I would take chocolate over any dessert at any time. BUT this raw carrot cake is delicious! Maybe it’s the sweet, moist cinnamon-spiced cake. Or the tangy cream cheese frosting. Or the bit of savoriness that comes from the nuts and helps the spices balance all that sweetness. Whatever it is, this raw carrot cake is very similar in taste and texture to the baked version. However, unlike the real deal carrot cake, this recipe is vegan (dairy-free, egg-free), grain-free (gluten-free), soy-free, and refined sugar-free.
Raw cakes are one of my favorite things to make. They come together quickly, taste, and look incredible, and the possibilities in terms of flavors, colors, and textures are endless.
But what exactly makes a great raw layer cake?
That is a good question. A lot of it comes down to personal preference. However, many will agree that a great layer cake is about balance. The cake itself should be moist and tender. Nobody likes hard or dry cake layers, whether you are using a light carrot cake or something as dense as a cheesecake crust. I think two to three cake layers are the best proportion, but you can stack as many as you like.
The filling and frosting should account for sweetness and decadence. While some might argue that nothing can be too sweet or too rich, you don’t want to overpower the cake layers, or any of the other components, really. For buttercream, cream cheese, or fudge fillings, try sticking to layers of fillings that are half the height of the layers of cakes. When using something like sweet fruit preserves or rich chocolate ganache, consider using a bit less filling. Or better yet, use a bit of both to balance out the sweet and rich elements. For frosting, use as little or as much as you’d like. If you are not big on sweet frosting, consider only icing the top of the cake and leaving the sides naked for a more rustic look.
Tips for Making Raw Carrot Cake
Ingredients
Carrot cake can be a personal thing. If you like yours with raisins, feel free to fold some into the cake mixture. If you like yours with pineapple, add it in. Love coconut? Sprinkle more desiccated coconut over the frosted cake. I like plain carrot cake, although I always try adding a few decorations to transform the cake into something wow-worthy. Here’s a list of the key ingredients:
Carrot Cake
- Carrots: the start of the show in this cake is carrots. Because this carrot cake is raw, the flavor of carrots is quite prominent, and their natural sweetness shines through.
- Walnuts: when you think about walnuts, you probably imagine a complex taste that’s earthy, fruity, and tart β maybe with hints of astringency. Even though the walnut flavor is very mild, it does include some sharp notes. However, the astringent taste is great for balancing out sweet dishes. Walnuts have a soft, rich, almost buttery texture, making them perfect for recipes that need that light, flaky texture – like raw cakes! If you are out of walnuts, pecans are the best substitute.
- Coconut: desiccated coconut fills this carrot cake with a rich, buttery flavor and adds a chewy texture. I usually use both desiccated coconut and coconut flour to give this raw carrot cake more of a flour-like texture.
- Medjool dates: I often use dates to naturally sweeten raw cakes and bind all the ingredients together. Medjool dates work the best here because they are soft, juicy, and with a melt-in-your-mouth feel. If your dates aren’t soft, soak them in warm water for 10-20 minutes before adding them to the cake so they break down easily.
- Spices: it’s not uncommon to see carrot cake titled a “spice cake.” Indeed, a carrot cake contains many bold spices with heady flavors and scents, including cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and ginger. Make sure the spices are fresh because spices are what you’ll taste the most in this cake.
Carrot Cake Frosting
- Cashews: the most frequently used nut in raw cake fillings and frostings is cashews. The reason is quite apparent. Cashews have a neutral, slightly sweet flavor and a smooth and creamy texture when blended. Although it can be hard to get the same results when substituting another ingredient for these nuts, macadamia nuts – while more fibrous and not as smooth – are probably the best option.
- Maple syrup: any liquid sweetener works in this frosting. However, if you have access to maple syrup, use it! Maple syrup works so well in this recipe because carrots have a flavor affinity for sugars as they are already sweet. They have woody and herbal notes, which play off the “brown” caramel-like notes associated with maple syrup, creating the perfect combination.
- Coconut oil is an essential ingredient in raw frostings. It helps the frosting set and creates a texture that melts in your mouth. Coconut oil is also one of the reasons you should keep this cake in the fridge because it becomes liquid at room temperature.
- Lemon juice: lemon is the secret ingredient that makes everything taste better. Acidity cuts heaviness and sweetness and provides a fresh, bright taste.
- Vanilla extract: one of the most common ways to flavor frosting is with food extracts. A big advantage to using this method is that extracts pack in a ton of flavor without adding too much liquid.
