Listen up, friends. This story originally came to life on Blue Ribbon Hemp. If you're craving the original version, along with the recipe, click here.
Now, let’s dive into something truly special. Imagine this: a raw heirloom carrot cake that’s packed with dates, walnuts, shredded coconut, pepitas, raisins, and a sunflower seed cream cheese frosting, all topped off with a delicious pistachio crumble. Sounds amazing, right?
And guess what? This is a recipe that ticks all the boxes: adaptogenic, grain-free, paleo, plant-based, soy-free, vegan, and vegetarian-friendly. You’re welcome!
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Total Time: 4 hours and 20 minutes+
Soaking Time: 2 hours or up to overnight
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Setting Time: 2 hours or up to overnight
Makes: 8 slices
Allergens: seeds, tree nuts
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Here's the deal: we're skipping the usual suspects—flour, butter, white sugar, and eggs—and going full throttle into raw vegan territory. This grain-free carrot cake is made with a variety of nuts and seeds that are sprouted, unlocking their full potential and flavor. Trust me, your taste buds will thank you.
Sprouting, or germinating, is a game-changer when it comes to improving the digestibility and nutritional value of seeds, grains, nuts, or legumes. The process involves soaking the food for up to 24 hours and then draining and rinsing repeatedly over several days. If you don't have the time for all that, you can always buy some types of nuts, seeds, grains, and legumes online or at specialty food stores in dry form, ready to use.
Instead of processed white sugar, this dessert gets its sweetness from dates, raisins, and maple syrup, offering a deep, fruity flavor that's hard to resist. Spices like cinnamon, pumpkin spice, and maca add layers of complexity to the mix, not to mention a healthy dose of antioxidants in every bite. Eating a variety of tree nuts and seeds—especially when they're sprouted—is incredibly beneficial. They're packed with nutrients, high in fiber, and loaded with plant-based protein. Your body will love you for it.
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 cup of sprouted walnuts, soaked for at least 2 hours then drained (optional)
- 1 cup of unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1 cup of medjool dates, pitted
- ¼ cup of sprouted pumpkin seeds, soaked for at least 2 hours then drained (optional)
- ¼ cup of hemp hearts
- 2 teaspoons of ground Ceylon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon of pumpkin spice
- 1 teaspoon of ground maca root
- ½ teaspoon of pink Himalayan salt
- 1 tablespoon of raw unrefined coconut oil
- 2 cups shredded heirloom carrots
- ½ cup of raisins
Frosting
- 1 cup of sprouted sunflower seeds, soaked for at least 2 hours then drained (optional)
- ½ cup of vegan cream cheese (I used Kitehill)
- ⅓ cup of maple syrup
- ¼ cup of coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons of pea protein powder
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
- ⅛ teaspoon of pink Himalayan salt
Crumble
- 2 tablespoons of sprouted pistachios, crushed
- 2 tablespoons of unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1 tablespoon of brown coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon of ground Ceylon cinnamon
Steps
- Cake: Alright, let's get started. Gather all the ingredients for the bottom layer of your cake. In a food processor, combine the walnuts, hemp hearts, pumpkin seeds, dates, coconut, spices, salt, and coconut oil. Pulse until the nuts are coarsely chopped. Then, add the shredded carrots and raisins, pulsing a little bit at a time so that your carrots and raisins don’t get puréed. Line the bottom and perimeter of a 9-inch springform cake pan with parchment paper and give it a light spray of oil. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the cake pan. You're on your way!
Now, let's move on to the next step:
Frosting: Gather all your frosting ingredients and place them in a food processor or high-powered blender. Purée everything together until you reach a smooth consistency, which should take about a minute. Pour the frosting on top of the cake layer and spread it evenly with a spatula. Looking good, right?
Crumble: Clean your food processor and place the pistachios, coconut, cinnamon, and sugar in it. Pulse until the pistachios are coarsely chopped, leaving a few bigger pieces for texture if you like. Alternatively, you can place the pistachios in a freezer Ziploc bag and crush the nuts with a mallet, then combine with the other ingredients in a bowl. Sprinkle the crumble on top of the frosting and press very lightly so that it adheres. You're almost there!
Finish:
