People often ask me if raw food is all about crunching carrot sticks. I can’t help myself but giggle and reply with a “nope, it’s also about drinking carrot juice, blending carrots into soup, applying grated carrot as face masks and chewing carrot cake”. I do love my giant orange Vitamin A pills! I also really love this carrot cake and think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how similar it tastes to the baked favourite.

The recipe is from my book, The Uncook Book (which is now also available in Polish!)

For the cake

150g pitted dates, soaked

70g dried pineapple, chopped

750g carrots, grated and squeezed to remove excess liquid

50g ground flaxseeds

60g ground gluten-free oats

70g coconut oil

75g maple syrup

2 tsp mixed spice

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp Himalayan salt

For the frosting

1 C soaked Cashews

3 TBSP coconut oil

3 TBSP agave

juice of 1 Lemon

1 tbsp vanilla extract

-Prepare the cake layer first by processing dates and pineapple in a food processor, till they become chutney-like.

-Add remaining ingredients and process again till well combined. Transfer the cake mix into a 9 inch spring-form tin, press firmly.

-To prepare the frosting, firstly scrape out the seeds from a whole vanilla pod. To do so, slice the pod in half lengthwise, then use a teaspoon to literally scrape all the seeds out until the inside of the pod is dry.

-Transfer all the frosting ingredients to a high speed blender and blend on ‘high’. Pour it over the cake and transfer to the fridge to set. Alternatively, if you prefer a runnier frosting, remove the cake from the tin and pour icing over it when serving.

Tanya’s Top Tip:

The base of the cake tin is not completely flat, as it has raised edges. To remove the cake easily without losing any of it that may catch on this ridge, insert the base into the adjustable tin ring so that the ridge faces downwards.

Click on the video above to watch on YouTube or go straight there: https://youtu.be/zV2uqCJiYGA