Raw Carrot Cake for the Easter Bunny

Posted by Hiba on Mar 29, 2015 in Recipes & Food

The Easter Bunny told me he was jealous. Jealous because at Christmas, children leave cookies out for Santa Claus when he brings presents. He also brings presents, or at least chocolate, he told me – but rarely finds anything waiting for him beyond the occasional carrot with a ribbon…

Would I make something special for him? Something with carrots (of course) and healthy enough so he wouldn’t end up looking like Santa Claus but still tasty enough to be more exciting than a carrot with a ribbon. And no chocolate. He was chocolated-out with all his deliveries which he admitted he might occasionally sample.

“A carrot cake?” I asked him. Raw, of course. And also free of gluten, dairy and refined sugar (because they have no room in a health-conscious rabbit’s diet).

“Yes!” He exclaimed. “With a creamy topping to compliment my beloved carrots,” he added.

So because the Easter Bunny asked, I was compelled to create this delicious, decadent-tasting cake that takes only minutes to make and contains wholesome Easter Bunny-approved ingredients.

The result? A double-layered cheesecake style cake with a layer of carrot deliciousness on the bottom and a lighter, cashew cream layer on top. This raw carrot cake is perfect to balance the chocolatey decadence of Easter or any other time of the year, really.

The spices used are ground cardamon and fresh ginger. Cardamon is botanically related to ginger and turmeric and I find the tastes are very complimentary. The lemon in the cashew cream brings a zest and lightness that compliments the earthy sweetness of the carrots and the magic of the spices.

Top your cake with with walnuts and dried flowers or whatever else inspires you (pumpkin seeds, roasted sesame seeds, chopped pistachios, cacoa nibs…)

…and don’t forget to leave a piece for the Easter Bunny!

Ingredients – Base

1.5 cups buckwheat, quinoa or oat flakes

1/2 cup shredded coconut

3 large carrots, peeled and cut into chunks

1/2 tsp cardamon

small knob of ginger (about the size of a thumbnail)

a dash of unrefined salt

1/2 cup dried figs 

1.5 cup Medjool dates, pitted

Method – Base

Use a food processor for this – you need the S-blade and wider bowl a blender doesn’t have.

Start by blending the flakes until they are powder-like. The add the rest of the ingredients except the dates and figs in a powerful food processor and blend until the mixture is smooth. Then add in the dates and figs one by one through the feeding tube while the food processor is still running. Keep scraping down the sides if needed.

Once everything is combining, the mixture will be very sticky. Scrape it out with a spatula and press it into a cake form, preferably a small springform pan. Place it in the freezer while you make the topping.

Ingredients – Topping

1.5 cups cashews, soaked for a few hours, then rinsed

Juice + zest of 1 organic lemon

2 tbsp melted coconut oil (that’s about 1 tbsp solid) – you can also use butter if you prefer

2-3 tbsp maple syrup 

A few tablespoons water

Method – Topping

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until the mixture is smooth. Add more water if needed to create a creamy texture. Add more maple syrup or lemon juice until you find the perfect taste for you.

Take your cake out of the freezer and top it with the cashew cream.

Return to the freezer to set for at about 3 hours. Take it out about 20 minutes before serving. You can then store it in the fridge for a softer consistency or a keep it in the freezer for a harder consistency.

Enjoy this Easter Bunny approved cake and have a wonderful Easter!

Recipe inspiration here.