Raw Carrot Cake with Cashew Cream Cheese Frosting
For a nourishing version of the classic carrot cake, here is the recipe of a heavenly vegan Ayurvedic carrot cake. Tastes delicious on its own or can be topped with a vegan cream cheese frosting.
No bake, no refined sugar, gluten-free and vegan.
Frosting (optional):
2 cups raw cashews, preferably soaked in hot water for 30 minutes - 1 hour
1 - 2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp melted coconut oil
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Water, as needed
Cake:
2 cups finely shredded carrots
2 cups medjool dates, soaked and pitted
2 1/2 cups raw walnuts
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1 pinch nutmeg
1/2 cup coconut flour (or almond flour)
Intructions:
To make the frosting: Soak the cashews in hot water for 30 minutes - 1 hour, then rinse and drain. Add all the ingredients to a high-speed blender until smooth, adding water to get the consistency you want. Taste and adjust as needed. Cover and refrigerate to chill.
To make the cake: Add all the ingredients except for the coconut flour in your food processor and blend until a loose dough forms. Be careful not to over blend. Then transfer your mixture to a large mixing bowl, add the coconut flour and stir to combine and set aside.
Press the cake mix into the bottom of a 6-inch adjustable springform pan (we used a rectangular one). Let it set in the refrigerator overnight then frost the cake. You can also choose to frost it right away.
Top with whatever garnishes you like. We topped our cake with dried rose petals and crushed raw walnuts.
Slice and serve this nourishing raw and vegan carrot cake. Any leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 5-7 days, or store it in the freezer to preserve it for longer.