How to Make Raw Carrot Cake
Just like most raw cakes, carrot cake is easy to make. All you need is a food processor and, ideally, a high-speed blender (although you could also make the frosting in a food processor). Here are my tips and tricks for making the best raw carrot cake around:
- Grate the carrots finely. Finely grated carrots meld seamlessly into the moist, spiced cake, while shredded carrots create a less uniform texture. The finer the carrots, the more evenly distributed they will be, and the more cohesive the cake slices. So, select the finest holes on a cheese grater and grate the carrots into fluffy pieces. Alternatively, attach a shredding blade to a food processor to grate the carrots faster. Squeeze out any excess juice from the carrots. If the carrots are wet, they will make the carrot cake too dense.
- Process the carrot cake ingredients. The order in which you add the cake ingredients into the food processor is important. Walnuts go first to ensure they are finely ground but still have some texture. Next are dates, desiccated coconut, vanilla extract, and spices to bind all the ingredients together. Finally, coconut flour and grated carrots. The coconut flour and carrots are folded in with a spatula to keep a lighter, less dense, and more “cake-like” texture. If you don’t enjoy the texture of grated carrots in a carrot cake, you can add them to the food processor together with the dates. The pulsing action of the food processor will turn the carrots into even smaller, less detectable pieces.
- Press the mixture into a springform pan. You will need at least two cake layers to make a traditional-style layered carrot cake. The easiest way to shape the layers of the cake is to use a springform pan as a guide. So, divide the carrot cake mixture in half, and press it into a lightly greased 6-inch/15-cm springform pan. Make sure the sides are even, and the top is leveled. If a layer cake seems too much work, you can turn it into a simple two-layer cake with frosting on the top.
- Chill the carrot cake layers. Transfer the cake layers to the freezer for 10-15 minutes, so they firm up and are easy to work with.
- Blend the carrot cake frosting ingredients. Add all the carrot cake filling ingredients to a high-speed blender and blend until completely smooth.
- Assemble the cake. Leave one of the carrot cake layers in the springform pan. Pour the first half of the frosting onto the cake and tap out any air bubbles. Transfer the springform pan with the cake back to the freezer to let the frosting firm up slightly, for about 30 minutes. It’s really important that the frosting is at least semi-firm to hold the second layer of the cake. Once chilled, place the second carrot cake layer on the frosting. Gently press it into the frosting to make sure it’s really on there. Pour the second half of the frosting on top of the cake and tap out any air bubbles once again.
- Chill. Cover the springform pan with a piece of paper towel (to trap any condensation), and then double-wrap the entire springform pan with plastic wrap for the best chance of preserving the cake’s taste and texture. Transfer the wrapped cake to the freezer for at least 6 hours, ideally overnight. The more frozen the cake, the easier and cleaner the removal from the pan.
How to Serve Carrot Cake
Once the carrot cake is properly chilled – the frosting should be firm to the touch – release the clamp and remove the band. The carrot cake should have a smooth, clean-sided finish. You can keep it on the base or transfer it to a platter. If you let the carrot cake freeze fully, it will be very firm straight out of the freezer. So, let it thaw briefly, for 10-15 minutes, before slicing.
Optionally, you can garnish the carrot cake with chopped walnuts or carrot ribbons before serving.
How to Store Raw Carrot Cake
- Refrigerating: transfer the carrot cake to an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to 1 week.
- Freezing: transfer the carrot cake to an airtight container and freeze it for up to 1 month.
If You Like This Raw Carrot Cake Recipe…
…you will probably enjoy other raw cake recipes as well. But before I share with you more recipes, I encourage you to first go over the basic principles of raw cake making. It will give you a solid foundation for creating and decorating the most beautiful, show-stopping raw cakes!
Read it? Great! Now, it’s time to explore more raw cake recipes.
- Cheesecakes: these cakes are some of the most popular in the raw dessert category. They are easier to make than layer cakes but no less delicious or impressive. Whether it’s a classic lime cheesecake, a strawberry cheesecake, or a chocolate cheesecake, they will be a hit with everyone you serve them to.
- Tiramisu: this cake is yet another favorite, and rightly so. It’s decadent, boldly flavored with espresso, and accentuated by a slight chocolate flavor. In this case, you will appreciate the “greater than its parts” quality.
- Brownies: of course, I can’t forget raw brownies, be it brownies with dates or brownies without dates. They are fudgy, chewy, and chocolaty. Honestly, I would take brownies over any other dessert at any time. Yes, raw brownies are that good!
If you try any of these recipes, please, leave a comment and rate the recipe below. It always means a lot when you do.
Raw Carrot Cake
Ingredients
Carrot Cake
- 2 cups walnuts
- 2 cups Medjool dates , pitted
- 1 cup unsweetened desiccated coconut *
- 1/2 lemon , juice and zest
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp. ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
- 2 cups carrots , finely grated**
Carrot Cake Frosting
- 2 cups cashews , soaked***
- 1/2 cup coconut cream ****
- 1/4 cup coconut oil , melted
- 1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp. maple syrup
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
Instructions
- Process the carrot cake ingredients. Add the walnuts to a food processor bowl fitted with an S blade and process until the nuts are finely ground but still have some texture. Add the dates, shredded coconut, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla extract, and spices to the food processor and process until all the ingredients begin to stick together. Lastly, using a spatula, fold in the coconut flour and carrots.
