My recipe for Raw Carrot Cake

I was ploughing through online recipes for raw carrot cake, and couldn't find anything that sounded easy, tasty, or "right", so I thought I'd just get on and do it!! After all, the beauty of raw food is you can taste it as you go, without the "cooking" process altering the flavour.

For the base...

1kg carrots, juiced. Use the pulp.

150g walnuts

100g sultanas

100g dates

3 Tbsp dessicated coconut

1 Tbsp melted coconut oil

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp all spice
1 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp cinnamon
1...In separate bowls, soak the walnuts, sultanas, and dates in clean water for an hour. Drain and rinse.
2...Put the carrot pulp into a large bowl. Using a mini chopper or a blender, pulse the walnuts until ground. Add to carrots
3...Blend the dates and sultanas, with the coconut oil, to a paste. Add to the carrots and walnuts.
4...Add the coconut and spices and mix well. Use your hands to get it really well mixed.
5...Spread the mixture out in a dish measuring approx 20cm x 20cm x 7cm, pressing down well to compact the base in, levelling as you go.

For the topping

300g raw cashews

2 tsp vanilla extract

juice of 1 lemon

3 Tbsp agave nectar

1 Tbsp melted coconut oil

little water

1...Soak the cashews in clean cold water for 1 hour, drain and rinse.
2...Put all ingredients in a blender and pulse to a "creamy" consistency, adding a little water if needed.

To assemble and serve the cake
1...spoon the topping over the base, level off and refrigerate for 2 hours. I topped mine with a few crushed walnuts and the zest of an orange.
2...Cut into 20 pieces and serve.

My family's verdict, was as follows....
Lucas took a huge bite and promtly spat it out. My husband gingerly nibbled at it and said the flavour is nice, but it's a bit wet for me. Noah had his slice, finished off Lucas', and asked for another one.

Oh well, you can't win 'em all!