This raw carrot cake was where my journey as a vegan retreat chef first started. It was all about the raw cake!

I invented it after having a vision of how the ingredients would dance together. Back in the day, I used to make it for international raw food speakers, keeping their seminar and retreat guests very well fed.

It’s completely no-bake, vegan and gluten-free, made with dates, walnuts, fresh carrots and warming spices, then finished with a simple creamy cashew frosting.

And it is still one of my favourite raw cakes ever.

The raw cake & pudding club was fun!

It seems like an eternity since I made my first raw carrot cake.

Almost 30 years ago, a small group of four of us formed the ‘Raw Pudding Club’. We’d gather before lunch, all bringing the most delicious raw vegan desserts, with an occasional salad on the side 😉.

We’d spend 12 hours straight, chatting, learning, laughing, crying and inspiring one another with everything from healthy raw vegan food and optimal health to bushcraft skills and even how to fix your car.

I have no idea where they all are now, but my Raw Pudding Club friends will always have a special place in my heart.

An easy raw carrot cake recipe that anyone can make

Raw carrot cake became my speciality in those early days. There was an intangible je ne sais quoi about it that people seemed to love.

I originally used rather fancy equipment to make it, but later reworked the recipe so that just about anyone could make it at home.

Despite looking rather special, there’s actually no baking involved and the method is very simple.

This carrot cake means a lot to me, and it’s an honour and joy to still be sharing it with you all these years later.

If you enjoy this kind of naturally sweet treat, you’ll find lots more in my raw vegan desserts and no-bake sweet treats collection.

What equipment do I need to make a raw carrot cake?

You don’t need an oven because this carrot cake is completely no-bake.

A food processor is the easiest way to get the right cake-like consistency, and an inexpensive one will do the job perfectly well.

If you don’t have a food processor, you can use a blender or even a hand blender. Just be careful not to over-blend it. You want some texture rather than turning everything into a purée.

What ingredients is raw carrot cake made from?

The main part of this cake is made with soaked dates, walnuts, fresh carrots and ground almonds.

Then come the warming flavours of freshly grated nutmeg, fresh ginger and cinnamon.

The dates provide all of the sweetness, so there is no refined sugar in the cake or frosting.

The creamy topping is made simply with soaked cashews, dates and vanilla, with a little desiccated coconut to finish.

You can find lots more naturally sweetened ideas in my refined sugar free vegan desserts collection.

What texture should raw carrot cake have?

Raw carrot cake is quite different from a traditional baked carrot cake.

It should be moist, rich and slightly dense, with a lovely rustic texture from the walnuts, carrots and dates. When you press the mixture together it should hold its shape, but you should still be able to see and feel some texture in it.

The important thing is not to over-process it.

My video further down the page is especially useful if you want to see exactly what the consistency should look like.

How long does raw cake keep for?

You can serve this cake straight away or keep it chilled in the fridge.

It keeps well for several days, and I actually love how the flavours continue to dance and entwine as it rests.

Because both the cake and the cashew frosting contain fresh ingredients, keep it refrigerated until you are ready to enjoy it.

You can also freeze it. Be sure to store in a sealed container. It will last for a couple of months, if you can resist that long haha.

Can I swap any of the ingredients?

This raw carrot cake is surprisingly forgiving.

For example, if you don’t have ground almonds you can leave them out and still make a lovely cake.

You can also adjust the ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg depending on how warmly spiced you like your carrot cake.

The most important thing is the final consistency. It needs to hold together when you press it, without being blended completely smooth.

My original raw carrot cake recipe video

I filmed the original video for this recipe back in 2014,  during my Glastonbury days, when I was still using my former name, Trinity.

It makes me smile to see it now, and I’ve deliberately kept it here. Apart from being a lovely little piece of my own history, it’s still really helpful for seeing the consistency of the cake mixture, how I mould the cake and how everything comes together.

So please enjoy this little journey back in time…

My cookbook Angelicious and other raw desserts

This Raw No-bake Carrot Cake recipe is from my book Angelicious. Click here to check it out.

Continue to Content

Raw Carrot Cake - Yes! (glutenfree, vegan with video)

Yield: 10 slices

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

An extremely delicious, decadent, healthy raw, no-bake carrot cake recipe. Totally plant-based and glutenfree, sweetened only with dates.

4.6 Stars (25 Reviews)

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Ingredients

Cake Ingredients

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• 200g (7 oz) dates (will need soaking)
• 200g (7 oz) walnuts
• 2 large carrots
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg (freshly ground)
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger (grated)
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 6 tablespoons ground almonds

Creamy frosting ingredients

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• Handful cashews (will need soaking)
• Handful dates (will need soaking)
• Dash of vanilla extract
• Dessicated coconut to dress

Instructions

Preparation ahead of time

1. Soak the following ingredients in pure water (to make them easy to blend later)...

• The 'dates' (for the cake) - for about 2 hours.
• The 'cashew & dates' (for the creamy frosting) for at least 2 hours (can leave the frosting ingredients soaking for a lot longer).

How to make the cake

1. After 2 hours, drain the dates for the cake. Add to the food processor with the walnuts and process for about 20 seconds, until you get a rustic chunkiness. It should not be a puree, although it should be able to easily stick together.
2. Grate carrot and add to food processor.
3. Grate nutmeg and ginger with a fine grater and add to the processor along with the ground cinnamon.
4. If your almonds are not pre-ground then grind them to a rough flour in a blender.
5. Combine all ingredients (except ground almonds) in a food processor, pulsing, taking off the lid and scraping down as required. It shouldn't take long to blend all ingredients together. A chunky rustic blend is required - where everything is chopped up small, but holding together when pressed.
6. Place mixture into a mixing bowl; add ground almond and mix everything together using a pressing motion with the back of a metal spoon.
7. Scrape ingredients onto a large plate and mould into a shape of choice (square, round, heart, star - whatever you like). Place in the fridge for as little or as long as you want to.

To make the creamy frosting

1. Soak the cashews and dates for at least 2 hours to make them soft enough to blend. This is a minimum soak time. You can leave them for a lot longer (even over night) if you prefer. Once soaked, drain thoroughly, add a dash of vanilla extract and blend until you achieve a thick cream.
2. Spread frosting evenly and thickly to coat the cake.
3. Serve as it is or sprinkle with dessicated coconut and garnish with walnuts or edible flowers etc.

Notes

I used two tablespoons of coconut oil in the original recipe. This is optional.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram

From my heart to yours
Anastasia x

This raw carrot cake features in my Raw Vegan Desserts Page.

Get the full collection of all my raw desserts and no bake treats here…

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