- Press the mixture into a springform pan. Divide the carrot cake mixture in half. Transfer the first half of the mixture to a lightly greased 6-inch/15-cm springform pan (if you're using anything other than a springform pan, line it with parchment paper for easier removal), and press it into an even layer. The top of the cake should be smooth and leveled. Transfer the cake to the freezer to firm up, for 10-15 minutes. Repeat with the other half of the cake mixture. Note: if you only have one 6-inch/15-cm springform pan, let the first layer of cake chill first. Then carefully remove the cake from the pan, transfer it to a round cake board, and place it back into the freezer. Clean the springform pan, grease it once again, and repeat the steps above with the other half of the carrot cake mixture.
- Blend the carrot cake frosting ingredients. Add the cashews, coconut milk, coconut oil, maple syrup, lemon juice, and vanilla extract to a high-speed blender, and blend on high until smooth and creamy.Β
- Assemble the cake. With the carrot cake layer still in the springform pan, pour the first half of the frosting onto the cake and tap out any air bubbles. Transfer the springform pan with the cake back to the freezer to let the frosting firm up slightly, for about 30 minutes. Then place the second carrot cake layer on top of the frosting and gently press it into the frosting to make sure it's really on there. Pour the second half of the frosting on top of the cake and tap out any air bubbles once again.
- Chill. Cover the springform pan with a piece of paper towel (to trap any condensation), and then double-wrap the entire springform pan with plastic wrap for the best chance of preserving theΒ cake's taste and texture. Transfer the wrapped cake to the freezer for at least 6 hours, ideally overnight. The more frozen the cake, the easier and cleaner the removal from the pan.
- Serve. Once set, remove the carrot cake from the springform pan. Serve the cake frozen or let it thaw at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before serving.
- Store. Leftover carrot cake keeps well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 1 month (ideal).
I really want to try this! But I only have virgin/unrefined coconut oil. Will the coconut flavour be too overpowering? If so, do you have a dessert recipe I can try with unrefined coconut oil? Thanks π
Oooooh, that’s a hard one. It depends on the type of virgin coconut oil you have. The flavor may vary from a strong coconut scent and sharp flavor, to a much more mild flavor. Since there is coconut in the carrot cake, I wouldn’t mind the coconut flavor of coconut oil. However, if you do, you could try these raw Bounty Bars instead π
I made the recipe – absolutely delicious!! Tasted exactly like normal carrot cake! The only problem I had was the cake portion was a bit too gummy/no texture. Do you think I over processed the walnuts or added too much dates? Thanks!
This is wonderful recipe.
Thank you so much Amena! I really appreciate your comment.
I changed up the ingredients a little but it still turned out delicious!
Thank you for sharing your feedback, Lilla! I really appreciate it. I am so glad the carrot cake turned out great π
Sorry, do you need a 6 inches spring form or a 9 one as listed in tools?
A great question – the recipe measurements are for a 6-inch spring form. I now updated the “tools section” with the spring-form pan I used in the video. Thank you for catching that!
Hi ive got all the ingredients except for the coconut flour, couldnt find in my area and i wonder if i can replace it with ragi flour which is millet flour actually?
Hi Jonathan. Coconut flour is very absorbent so you might need to use a little bit more of whatever you substitute it with. You could probably use millet flour although I have never tried it. I think desiccated coconut or even oat flour would work really well as a substitute (I often use more desiccated coconut when I run out of coconut flour). Let me know if you have any other questions π
All things are very beatiful , @ this website, recipes are also, but sometimes I couldnt change the measurements to gr or ml, because our country measurements are quite different, I wish you write ml/ gr ingredients. And a question, how can you do white roses toppings? Thats all, Thanx.
Thank you so much for the kind words! The fact that you find my website beautiful means a lot. The measurements conversion is on my to-do list, I promise. I apologize for the inconvenience. I know a lot of people use free online measurement converters, which are pretty accurate. However, if you ever have any problem finding the proper conversion, don’t hesitate to contact me. I am here to help. The white roses – I wish I could say I made them myself, lol. I bought them in a local raw food styling store.
I made the cake in 2 mini springforms as I didnβt have the right size they turned out very cute
Easy to store in the freezer too
Thank you for the feedback, Beatrice. I really appreciate it π Glad they turned out great!
Can I use coconut flakes or shredded coconuts instead of dessicated coconut? I really want to try this recipe! Thank you so much xoxo
Hi Fiona – you could use shredded coconut (I wouldn’t use flakes though). However, you’ll be able to detect the coconut in the recipe much more (because of the bigger size). If you have a food processor (which I supposed you do :), I would recommend pulsing the shredded coconut in the food processor first to get it to the size of desiccated coconut. Hope it helps π
Hi, I love this cake, it looks absolutely delicious and would like to make one, but I struggle with the American measurements (I’m French). Would you by any chance have the corresponding European measurements (with Grams instead of Cups) by any chance? That would help me a lot, thanks so much. Your videos are great btw!
