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Raw Heirloom Carrot and Date Cake with Walnuts, Shredded Coconut, pepitas & Raisins, topped with a Sunflower Seed Cream Cheese Frosting & a Pistachio Crumble
ADAPTOGENIC/GRAIN-FREE/PALEO/PLANT-BASED/SOY-FREE/VEGAN/VEGETARIAN
Total Time: 4 hours and 20 minutes+
Soaking Time: 2 hours or up to overnight
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Setting Time: 2 hours or up to overnight
Makes: 8 slices
Allergens: seeds, tree nuts
Skip the flour, butter, white sugar and eggs and go raw vegan with this grain-free carrot cake made with a variety of nuts and seeds that are sprouted to unlock their full potential!
Sprouting (or germinating) is used to improve the digestibility and nutritional value of seeds, grains, nuts or legumes. It involves soaking the food for up to 24 hours and then draining and rinsing repeatedly over several days. You can also buy some types of nuts, seeds, grains and legumes online or at specialty food stores in dry form instead of sprouting them yourself.
Dates, raisins and maple syrup replace processed white sugar that instead give this dessert a deep fruity sweetness. Spices like cinnamon, pumpkin spice and maca accentuate the different nuts and seeds, while adding a dose of antioxidants in every serving! Eating a variety of tree nuts and seeds are extremely healthy for you (especially when they’re sprouted!) because they are a great source of nutrients, are high in beneficial fiber, and are loaded with lots of plant-based protein.
Ingredients
CAKE
- 1 cup of sprouted walnuts, soaked for at least 2 hours then drained (optional)
- 1 cup of unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1 cup of medjool dates, pitted
- ¼ cup of sprouted pumpkin seeds, soaked for at least 2 hours then drained (optional)
- ¼ cup of hemp hearts
- 2 teaspoons of ground Ceylon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon of pumpkin spice
- 1 teaspoon of ground maca root
- ½ teaspoon of pink Himalayan salt
- 1 tablespoon of raw unrefined coconut oil
- 2 cups shredded heirloom carrots
- ½ cup of raisins
FROSTING
- 1 cup of sprouted sunflower seeds, soaked for at least 2 hours then drained (optional)
- ½ cup of vegan cream cheese (I used Kitehill)
- ⅓ cup of maple syrup
- ¼ cup of coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons of pea protein powder
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
- ⅛ teaspoon of pink Himalayan salt
CRUMBLE
- 2 tablespoons of sprouted pistachios, crushed
- 2 tablespoons of unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1 tablespoon of brown coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon of ground Ceylon cinnamon
Steps
- Cake: Gather all the ingredients for the bottom layer of your cake. In a food processor, combine the walnuts, hemp hearts, pumpkin seeds, dates, coconut, spices, salt and coconut oil. Pulse until the nuts are coarsely chopped then add the shredded carrots and raisins. Pulse a little bit at a time so that your carrots and raisins don’t get puréed. Line the bottom and perimeter of a 9-inch springform cake pan with parchment paper and spray with little oil. Press the mixture evenly in the bottom of the cake pan.
2.) Frosting: Gather all your frosting ingredients and place them in a food processor or high-powered blender. Purée everything together until a smooth consistency is reached, about 1 minute. Pour the frosting on top of the cake layer and spread evenly with a spatula.
3.) Crumble: Clean your food processor and place the pistachios, coconut, cinnamon and sugar in it. Pulse until the pistachios are coarsely chopped, leave a few bigger pieces if you like for texture. You can also place the pistachios in a freezer Ziploc bag and crush the nuts with a mallet then combine with the other ingredients in a bowl. Sprinkle the crumble on top of the frosting and press very lightly so that it adheres.
4.) Finish: Place the raw carrot cake in the freezer for 2 hours and then in the refrigerator to set. You can also make this ahead of time and let the cake set in the refrigerator overnight. Slice into 8 (or 16) cake slices, serve and enjoy!
Tips
- Storing and shelf life: store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to a month
- If it is difficult for you to find sprouted nuts and seeds, don’t worry about it and use the regular versions that are commonly sold in grocery stores everywhere.
- 1 to 1 substitutions: (note: flavor profile can drastically change depending on ingredient swaps. Don’t worry, they’ll still be awesome!)
- -palm oil for coconut oil
- -cranberries for raisins
- -deglet dates for medjool dates
- -pecans for walnuts
- -honey for maple syrup (for non-vegans)
- -macadamia nuts for pistachios
- -vegan Greek yogurt for vegan cream cheese
- -any unflavored vegan protein or hemp protein for pea protein
Q&A
- Where can I buy sprouted nuts and seeds? Buy these at whole food stores, specialty health stores or online. You can also soak and sprout them yourself. Look online for tips on how to.
- Do I have to soak the sprouted nuts and seeds since they are already sprouted? No, you do not. This step is completely optional to give you the best textures in your raw carrot cake. If you lack time or just simply like a coarser, nuttier feel to your cake, go ahead and skip this step.
