Did you know that an average store bought carrot cake can have up to 6 cups of white sugar?! Wow that’s a lot! Do we really need all that sugar?!

White sugar may increase your risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. It is also linked to a higher likelihood of depression, dementia, liver disease, and certain types of cancer.

In this cake I’ve used dates instead of white sugar. Dates are a fruit of the date palm tree and are a source of fructose, a natural type of sugar found in fruit. Dates are high in fiber and high in disease-fighting antioxidants.

Did you know that – a wrinkled skin indicates that dates are dried, whereas a smoother skin indicates freshness.

I adapted the recipe for this lovely carrot cake from the Forks over Knives website – with certain changes to suit my taste!

Vegan and Gluten Free Carrot Cake

If you like moist healthy cakes then you're sure to enjoy this delicious carrot cake!

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Prep Time 20

Cook Time 45

Making the Icing 45

Total Time 1 50

Course Dessert

Cuisine Gluten Free, Plant Based, Vegan, Vegetarian

Equipment

Blender
Baking tray 20cm x 20cm

Ingredients

Cake Ingredients:

500 ml plant based milk
130 g dates
15 g raisins
120 g banana mashed
1 tsp vanilla extract
225 g oat flour Finely blended oats work just fine
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 ½ cup shredded carrots
45 g chopped walnuts prepare some extra for decoration
2 tsp goji berries prepare some extra for decoration

Icing Ingredients:

100 g dates
100 g cashews
1 tsp vanilla extract
water for soaking

Instructions

Making Date Mixture for the cake:

In a bowl combine plant based milk, dates, raisins, mashed banana and vanilla extract. Let it stand for 15 minute and blend until smooth.

Making the Cake:

Preheat the oven to 180°C
In a large bowl combine oat flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and nutmeg.
Add the date mixture to the oat mixture and stir until combined.
Gently mix in the carrots, walnuts and goji berries.
Transfer the batter to the baking pan and bake for 40 minutes.

Making the Icing:

Combine the dates, cashews and vanilla extract in a bowl, add enough water to cover the mixture. Leave it for 45 minutes until dates and cashews are soft, blend until smooth, If it's too dry add a little bit of water to make it blend easier.
Place the icing on the cake and decorate it with walnuts and goji berries.