31 May 2023

Carrot Cake

RECIPE: MARGO & ROSA FLANAGAN - TWO RAW SISTERS

PHOTOGRAPHER: MARGO FLANAGAN

Kāuta Taiwhenua. Provincial Kitchen.

Our grandad loved carrot cake and it would always be the cake we’d bake for his birthday. It’s spiced with cinnamon and ginger, laden with carrot, walnuts and dried fruit then lathered with cream cheese icing. This recipe is for you, Grandad – we love and miss you so much.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 40-50 minutes

Set Time: 1 hour

Fridge Life: 5 days

INGREDIENTS

Serves 8

Carrot Cake
Dry Ingredients:

2 1⁄4 cups wholemeal spelt flour

1⁄2 cup coconut sugar

3⁄4 cup walnuts, roughly chopped

1⁄2 cup raisins

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon mixed spice

pinch of sea salt

Wet Ingredients:

2 carrots, grated

3⁄4 cup light-flavoured oil

2 bananas, mashed

1⁄4 cup plant-based or dairy milk

juice of 1⁄2 orange

Cream Cheese Icing:

1 cup cashews, softened in boiling water for ~5 minutes + drained

2⁄3 cup plant-based or dairy milk

5 tablespoons pure maple syrup

1⁄4 cup coconut oil, melted

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

zest of 1⁄2 lemon

2 teaspoons pure vanilla bean paste or extract

pinch of sea salt

To Serve:

toasted coconut flakes

pumpkin seeds

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a 20-centimetre cake tin.

Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl and the wet ingredients in another bowl.

Mix the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir to combine. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin and bake for 40–50 minutes. Once cooked, remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.

For the cream cheese icing, place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until super creamy and smooth. Place the icing in a bowl and put in the freezer to chill and firm up for about an hour.

When the cake has cooled completely and the icing has firmed up, whisk the icing, then spread evenly over the cake. Sprinkle over some toasted coconut flakes and pumpkin seeds before serving.

Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.