthday, and I vowed never to make it again until I owned a decent food processor.
Yes, it was that difficult!
Armed with my high-speed blender and mini-food processor, it took me what seemed like forever to make this cake.
My husband reminds me often how delicious this cake was…but nope, not making it again until I get myself a good full-sized food processor.
I’m happy to say that that day has come! And just in time for Easter celebration.
Carrot cake fits perfectly for the occasion, and I think the Easter Bunny would agree. 🙂
It was a breeze to throw it together. I think what took the longest was grating the carrots.
I could have even shredded them in the processor, but it was just as easy to use the cheese grater. Besides, it doesn’t get much use these days, so it was totally up for the job! =)
I absolutely LOVE my new food processor! Here’s the one I purchased from Amazon: Breville Sous Chef 12-Cup Food Processor
The credit for original recipe for the cake goes to Fernsandpeonies.com. You can find the original recipe here, and I only made minor additions. She does have what looks like a wonderful top layer, that I chose not to make since I’m not a huge coconut fan.
Raw carrot cake is perfect for a dessert or a snack. It’s that healthy!
Raw Carrot Cake
Total time: 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS
- 1/2 cup raw almonds
- 1/2 cup raw walnuts
- 1 cup dates, pitted
- 3/4 cup shredded carrots
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp ground ginger
- zest from 1 orange
- 1/4 cup shredded coconut {optional}
- 1/4 cup raisins {optional}
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries {optional}
DIRECTIONS
- Line a 6×6 pan with parchment paper or wax paper {see note below}.
- Shred/grate carrots.
- In a food processor, blend the almonds and walnuts until they form a meal with a few bigger pieces of nuts. {See note below}
- Once the nuts are complete, pour them into a separate bowl to use later.
- In the food processor, add the shredded carrots, dates, vanilla, spices, orange zest and coconut (if using). If frosting, reserve about 1 tsp of the zest to top the cake after frosting. Process the ingredients until combined.
- Add the nuts back in along with the raisins & cranberries (if using). Process until combined.
- Pour the ingredients into the lined pan and spread out evenly with clean, dry hands.
- Make the frosting {recipe below}, if using, and frost the cake. Top with reserved orange zest.
- Chill in the refrigerator overnight for the flavors to meld. Of course, you can eat ASAP if you’d like and know that if there are any leftovers, they’ll be better the next day.
- Cut into small pieces and enjoy!
Cashew Frosting
Prep time: under 10 minutes
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup cashews
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp melted coconut oil or avocado oil
- 2 tbsp + 2 tsp maple syrup
- water, as needed, to thin
DIRECTIONS
- Place all of the ingredients in a food processor and process until creamy.
- Add water, as needed to thin.
- Frost cake!
NOTES
◊ In the picture above, I used a springform pan and doubled the recipe, making 2 layers with frosting in between layers.
◊ The last time I made this cake, I used a combination of a high-speed blender and a mini-food processor and the end result was actually a little better the cake pictured. This time I used my brand new 12-cup food processor; and, while it worked beautifully, the cake was very well blended! It was unanimous that we all liked it with little bit pieces rather than well blended. The next time I make it, I will leave the pieces a little bit for more crunch and better flavor.
◊ If making 2 layers like I did, you’ll want to double the frosting recipe.
◊ If you like a delicious baked carrot cake, check out this recipe for Healthy Carrot Cake. So, so good!
Did you give this recipe a try? If so, I’d love to hear how it turned out in the comments below!
oxo,
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