Hi Irina – sure! Here is it π
BASE
1 cup walnuts = 125 g
1/2 cup desiccated coconut = 50 g
1/4 cup coconut flour = 30 g
1/4 cup coconut oil = 50 ml
half a lemon (juice + zest)
175 g Medjool dates
1 cup carrots (grated) = 125 g
spices
ICING
1 cup cashews = 125 g
1/4 cup coconut milk = 65 ml
1/4 cup coconut oil = 50 ml
3 Tbsp. maple syrup = 45 ml
juice from 1 lemon
vanilla and pinch of sea salt
Hope it helps π
Hello Petra, I am curious how do you keep the outside of your carrot cake and cashew icing so smooth looking? Additionally I have always had a problem removing the carrot cake from the base of the spring form pan. What is your secret. Thanks.
Kasi
BTW this carrot cake recipe is a HUGE HIT with my friends. π
That makes me so happy! Thank you so much for the feedback, Kasi!β€οΈ
Hi Kasi, I let the cake freeze (until it’s solid). Make sure the cake is completely chilled before you try to remove it. As you open the pan, the “icing” should easily pull away from the pan. Once you lift away the sides of the pan, you can take it off the base by using spatulas to gently pick it up. (I use two spatulas to lift up the entire cake). If you’re still having problems, you could line the base with a piece of parchment paper and grease the sides with coconut oil.
Luv this recipe
Will try it this wkend. Will let you km more the results. Cant wait
Thank you Nonamie!
I just tried this recipe and it was fabulous! My non-vegan husband loved it! I did change the coconut flour (since I didn’t have any) for almond flour though. Worked out great. Thanks a lot for the recipe.
Yay! I am so happy you and your husband liked the recipe! Thank you so much for your feedback, Silvana! I really appreciate it β€
Hello!
Love your receipes so much!
Just wondering, for the icing, could I swap the cashews for almonds?
Thank you!
hello petra, I also used Breville BFP800XL model like you when I made icing but I noticed that nuts right under the blade didn’t blended well. did it also happen to you too ? thank you xx
Hi Juh – yes, unfortunately that does happen. I just manually mix anything that’s still unblended (under the blade) into the rest of the icing and then let the food processor run once more to get completely smooth icing π It happens to me with other things (like hummus, dips, nut butters, etc) too – not just this recipe.
Hi, I don’t have a high speed blender. Any suggestions? Thank you, B
Hi Bea, do you have a standard blender? And what about a powerful food processor?
Hi I want raw pizza receipt please thank you Mrs shah I love your cake
Hi Kumud – thank you for your comment! Unfortunately, I don’t have any raw pizza crust on my website yet. I only have baked pizza crust out of red lentils: https://nutritionrefined.com/lentil-pizza-crust/ I am happy you enjoyed the carrot cake π
I used the topping as a filling for a baked carrot cake, because I didn’t want a dairy filling. One day I’ll try making the raw cake. If I do, I would put some topping halfway through the carrot part, chill then put the other half on top. Obviously for that I would need to use two tins. I made a chocolate topping of cocoa powder, coconut oil and maple syrup.
Great suggestions, Ahuva! Thank you for taking the time to comment β€ I have been thinking about making more than one layer carrot cake for a while but haven’t tried it yet.
Petra I love this recipe of your carrot cake and canβt wait to make it for thanksgiving but I need to make it in 8β form like you did on the video do I double the ingredients?
Thank you
Outstanding! Iβve shared with my carnivore and conventional diet friends and this cake has been a huge hit! I understand why this 6 inch cake can be shared amongst many. Incredibly flavorful, rich and satisfying. I will definitely prepare again.
So happy you enjoyed the cake, Ida! Thank you so much for the feedback β€
Wow, this carrot cake looks awesome!! I love how you edit your videos and explain the recipes.
Just a short question: Can I use shredded coconut instead of the desiccated one?
Thank you for such kind words – so happy you’re enjoying the videos π Yes, you can. You will be able to detect the coconut more, but it will work just fine.
As I do not have food processor, can I use Vitamix with dry container. I have stumbled upon your small videos in βYoutubeβ and instantly fell in love with them Thank you very much for making them.
HI Lada – so happy you stumbled upon my videos π Hmm, I have actually never tried making the carrot cake in a blender. I frequently grind grains, legumes, nuts, etc. in the dry container. However, I am not sure if the Vitamix would handle the carrot cake base. I think that it will get clogged because there aren’t just dry ingredients. I have a friend who tried a raw pie crust in the Vitamix (using a tamper) and the Vitamix stopped after a few minutes of her running it. She unplugged it for 30 minutes, and it then worked fine … just something to consider (you don’t want to burn the motor out).
