Carrot Cake
This cake is lovely, it’s not too sweet and has an actual cakey texture. I adapted it from a recipe by Chad Sarno. It is very versatile – you can add whatever you have on hand – ie. substitute mesquite flour for the carob, use all apple if you don’t have pineapple, play with the spices, etc. You can also dehydrate it longer if you would like a chewier bar, or make it into cookie shapes, if you prefer.
Please note: My kids love this cake, and I have listed it in the Kids category, but babies and some young toddlers (such as those with a family history of nut allergies) should not eat any nut products. Please consult your pediatrician before serving nuts to your child.
Ingredients
- DEHYDRATE THESE INGREDIENTS FIRST:
- 1 cup pineapple, finely chopped
- ½ cup apple, finely chopped
- THEN MIX WITH THESE INGREDIENTS:
- 2 cups fresh carrots, peeled and grated
- 1 cup dates (or raisins), soaked and minced
- 1½ cups almonds, ground
- ½ cup apple, peeled and grated
- 2 tablespoons orange or grapefruit juice
- 2 tablespoons carob
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon cardamon
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Preparation
Dehydrate pineapple and choppped apple (not grated) for 8-10 hours or until no longer wet to the touch.
Place all ingredients into a mixing bowl, and mix thoroughly.
Either form into bars or spread mixture out on a Teflex sheet and score with a spatula. Dehydrate for 10-12 hours at 105 degrees, or until soft and cake-like.
Frost with Creamy Cashew Icing, if desired. You can even make several cake layers, and frost between and on top, for a fancier cake.
Comments
Pam writes: (March 06, 2007)
I like the sounds of this recipe because it has at least half the calories of other carrot cake recipes I’ve seen. How big is the finished product? I don’t want to spread it too thick or thin. Thanks!
Crisyn writes: (March 07, 2007)
It depends on the texture you would like for the finished cake. I usually spread it out onto one Teflex sheet, and then score and shape it into bars about 3/4” thick.
lauraj writes: (June 16, 2007)
To soak or not to soak almonds/
Crisyn writes: (July 25, 2007)
I use the pulp left over from making almond milk. If you are grinding up your almonds specifically for this recipe, you may want to use dry nuts – I find they grind easier for me.
Crisyn writes: (July 25, 2007)
I should add that I made these a few weeks ago, and accidentally left them in the dehydrator for almost 2 days. They were no longer soft or cakey, and were almost as chewy as fruit leathers. My kids (almost 2) LOVED the new texture.
Luna blu writes: (April 01, 2008)
I just put this into the dehydrator, oooooh i can’t wait untill tomorrow! The trouble with raw is it is really hard not to eat all the batter, as it isn’t bad for you if you do!!
rachel_akiko writes: (April 12, 2008)
YES!!! A raw carrot cake recipe! This is awesome. Now all I need to do is get a dehydrator, lol
LibbyB writes: (May 17, 2008)
This is a very good cake. However, it is pretty dense and needs a pretty light frosting, or even none at all! Thanks for the recipe!!
feebee45 writes: (June 12, 2008)
I tried this – exactly as recipe stated – and it did NOT work out. It got really dry in the dehydrator for 10 hours at 105. Also think it maybe could have used some sweetner like agave – b/c the spices were pretty overpowering.
feebee45 writes: (June 12, 2008)
I tried this – exactly as recipe stated – and it did NOT work out. It got really dry in the dehydrator for 10 hours at 105. Also think it maybe could have used some sweetner like agave – b/c the spices were pretty overpowering.
priscasee writes: (June 26, 2008)
I made some but I ran out of oranges so I substituted with lemon juice, way too sour! Otherwise I believe this would taste very similar to a lovely wedding fruit cake. Thank you.
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