Raw gluten & vegan friendly carrot cake

Now there maybe times when I don’t always crave for chocolatey treats (not always, but sometimes… Ok, I admit, very rarely). So, during this moment of madness I decided to create this beautifully flavoured carrot cake which I actually sold through my business, Raw & Pure at a local cafe. Of which it had great feedback on – so you must try it, I insist! This recipe is easy to make and you don’t even have to turn the oven on to wait for it to cook! Bonus.

It’s safe to say there is definitely a hype of raw and vegan desserts thundering through social media and in magazines at the moment, with many people diving straight into it. I would be lying if I said I had not been mesmerised by these raw and vegan desserts’ complex simplicity which I discovered last Christmas. So, yes I dove straight into it too. These healthy, raw treats allow you to still fill your body with complete goodness and nutrients whilst still eating your favourite desserts – you’re kinda cheating the whole ‘naughty food’ process and if this fits in with my lifestyle of healthy eating then i’m totally fine with that! My favourite Raw treat are my Snicker Slabs. I turn to these babies when I have a sweet tooth and they do just the trick of satisfying it! In fact, it tastes just like the real thing but even better so I never feel the need to have the sugary/high fat/high carb real deal.

Anyway, back to the recipe. I’ve experimented twice with this dessert but this one was my absolute favourite. It’s moist, packed with beautiful flavours and it’s easy and quick to make. So let’s get to it!

Serves 16 squares

Ingredients

Cashew and walnut frosting
200g cashews
140g almond milk
4 pitted medjool dates (normal dates can be used)
1 tsp vanilla extract

Carrot cake
300g oats
320g carrots
180g pitted medjool dates
50g of almonds
2-3 tsp cinnamon
1tsp ground ginger
1/3 tsp nutmeg
zest of ½ an orange

Method

Firstly, you need to soak the cashews 1-2 hours beforehand.

Put the oats, carrots, dates, almonds, cinnamon, nutmeg and ground ginger into a food processor and blitz it all together until it is totally combined. Whilst this continues to mix, line an eight inch square tin with baking parchment so that it overlaps the sides of the tin. Then place the mixture into the tin and flatten to create an even layer.

For the frosting you will need to drain the cashews and then place them into your food processor and mix. Add the almond milk, dates and vanilla and continue to mix it until you have a smooth and creamy texture. Once done, take your mixture and place on top of the cake layer and spread evenly. Then finish the cake off with sprinkling the orange zest and walnuts on top. Pop in the freezer for an hour (this allows it to set as it’s quite moist).

Take out when ready and enjoy the flavours – my favourite part!

Hannah,
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