Hello I am looking forward to making this cake however I did have a question regards the base side from the lemon juice you also add the 1/2 zest only? I did not see that part on the video?
Thanks
Hi Edith – I might have skipped the zest in the video. My apologies for the confusion. You can leave it out if you’d like though. It will just add a nice lemony flavor to the cake.
Dear Petra, I really love the baked version of carrot cake and one time I made it without sugar but it was dried you know…not fluffy and moist.
When I saw your recipe I desiced to try to make it raw. To be honest me and my husband were relally surprised about the wonderful texture and taste it had!!!
Your version of raw carrot cake is a very successful version in it is so delicious cake!!!
It’s a very good idea for healthy breakfast or dessert after some time after your lunch for instance π
Thank you very much for that recipe as well!
We loved this carrot cake and I’m going to make it again and again!
Thank you so much for such a lovely comment. I am so happy you and your husband are enjoying all the recipes, Evgenia!
Oops…. lol…. never mind. I wrote it wrong. It is your first ingredient. Raw walnuts. Excited to try this. Have to buy the spring pan but I think it’s going to be great.
No worries – hope you enjoy it, Diane π
hello all the way from Palestine.
an absolute gem.
tried it, and it was a big hit.
the cream was a bit thick, but that much more delicious. perhaps didnβt put enough coconut milk, but it all worked out well at the end.
thanks for sharing.
So happy you enjoyed the carrot cake! Thank you so much for the feedback, Fouad β€οΈ
Hi Petra, once again you nailed it! I have one question :what can I use to substitute the desiccated coconut/shredded coconut/coconut flakes? It’s hard for me to find any of those unsweetened, or at least healthy. What do you use the dessicated coconut for? Is it for consistency or to substitute a part of a flour? I want to know so that I can have an idea of substitutions. Thanks so much! We love your recipes a lot!!!!!
So happy you love the recipes! β€οΈ Yes, absolutely! You can substitute the desiccated coconut for any coarsely ground (or finely chopped) nuts. I used the coconut mainly for texture. Ground nuts are fairly similar to desiccated coconut not only in texture, but also the amount of natural oils they contain.
After making your fudge with the medjool dates tonight, I realized I am not a fan of dates. Might I be able to substitute pineapple for least half of the dates called for in this recipe or perhaps with the other spices is the date flavor toned way down? Getting ready to make this cake.
Hi Diane – are you thinking of using dried pineapple? I have never tried pineapple as a substitution for dates. The best date substitute for dates are dried figs or raisins. The date flavor in this carrot cake is definitely less pronounced than in the fudge recipe, but you might still be able to detect them (especially if you’re not a fan of dates).
Hi Petra,
Is it possible to mix the carrot with the base of your lime pie recipe? Although I like the taste of the carrot cake I do miss a crunch.
Hi Angelique – yes, you can do that π
Hello,
I LOVE your recipes!…and this carrot cake is AMAZINGLY delicious! I’m a foodie (food lover), and have a real sweet tooth. I would’ve never dreamed of substituting my sweets for anything but this cake is so worth it!
Yay! So happy you like the carrot cake so much, Debbie! Thank you so much for the feedback β€οΈ
What kind of coconut oil and desiccated coconut do you use?
Hi Jocelyn – it doesn’t really matter what brand you use. At the moment I am using Nutiva virgin coconut oil and Bob’s Red Mill unsweetened desiccated coconut.
Love your amazing carrot cake! Cook it all the time! Tank you for this wonderful recipe!
Thank you so much for your feedback, Ekaterina! So happy you enjoy it so much! β€οΈ
Outstanding recipe! I just made this. I didn’t have a lemon, but it was very good. I hand grated the carrots and squeezed out extra liquid. I also added a few chopped walnuts for texture.
I look forward to trying more of your recipes.
Thank you so much for taking the time to write the feedback, Mara! β€οΈ I really appreciate it. Hope you enjoy the other recipes just as much π
This carrot cake is delish! I was planning to freeze the leftover but my sister in law asked to have it so I made another one, I sliced the leftover into portion size, wrapped it and freeze, I don’t think it will last long in the freezer. For thawing I put a slice in the fridge before I go to work and it’s ready to be eaten when I get back in the evening.
Thank you for this wonderful recipe.
Thank you for sharing your experience with this recipe, Ecy! This is really helpful. I really appreciate all the feedback you’re leaving on my recipes! β€οΈ Thank you!!
Thank you so much! Your instructions are so clear to follow! However, I have 2 questions to this cake – (1) can I use seeds flour instead of walnuts and coconut as I have a family member who cannot take nuts. (2) as I live in warm country, will this recipe holds in room temperature?
