Prepare the cashews for the frosting
Soak the raw cashews in water for 30 minutes and then drain well. While they are soaking, continue with the next step (preparing the cake).
For the cake
Juice the carrots. You will only use the carrot pulp for the cake, so you can drink the juice or save it for another use. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean pod and remove the pits from the dates.
The original recipe calls for 3 pounds of carrots and 1 pound of pitted Medjool dates for 8 servings. Depending on your juicer, a recipe for 10 servings yields about 850 mL
carrot juice and 650 g pulp.
You will find directions for scraping seeds from a vanilla bean pod in the cookbook and on the right of the screen under Tips.
Process all ingredients for the cake (carrot pulp, vanilla seeds, pitted dates, raisins, mulberries, ginger, and cinnamon) in the food processor until everything is very finely chopped and the mixture clings to itself in a ball.
You can use a heavy-duty immersion blender (at least 600 watts) to mix the cake batter and frosting.
Prepare thefrosting
Just as for the cake, scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and remove the pits from the dates.
Put all frosting ingredients (pitted dates, vanilla seeds, soaked cashews, coconut water, lemon juice, cinnamon, and rose water) in the blender and blend until smooth. Start your blender on the slowest speed and then gradually increase the speed. Blend on the highest speed until the mixture is uniformly smooth. Reduce the speed of the blender to the lowest setting before turning it off. The frosting should be thick, like whipped cream.
The mixture is uniformly smooth when the sound of the blender is steady. Use the tamper to help press the ingredients to the bottom of the blender and off the sides.
For the 875 ml coconut water, Kristina Carrillo-Bucaram recommends using 3–4 young coconuts or purchasing raw coconut water. When we made the cake, we only used about 300 mL coconut water as this was enough to give the frosting the consistency of whipped cream.
Begin assembling the cake
Cut a piece of parchment paper into a circle the same size as the springform pan (diameter: 23 cm) and use this to line the pan. Spread about one-half of the cake mixture in a layer in the bottom of the pan using a spatula (or a knife). Top with one-third of the frosting. Repeat with the remaining cake mixture and another one-third of the frosting.
After this step, you should still have one-third of the frosting left.
Optional: When we prepared this recipe, we noticed that the second layer of the cake mixture often sinks into the frosting and does not remain in an even layer. If you want the cake to be a little more stable when you assemble it, place the cake in the freezer for about 30 minutes after you prepare and frost the first layer. Remove from the freezer and then add the frosting for the second layer.
Put the cake, still in its pan, in the freezer for about 2 hours, until set.
Begin preparing the topping about 10 minutes before the 2 hours is up. This way it will be fresh when you add it to the cake.
For the pistachio, orange, and coconut topping
Coarsely chop the pistachios and zest the orange. You will use these ingredients along with the shredded coconut as a topping for the cake in the next step.
Finish assembling the cake
Remove the ring from the springform pan and transfer the chilled cake to a serving platter. You can use a pallet knife to lift the cake from the pan. Spread the remaining frosting on the side of the cake and then top with a sprinkling of the topping ingredients.
Serve and enjoy
Cut the Happy Birthday Carrot Cake in slices and serve.
Detailed Nutritional Information per Person for this Recipe
The majority of the nutritional information comes from the USDA (US Department of Agriculture). This means that the information for natural products is often incomplete or only given within broader categories, whereas in most cases products made from these have more complete information displayed.
If we take flaxseed, for example, the important essential amino acid ALA (omega-3) is only included in an overarching category whereas for flaxseed oil ALA is listed specifically. In time, we will be able to change this, but it will require a lot of work. An “i” appears behind ingredients that have been adjusted and an explanation appears when you hover over this symbol.
For Erb Muesli, the original calculations resulted in 48 % of the daily requirement of ALA — but with the correction, we see that the muesli actually covers >100 % of the necessary recommendation for the omega-3 fatty acid ALA. Our goal is to eventually be able to compare the nutritional value of our recipes with those that are used in conventional western lifestyles.
This carrot birthday cake with a pistachio, orange, and coconut topping is a delectable and creamy raw vegan treat.
Servings: The quantities listed are enough to make a 23 cm (9 inch) cake, or 10 servings. It can serve more, depending on the size of the servings and how hungry your guests are.
Coconut water: Coconut water, not to be confused with coconut milk, is the almost fat-free, clear liquid from young coconuts. As coconuts mature, the amount of coconut water in the fruit decreases. Coconut water contains the same ratio of minerals to liquid as human blood, and as a result it is an isotonic substance that is easily absorbed and processed by our bodies. This means that coconut water is a good source of liquids for hydration. Because it contains low amounts of glucose and sodium, it is not suitable for electrolyte replacement (such as that needed in cases of severe diarrhea).
Carrots and carotene: Carrots are a favorite low-calorie raw food that are known for their high levels of carotenoids. Carotenoids are fat-soluble phytonutrients, of which beta-carotene is probably the most famous. Beta-carotene is representative of the carotene group of nutrients and is a precursor of vitamin A. It is also referred to as pro-vitamin A.
In plants, carotenoids serve an important role in photosynthesis, provide protection from UV rays, and protect roots from infections.
hile there is still much debate about whether beta-carotene protects against cancer in humans, the protective action that it has upon cells as an antioxidant is proven. Synthetically manufactured beta-carotene is used in everyday foods such as food coloring (for example in margarine) and added to vitamins as a nutrient. When preparing carrots, it is good to add a little fat to the dish to better absorb the fat-soluble carotene.
The following ingredients are almost never considered raw:
- Cashews: Cashews are seldom truly raw because heat is usually used to remove the cardol they contain. When you see cashews marked “raw,” this almost always means that the cardol was removed in a steam, rather than a roasting, process. We can only be assured that an item is truly raw when the process is explained in detail and controlled.
- Vanilla bean pods: Vanilla bean pods, also called vanilla bean, are the fruit of orchids of the genus Vanilla, which grows as a vine. The types sold in stores include Bourbon vanilla, Mexican vanilla, and Tahitian vanilla. High-quality vanilla bean pods are dusted with fine white crystals and are soft and flexible. Since vanilla bean pods are blanched at a high temperature after harvest to stop the ripening process, commercially available pods are not raw.
Tips
Raw dried fruit: Fruit dried at low temperatures (42 °C or below) is considered raw and is labeled as such.
Springform pan size: You will get the best results by using a 23 cm (9 inch) springform pan.
To remove the seeds from the vanilla bean pod: Use a sharp knife to slice the vanilla bean pod open lengthwise. Use the dull edge of the blade to scrape the tiny seeds out of the pod.
Storing carrots: Carrots will keep longer if you take them out of the plastic packaging and remove the green tops before storing in the refrigerator.
Fresh mulberries: Mulberries resemble blackberries with their long and oval shape. They have a sweet flavor when fully ripe. While this recipe calls for carefully dried raw mulberries, it is worth the effort to keep a watch out for the fresh variety. Fresh mulberries are very delicate and juicy, so it is difficult to ship them over long distances. The ripe fruit of the most common mulberry cultivar is black, but red and white mulberries are also available. When they are dried carefully, mulberries are a raw food, but in the drying process they almost always lose quite a bit of their color. The color derives from anthocyanins, which are natural, water-soluble colors that are currently under research for their potential protective mechanisms against various diseases.
Adjusting the frosting: When we prepared this recipe, we noticed that the second layer of the cake mixture often sinks into the frosting and does not remain in an even layer. If you want the cake to be a little more stable when you assemble it, place in the freezer for about 30 minutes after you prepare and frost the first layer. Remove from the freezer and then add and frost the second layer.
