Carrot Zucchini Raw Vegan Cake
I have been wanting to post a raw carrot cake recipe for years. Seriously, years. For some reason, I never got around to it until today. Of course, it couldn’t be a straight up carrot cake, I had to mess with it. Zucchini is available in abundance right now so I decided to throw that in the mix. The addition of diced pineapple adds a wonderful sweetness and a pop of flavor. I have even included baking instructions for those who do not have dehydrators but do not care if it is raw and having a vegan cake is enough. It is a new world around Rawmazing!
I have been wanting to post a raw carrot cake recipe for years. Seriously, years. For some reason, I never got around to it until today. Of course, it couldn’t be a straight up carrot cake, I had to mess with it. Zucchini is available in abundance right now so I decided to throw that in the mix. The addition of diced pineapple adds a wonderful sweetness and a pop of flavor. I have even included baking instructions for those who do not have dehydrators but do not care if it is raw and having a vegan cake is enough. It is a new world around Rawmazing!
My favorite part of this recipe is the frosting! You can throw just about anything that compliments the cake into it. I used walnuts, dried cranberries, and coconut. You could easily substitute with pecans, raisins, just about any dried fruit or nuts that go with carrots. I choose to sweeten mine with orange and maple but you could go the route of cinnamon if you wish.
Shaping the cake layer in the ring.
Ready for dehydration
You can make 2, 4 1/2 – inch cakes or 1, 8 – inch cake. You can also shape individual bars if you wish and frost them. Have fun with this recipe…it is very adaptable.
Note: If you do not have a dehydrator and wish to make these in the oven, you can bake at 200 degrees for 25 minutes, turning over once during baking. They will not be raw.
Raw Carrot Zucchini Cake
Makes 2, 4 1/2 inch cakes or 1, 8 – inch cake
- 2 cups oat flour
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1/2 cup chia seeds
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup water
- 1 cup diced pineapple
- 1 1/2 cups shredded carrots (grated)
- 1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini (grated)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- Zest from one orange
- In large bowl, whisk together the oat flour, almond flour and chia seeds.
- In small bowl, whisk together the maple syrup and orange juice.
- Stir wet ingredients into dry. Add water by tablespoon if batter is too dry.
- Stir in pineapple, carrots, zucchini, vanilla, cinnamon and orange zest.
- Place heaping 1/2 cup into a 4 1/ 2 – inch bakers round placed on non-stick dehydrator sheet. Pat into place. I use these: 4.5-Inch Round Stainless Steel Cutter
- Remove the metal round and make 5 more rounds (a total of 6). Alternatively you can make 3, 8 – inch rounds.
- Dehydrate at 145 for 45 minutes. Reduce heat to 115 and dehydrate 2 to 4 more hours, flipping onto screens half way through dehydration. Let cool.
Frosting
- 2 cups cashews, soaked in water for at least 6 hours, drained and rinsed.
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 1 cup dried (unsweetened) coconut
- In a high-speed blender, blend cashews, orange juice, maple syrup, coconut oil and vanilla until smooth.
- Stir in by hand the cranberries, walnuts and coconut.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to set.
- Spread between cake layers.
MdJah wrote on September 10, 2014
What a fab site!
Sheena Shah wrote on September 8, 2014
Hi there,
thanks for the recipe! I have been looking for vanilla powder but haven’t found anywhere that have this in the uk
. I would really appreciate it if any one knew where I could get any… (or I’ll have to steal it from starbucks!!!!!)
Thanks again for another great recipe.
Xx
Laura Black wrote on September 7, 2014
This looks fantastic!!! I love making raw desserts, but the recipes are usually so large that with just me and my husband, we end up wasting some. I don’t like that. Your recipe looks like the perfect amount. I’m so excited to try it! Thanks for the inspiration! 🙂
Sue wrote on September 7, 2014
This sounds like just the sort of thing I have been waiting for BUT I cannot eat oats and find that coconut oil has a flavour which, for me, drowns everything else.
Would it be possible to substitute for the oat flour and coconut oil please? I really would like to taste this!
catherine wrote on September 21, 2014
instead of oats, I suggest Buckwheat!
Cindy Schwartz wrote on September 7, 2014
Thanks for the recipe, I was wondering in many of the recipe’s you post have coconut oil in them is there a substitute?
Susan wrote on September 7, 2014
Hi, Cindy, What type of substitute are you looking for and so I can help better, why do you not want to use coconut oil? Cheers!
Glenda wrote on September 6, 2014
I love the sound of this recipe but……….could I substitute oat flour for coconut flour?
Susan wrote on September 6, 2014
Hi, Glenda! You can try but you will have to watch your liquids. I haven’t tried it with coconut flour so I can’t tell you how it will come out. Just know that coconut flour will suck up a lot more moisture than oat flour. Cheers!
Rita Hale wrote on September 6, 2014
Susan,
This is so good to have you back with clever ideas so I can prepare them for friends. Please know that they are all being appreciated.
Wish I was closer to help you with the finishing of the house. It all sounds so exciting.
Be well and enjoy the weekend…
Susan wrote on September 6, 2014
Thank you, Rita! I am really having fun seeing some things come together. Cheers!
Maria G. wrote on September 6, 2014
I was thinking the flavors and textures would mingle better if you used grated carrots and zuchinni. The texture looks a bit ‘coarse’, but I don’t know how it is in reality?
Susan wrote on September 6, 2014
Hi, Maria, The carrots are grated. I used the word shredded. It was the texture that I was looking for as I like it that way. If you want a smoother texture, you can always use the food processor or do a finer grate. The cake pictured in the process shot is only 4 1/2 inches. Cheers!
Thalia @ butter and brioche wrote on September 6, 2014
This is a seriously amazing raw cake. I have never made a raw cake before, but this recipe I have to try. It looks and sounds seriously delicious!