Hi Kimmy – thank you for the kind words! Yes, you can substitute the walnuts for seeds (sunflower seeds would be the best is my guess) or tiger nuts (which are a root vegetable). I love tiger nut flour as a substitute for nut flours. Because the icing contains coconut oil, I wouldn’t leave the carrot cake out of the fridge for too long. If it’s warm where you live, the coconut oil will melt (and the icing won’t hold its shape well).
Hi, I canβt eat cashews, can I substitute this ingredient for something else for the icing?
Canβt wait to try it! Thank you for an amazing recipe.
Hi Marina – thank you so much!! Macadamia nuts are an excellent substitute for cashews. Are you ok with those?
Yes, I can have them.. Great! Thanks again for your support. Love to you and your beautiful website
Aw, thank you so much, Marina! β€οΈ
Hello Petra
Thank you for your YouTube video recipes and your Webpage content, you are amazing at what you do!
I’m new to making these wonderful recipes and am so excited to try this particular carrot cake. I do however have a few questions for you which are more technical in nature regarding vegan/vegetarian recipes. 1) Is there a purpose to adding lemon other than for the tangy taste i.e. thickening, preserving, etc.? 2) Is it possible to leave that ingredient out of the cake and/or the frosting in this and other recipes?
Thank you!
π
Hi Roland – thank you for the kind words! It means a lot. The lemon juice (and zest) are there to brighten up flavors. The carrot cake is quite heavy (because of all the nuts and coconut) and sweet, and the lemon juice balances it out. However, you can leave it out if you’d like. Let me know if you have any other questions π
Thank you so much Petra. I’m planning on making this cake for a special occasion that’s coming up shortly on Feb 14 π
Aw, that’s so sweet! Hope you enjoy the recipe, Roland π
Hi Petra,
I live in Bali and we are very fortunate to have so many wonderful cafes that turn out amazing vegan and raw dishes. So…spoiling myself with these flavors has usually come about with a quick trip to one of my favorite cafes. After seeing your website, I decided to try preparing dishes myself.
I was so excited to try the raw carrot cake that I attempted to follow your recipe without a food processor. Instead I mixed all of the ingredients using a nutri Bullet – carefully π I pulsed the base ingredients the entire time (minus the carrot & in batches) …and then tipped all into a big bowl to fold in the carrot. i didnβt have a fine carrot grater, so I grated as a normal βsalad sizeβ and then blitzed that in the nutribullet separately. Surprisingly it worked beautifully – like a desiccated coconut texture but with carrot.
Interestingly, I only required 1/2 of the amount of dates via this method. They were super sticky thoβ so perhaps that, and the moisture from the carrots helped.
So, for anyone shedding a silent tear that they cannot try this recipe because they donβt have a food processor, with determination and a little patience, I am happy to report that pulsing a nutri bullet works really well. So go for it. π
Thanks Petra. Amazing !
Hi Natalie – wow! You live in Bali! I would love to visit that place one day. Although I think I would drink way too much coconut water, lol. Thank you so much for the thorough feedback, Natalie. I am so happy the recipe worked for you even without the food processor. Your tips and directions are super helpful. So, thank you once again for taking the time to do that. β€οΈ
I made this raw carrot cake yesterday and kept it in the freezer overnight. I can’t believe how easy it was to make.
With this recipe I got two small cakes. I used two spring forms and one muffin tin. I didn’t have a perfect 6″ spring form. Mine is only 1 1/2″ deep. And I knew from Petra’s cake it was going to be too shallow so that’s why I used another spring form. I used a 5″ square spring form and it’s 3 1/2″ deep. And left over I used one muffin tin.
I left it on the counter to defrost this morning.(4hrs) I just had it for lunch and it was delicious! What I like most about carrot cake is the icing. I will double the amount of icing the next time I make this….which is next week because I plan to make one for my friends. Thanks for this recipe Petra.
This looks amazing! I canβt wait to try it. I canβt stomach cashews, though. Can I use macadamia nuts?
Yes! Enjoy the recipe π
Hello Petra
I will be making this for a wedding cake is there anyway I can thicken the icing, so that I can icing the whole cake.
Hi Deborah – yes, you can, but it’s tricky. You would essentially need to increase the amount of cashews and keep the amount of coconut milk to a minimum. The reason I’m saying it’s tricky is that the icing will be really difficult to blend (and get completely smooth). If you have a Vitamix blender with a tamper, it’s doable. Also, the icing thickens as it cools (because of the coconut oil), so if you wait a little, you might be able to ice the entire cake.
