Raw Carrot-Orange-Lemon Cake

These mini raw carrot cakes are flavored with hints of lemon, orange and cinnamon, and each topped off with a dollop of creamy cashew frosting.

Even though I don't eat raw on a regular basis, I have to admit that I really do feel good after a raw meal. You might get a different picture from reading this blog — I'm more inclined to share vegan comfort food recipes of the heavily cooked variety, but I actually make a point of incorporating deal of raw nuts, fruits and veggies into my diet on a daily basis, and I'm lucky enough to live in an area where there are a number of raw food dining establishments within driving distance.

So based on that information, let me tell you this: raw desserts are awesome. There are plenty of raw sweets that anyone, raw, vegan, vegetarian, or omnivore would love. I know this — I've fed plenty of raw desserts to unsuspecting  family members who loved them!

Raw carrot cake is a new one for me. I got a hold of a copy of Raw-Vitalize by Mimi Kirk and Mia Kirk White, and the carrot-orange-lemon cake instantly caught my attention. A sweet treat made from not just raw fruits and nuts, but veggies too? And one that's loaded with bright citrus flavors which I totally crave in these late winter months? I'm in!

These cakes were delicious. The flavor is a lot like that of carrot cake you've probably had before, but since it's raw, the cake is much moister and loaded with texture. If you've ever had carrot halwa before, this will probably be reminiscent of that.

The book is laid out as a 21 day raw meal plan, with recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert. I'm not in a position to go on the plan at this point, because that would slow down my recipe creation efforts for this site big time, but I'm thinking about working ahead so I can give it a go in the summer, when I'll (hopefully) have a garden giving me a bunch of fresh produce. For now, I'm planning on trying out some of my favorite recipes one at a time. Next up on my list are the chopped Thai salad, street tacos, zucchini ravioli with sundried tomato pesto, and cheesy noodles.

5 from 1 vote

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Raw Carrot-Orange-Lemon Cake

These mini raw carrot cakes are flavored with hints of lemon, orange and cinnamon, and each topped off with a dollop of creamy cashew frosting.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Servings 4

Calories 469 kcal

Author Alissa Saenz

Ingredients

For the Muffin Base

• 1 ½ cups roughly shredded carrot
• Zest and juice of 1 lemon
• Zest and juice of 1 orange
• ½ cup walnuts
• ½ cup Medjool dates, soaked for 15-20 minutes
• ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon or pumpkin spice
• 1 pinch sea salt

For the Frosting

• 1 cup cashews, soaked 2-4 hours
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 ½ tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Filtered water as needed
• Cinnamon for sprinkling

Instructions

For the Muffin Base

1. Shred carrots with attachment of a food processor or box grater. Zest lemon and orange and squeeze juice from half of each. Place carrots, lemon, orange, and remaining ingredients in a food processor and pulse until combined. Divide into 4 small ramekins using 4 tablespoons each.

For the Frosting

1. Place frosting ingredients into a blender. Add 2 tablespoons water and blend. Scrape down sides and add more water to make a very thick, smooth texture.

Assemble

1. Frost cakes and sprinkle with cinnamon. Store covered in refrigerator.

Recipe Notes

Alissa's note: I didn't have any small ramekins on hand, so I pressed the mixture into 4 lightly oiled muffin tins, then froze them for 30 minutes, and very carefully popped the cakes out with a knife.

Nutrition Facts

Raw Carrot-Orange-Lemon Cake

Amount Per Serving

Calories 469 Calories from Fat 275

% Daily Value*

Fat 30.6g47%

Saturated Fat 8.2g41%

Sodium 97mg4%

Potassium 705mg20%

Carbohydrates 45.2g15%

Fiber 5.3g21%

Sugar 30.5g34%

Protein 10.4g21%

Calcium 50mg5%

Iron 3.2mg18%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.