Raw Carrot Cake Recipe:

                                                       Raw Carrot Cake Recipe:

• 1 cup grated carrot (or 1 cup leftover carrot pulp from juicing*)
  
• 1 cup raw walnuts
• 1 cup medjool dates, about 9 large dates, pits removed
• 1 cup dried apple slices
• 1 cup shredded coconut
  
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp Chinese Five Spice seasoning

• 1/3 cup raisins
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts

Fine chop the carrots into a quick “shredded carrot” in the food processor, then scoop into a bowl. Puree 1 cup walnuts in the food processor. Add in 9 mejool dates into the pureed walnuts, and then blend into a sweet paste. Add walnut/date paste into bowl with the grated carrots, stir and mash in together. Blend dried apple slices with dried coconut, vanilla and five spice then mash into carrot mixture. Then add in 1/3 cup raisins, 1/3 cup chopped walnuts. Mix until well incorporated. Shape the carrot cake with your hands onto a plate, it will be easy to shape into a cake mold. Or make individual cupcakes (like pictured above) by filling muffin papers or lining a muffin pan with saran wrap. Chill in the fridge to help firm up.

Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 cup cashews or macadamia nuts
  
• 2 TBS coconut oil
• 2 TBS raw coconut nectar, honey, or maple syrup
  
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• pinch sea salt
• 1 Tablespoon water, add more as needed

Blend all ingredients together in a high speed blender or food processor. It may also help to soak your cashews for an hour prior to making for easier blending, if you soak the cashews, expect to use less water in blending.

Pictured is a double batch of the cake recipe, and 1 1/2 batch of the icing recipe!
*You can increase the life of this carrot cake in the freezer by using leftover carrot pulp from juicing. Not necessary and creates more steps, but you will then end up with a lighter cake that freezes really well, for up to a month! If I am going to serve right away after chilling, I don’t bother with the juicing. But if I am making 100 of these for an event, I juice the carrots first!