PetraοΌHello, this is the first time I leave message here, but I have been using your recipe 8 months ago , you are my favorite vegan blogger!
btw, you know what?I baked a bread 2days before, but it is very dry today, then I am thinking maybe I can try this recipe with my old bread, this is what I used:
Food processor:
* 130g dry bread
* 1 tbspΒ coconut oil, melted
* 1/2Β tsp.Β pure vanilla extract
* 1/4 tsp.Β ground cinnamon
* 1/8Β tsp.Β ground ginger
* 1/2Β cupsΒ Medjool dates, pitted
* 75Β carrots, finely grated*
* pinchΒ fine sea salt
Blender:
* 1/4Β cupΒ raw cashews, soaked**
* 2tbspΒ coconut milk
* 1tbspΒ coconut oil, melted
* 1/2Β Tbsp sweetener
* 1/2Β Tbsp.Β lemon juice
* 1/4Β tsp.Β pure vanilla extract
* pinchΒ fine sea salt
and it turns out to be perfect!Thank you so much!
That’s awesome! Thank you so much for sharing, Xiaofu!β€οΈ
Hi lovely recipe Debbie-Ann from Trinidad. Would almond flour work instead of the minced walnuts.
Hi Debbie-Ann – you can absolutely substitute the walnuts. It’s a pretty versatile recipe π
Dear Petra
I want to try this recipe but I have dime questions, is the carrot measurement before or after squeezing the liquid? When eating the cake can you feel the crunch of the carrots?
Thank you so much for your help!
Hi Alexandra – the measurement for the carrot is before squeezing the juice out. Hmm, I don’t think you can feel the crunch. The carrots need to be finely grated and by the time you squeeze the juice out and fold it in, it softens even more. You could always taste the mixture before pressing it into the pan, and if the texture of carrots is too prominent for you, just pulse the entire mixture a little more. Hope you enjoy the recipe π
Thank you so much Petra, I will try and let you know how it goes!
Thank you Alexandra. Please, do!
Hello! Your recipe looks really yummy and I want to give it a try! Do you think that if I don’t do the icing it will be ok? Or will there something be missing?
Thank you so much for this!
Hi Elena – you can certainly make the cake without the icing. I like the icing because it lightens the carrot cake and also adds a textural contrast.
This was my very first effort with raw vegan desserts and YUM!! I’m thrilled I found you! I already want to make this recipe again but bite sized to serve at a party. Can’t wait!
Thank you so much for the feedback, Cheri! So happy you enjoyed the recipe!β€οΈ
Amazing receipt, my father in law loved it. My husband loves it, I love it. On the next occasion I have put on the top of it vegan, homemade caramel
Yay! Thank you so much for letting me know, Monika!β€οΈ Comments like yours totally make my day.
Hi π
I donβt have 2 x 6β round cake tin. Can I make 3 x 4β cakes instead? X
Hi Michelle – the conversion is a little more complicated. You need to calculate the volume of your pans. My 6-inch springform pan is 3 inches tall, so the volume is ~ 84.78 cubic inches. For my 4 inch springform pan (that is 2 inches tall), the volume is only ~ 25.12 cubic inches. So, to convert a 6-inch cake to a 4-inch cake, you only need about one third of the ingredients the recipe calls for. So, for the entire recipe (made in one 6-inch springform pan), you would need three 4-inch pans. Please, note that even though the carrot cake consists of two 6-inch cake layers, it still fits into one 6-inch pan. In other words, instead of one 6-inch 2-layer carrot cake, you would end up with three 4-inch two-layer carrot cakes. Or you could use about one third of the ingredients the original recipe calls for and have one 4-inch 2-layer carrot cake. Hope it makes sense π
Exceptional Petra!
Your baking style really inspires me. Made this cake and offered it to my wife who is from Germany…she’s never had carrot cake. She said she really enjoyed the cake and could not imagine a cake with carrots could taste so delicious.
Funny thing…I have always like to bake.
I think I will reduce the dates and add raisins next time.
Thanks so Much!
I am so glad you and your wife are enjoying the recipes. Honestly, your comment just made my day. So thankful you are sharing your feedback.
Petra, this cake looks so delicious, however, I couldn’t find ingredients except for your description of each description.
Have I missed it somehow?
All the Best,
Grace
Hi Grace – that is so odd. All the ingredients are in the recipe box, at the bottom of the blog post (right before the comment section starts). If you still cant see it, please, let me know and I will email the recipe to you.
Question, the cashew, you use raw cashew right?
Hi Elisiane! Yes, I use raw cashews. You might not be able to find truly raw cashews in the store, but anything labeled raw (not roasted) will work.
We are new to the world of “raw deserts,” having found your YT videos while searching for “Keto” ideas. Made a 5-star-DELICIOUS “1/4-scale” version of this Carrot Cake for my birthday last week, after having made an equally-tiny quantity of your “Aquafaba Chocolate Mousse” for my hubby’s birthday a few days before making this gem.
Mine was a single-layer plus frosting and was formed in a (very low) 4.5″ springform pan…one from my set of four, which are intended, I guess, for creating a mini-cheesecake array. It was the perfect for the two of us, as we quickly found it impossible to eat even one-quarter of this small cake. So, so, rich!
