Do you love Autumn ? It’s my favourite season. The smells, the cool days with blue skies and sunshine peaking through the clouds… it reminds me of being a kid, raking big piles of leaves and jumping into them.
Carrot cake is one of those iconic desserts that everyone grew up eating or, at least, seeing in a bakery with the piped carrots on top and green leaves. Instead of getting super nutso and replicating that 100%, I decided to make it simpler and turn them into bars.
Notes
- You can omit the fermented cheesecake icing and use a faster method – the cheesecake filling from my Cheesecake Bomb post.
- This recipe can be made into a layer cake, if you have the time and want to do so.
Fermented Cashew Cheese
125g ( ¾ cups ) cashews, soaked 1 hour, strained and rinsed
1 tsp probiotic powder – I use these
50g ( ¼ cup ) water, or just enough to blend
Method
- Blend the cashews with the probiotic powder and just enough water to create a thick mixture – you may not use the whole 100g ( 1/2 cup ), start with less and see if you need it all.
- Use the tamper stick or remove the lid to the blender every so often to keep things moving.
- Transfer to a mixing bowl, press cling film or greaseproof paper right down on top of the mixture so as to not form a crust on top and pop in a warm space for 12 – 24 hours.
- The mixture should be aerated and slightly sour smelling when you check on it.
Cheesecake Icing
1 recipe cashew cheese ( above )
50g ( ¼ cup ) xylitol or coconut sugar ( coconut sugar will make it an off white colour )
20g ( 1 ½ tbsp ) lemon juice
50g ( ¼ cup ) coconut oil, melted
½ tsp vanilla powder
1 tsp turmeric powder ( or as needed )
Method
- Combine all ingredients except the turmeric in a food processor and blix. It’s best that the cashew cheese is at room temperature before doing this, otherwise the oil will seize when you add it to the cold cheese.
- Transfer ½ the mix to a bowl and add the turmeric powder to the food processor .
- Blend to combine.
- Place to one side while you prepare the carrot cake layer.
Carrot Cake
Dry
150g ( 1 ½ cups ) oat flour or nut flour ( almond, brazil, tiger nut, etc.. )
50g ( ¼ cup ) lucuma
30g ( 2 tbsp ) coconut flour
75g ( ¾ cup ) coconut sugar, powdered
50g ( ¼ cup ) xylitol, powdered
½ tbsp Cinnamon
⅛ tsp Nutmeg
⅛ tsp Allspice
1 tsp Ginger Powder
⅛ tsp Clove Powder
Wet
200g ( 7 oz / 1 /2 cups ) carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
50g ( ¼ cup ) coconut butter, soft or melted
50g ( ¼ cup ) coconut oil, soft or melted
Texture
30g ( ¼ cup ) raisins
30g ( ¼ cup ) activated walnuts, chopped – add link here to activate nuts
Method
- In food processor pulse the dry ingredients, including the spices.
- In vita mix blend carrots into a smooth pulp.
- Add the carrot pulp and remaining wet ingredients to the food processor and pulse to combine. The mix will form a ball.
- Transfer to a bowl and mix through the raisins and walnuts by hand.
- Line a square baking tin with cling film and press the mix into the tin.
- Use the back of a teaspoon or an offset spatula to make the surface even.
- Pour some of the white icing randomly over the surface of the carrot cake, leaving lots of open space for the next layer.
- Add the orange / yellow icing to the places where the white has not touched and over some of the white icing.
- Continue like that till all icing is used.
- Swirl the tin around to evenly coat the top with icing. Doing this may also give you the swirl pattern you desire. If not, use a toothpick or the tip of a knife to draw some more swirls in the top.
- Freeze till firm – about 30 mins.
- Remove from the freezer and cut into your desired shapes and sizes. The pan I used was 7x7x1.5 inches.
