Raw Carrot Cake

Chef Jaime Chavez of Sirena Gourmet Latin Seafood Restaurant creates a cake that is bake-free and vegan. In this recipe, date-and-carrot cake, cashew custard, orange purée and berry sauce come together to satisfy the sweet tooth without guilt.

Raw Carrot Cake
Serves 2

2 c. dates
2 t. vanilla
1/2 t. salt
4 c. rolled oat
2 c. shredded carrots
1/2 t. cinnamon
1 c. walnut
1/2 c. coconut oil
Cashew custard frosting (recipe follows)
Orange purée (optional, recipe follows)
Berry sauce (optional, recipe follows)

Mix the dry ingredients in a blender and add the coconut oil.

Compress the mix into squares. Top with frosting. If desired, dollop orange purée and/or berry sauce onto serving plates for dipping.

Cashew Custard Frosting
1 1/2 c. soaked cashews
1/2 c. agave syrup
1 t. vanilla extract
1/2 c. coconut oil
1/2 oz. lemon juice
1 c. coconut milk

Soak cashews in water for about 2 hours.

Grind the cashews in the blender. Add agave syrup and vanilla extract and continue blending. Add coconut oil and lemon juice and continue blending. Add coconut milk and blend until well combined.

Orange Purée
20 Valencia oranges
3/4 c. salt
2 c. sugar

Peel the oranges, setting the rinds aside and slicing the rest of the fruit.

Blanch the orange rinds in boiling water with 1/4 cup salt. Cool down the rinds in an ice bath. Do this three times.

In a pan, mix the rinds, orange slices and sugar and cook it until it begins to caramelize.

Blend the mix into a smooth paste. Then pass it through a sieve into a squeeze bottle.

Berry Sauce
8 oz. berries of your choice
3 oz. confectioner’s sugar
1-2 oz. lemon juice

Combine all ingredients and let it macerate for 25 minutes.

Blend the macerated berries. Pass the mixture through a sieve into a squeeze bottle.

Chef Jaime Chavez
Sirena Gourmet Latin Seafood Restaurant
1901 Columbia St., San Diego, CA 92101
619-564-8970
sirenagourmet.com

Download the recipe card here.