(One thing I had to do differently was to “find” a substitute for your famous DATES. Since I have plenty of super-moist PRUNES in the pantry I simply snipped-up four with my kitchen shears and processed away. Seems to have worked perfectly, IMO.)
All the Best to you and yours!
p.s. In the freezer right now I have an “experiment” based on this cake’s frosting: I’ve made it dark chocolate with two kinds of unsweetened cocoa. It was delish straight out of the blender, so it can only get better when it “becomes” Ice Cream. π
That sounds amazing, Patrice! Thank you so much for the feedback and rating. So happy you are enjoying raw desserts π
Hey Petra!
First up just want to say keep up the amazing recipes, your channel is the best! I follow a low carb diet and wondered if I could replace the dates with a low carb liquid sweetener and maybe a bit of cashew butter (like the raw brownie recipe) if so, what would be some good measurements? Or do you have another suggestion? Thanks slot and love from New Zealand.
Angus
Aw, thank you Angus! There are definitely options to make the carrot cake date-free. I have never tried it though, so these are just suggestions and you’ll need to play around with it a bit.
1. I would blend the desiccated coconut with a liquid sweetener of your choice. I do not recommend any sweetener that is too concentrated and not sticky, e.g. stevia. Monk fruit syrup would work, for instance. The ideal ratio is 3 parts of coconut to 1 part of sweetener. I would use 1 1/2 cups of desiccated coconut and 1/2 cup monk fruit syrup and process it into a paste. Then add the vanilla extract. Since you’re processing the coconut into coconut butter, I imagine you won’t need the coconut oil.
2. Process the walnuts until finely ground. Then mix in the spices and grated carrots (before adding the sticky coconut mixture).
4. Combine the walnut mixture with the coconut mixture. The “cake” mixture should be thick and sticky. If it’s not thick enough, you can add some of the coconut flour.
Again, these are just suggestions. I have never actually tested it, but this is where I would start if I was developing a new recipe. Hope it helps π
Would cocoa powder make a textural difference if I add it to the cake?
Hi Anila – would you like to add the cocoa powder to the cake or the frosting?
Hi Petra,
I am keen to get this Raw Carrot cake out of my imagination and into my kitchen π
I have all ingredients except one – ready to go, and I wondered, have you used coconut cream instead of coconut milk in the recipe before, and were you as happy with the results? Would it be too thick, and too rich?
Also, if using 2 x 7 inch round springform pans (instead of 6 inch pans), would the recipe quantities above still deliver a nice quantity for the 4 layers, (my final desired result of being 2 layers carrot, and 2 layers frosting) or do you suggest upping the ingredients quantities?
If upping, what do you suggest the percentage increase be to suit the 7 inch pans π
Final question….. I love the carrot curled slice decoration on the top of your cake pic. Do you have instructions of making this gorgeous final addition
Thank you β₯
Hi Leanne:
1. You can use coconut cream instead of full-fat coconut milk, but the frosting will definitely be richer. You might also find that the frosting is not as easy to blend when you use coconut cream. You can always add 1 Tbsp. of water at a time to thin it out. FYI: 3 Tbsp. of coconut cream + 1 Tbsp. water makes 1/4 cup of full-fat coconut milk.
2. If you use a 7-inch springform pan, the cake will certainly be flatter. If you’d like to end up with the same look, the scale factor (= the number to multiply the ingredients with) is 1.36.
3. Finally, the carrot curls – using a vegetable peeler, cut thin, even strips that run the entire length of the carrot (the carrot should be at least 1″ wide at the top). Then roll each carrot strip, starting at the narrow end and rolling it towards the wider end. Secure each one with 1 or 2 vinyl paper clips. Place rolled carrots in a container that has a lid, and cover them with cold water. Add a few ice cubes to lower the water temperature, cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and as long as 2 days. Drain the water, remove the paper clips, and gently twist the 2 ends of the curls in opposite directions to give them a spiral appearance. They will remain permanently curled out of the water.
Let me know if you have any other questions π
Thank you so much for getting back to me so quick Petra xxx I will modify the recipe as suggested. I appreciate the substitute and conversion advice. I am also excited to try the carrot curls – it is great that they will remain permanently curled. π
Hello. Would I be able to use almond four instead of coconut flour?
Many thanks
PS – this is my favourite website ever
Aw, thank you. Nicola! So happy you like my blog π You could use almond flour as a substitute, but you will likely need to use more (as coconut flour is denser and more absorbent). You could also use more desiccated coconut.
Hi Petra. Thank you so much for replying. I love your blog. Iβm making the Alfredo tomorrow. I actually have coconut flour now, I bought some so I could stick to your recipe.
Awesome! Hope the carrot cake turned out great! π