My love for Sweet Laurel recipes is no secret, and this one is no exception. The recipe was featured here on the Today Show website! As I mentioned before, it is just so light and delicate and falls apart in your mouth. I love the nutritional density of every ingredient and simplicity of ingredients and method.
Notes:
- I used flax eggs instead of her suggested flax chia sub. If you sub flax eggs for normal, bake abt 10 min. longer as she recommends.
- I also subbed avocado oil for coconut due to coconut sensitivity
- I used almond milk instead of coconut milk due to coconut sensitivity
- In the frosting recipe, she says 1 probiotic capsule or lemon juice. I used a probiotic capsule and loved the taste.
Fun decorating idea: you could make it in muffin tins for personalized little cakes (just be sure to grease well and adjust the baking time) , cut each mini cake in half horizontally and put frosting in the middle and on top and top with flowers. Here is a guide to decorating with flowers. Make sure to use safe ones! I didn’t have a muffin pan handy, so I made it in an 8 “ casserole dish and cut two small squares and put them on top of each other for the same effect.
Her recipe is below with my adjustments:
Technique tip: For the best appearance and texture, wait to make the frosting until a few hours before serving and frost the cake no more than an hour before serving.
Ingredients
- CAKE
- 3½ cups almond flour
- 1½ teaspoons Himalayan pink salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1/4 cup avocado oil
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 5 eggs, room temperature (or vegan substitute)
- 2 cups (100 grams) grated carrots
- 1 cup (150 grams) raisins
- 1 cup (125 grams) chopped walnuts
- FROSTING
- 2 cups (285 grams) raw cashews (soaked about 1 + hour, drained and rinsed)
- 1/2 cup coconut or almond milk
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 capsule powdered probiotic or 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- OPTIONAL DECORATIONS
- Organic flowers and/or fresh herbs
Preparation
Make the cake:
Preheat the oven 350°F. Grease three six-inch cake pans generously with coconut oil. (This cake can also be made with two 8-inch cake pans instead of three 6-inch cake pans.) Mix almond flour, pink salt, baking soda and cinnamon in a bowl. Whisk together coconut oil, maple syrup and eggs in a stand mixer or whisk wet ingredients together in another bowl. Pour the dry ingredients into wet ingredients along with carrots, raisins and walnuts. Mix well. Divide batter into pans, place pans on large baking sheet and bake about 20 to 25 minutes. Allow to cool completely.
Prepare the frosting:
Place all frosting ingredients in a high-speed blender. Blend until creamy, frosting like texture is reached. Store frosting in air tight container in refrigerator until use.
Finish the cake:
An hour before serving time, spread frosting on each cake layer, stacking the layers as you go. Place cake in the refrigerator until serving. Decorate cake with organic flowers and herbs.
Minimalist Baker Carrot Cake