Paleo Carrot Cake
Accidental holistic cook and film-maker Shaana Levy Bahl shares a paleo recipe for a healthy gluten-free and refined sugar-free carrot cake layered with a cashew cream cheese frosting!
Ingredients
- 3 cups blanched almond flour
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1½ tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp ginger powder (optional)
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 5 large eggs
- ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup coconut oil (if not dairy free, you can use liquid butter)
- 3 cups carrots, grated
- 1 cup raisins or chopped dates
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 2 tbsp desiccated coconut or freshly grated coconut (optional)
For Vegan Cashew Frosting
- 1½ cups raw cashews soaked in filtered water for 4-6hrs (drained, rinsed and dried)
- ⅔ cup coconut cream, chilled
- 2½ tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp coconut oil, cold and solid
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 4-5 tbsp raw honey (or pure maple syrup) (adjust sweetness as per taste)
- large pinch of fine sea salt
Instructions
- To make this paleo carrot cake recipe, start by combining dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl: almond flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.
- In a separate bowl, mix together eggs, maple, vanilla and oil until frothy.
- Stir carrots and dried fruit into wet ingredients.
- Stir wet ingredients into dry.
- Transfer batter into 2 well greased 9 inch cake pans.
- Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180°C for 35 - 40 minutes. Cool cakes properly before removing from pan and assembling and icing.
To make the cashew cream cheese frosting
- In a blender, mix the cashews on high speed until a paste forms; then scrape the sides and continue mixing until it becomes like a nut butter. This may take time.
- Add remaining ingredients and continue to blend or process on high for 3-5 minutes until the mixture is creamy. It will thicken when chilled but won’t completely harden.
- Spread evenly on the cooled carrot cake! Decorate with carrot ribbons, shredded coconut, blueberries, walnuts or leave plain.
