Spiced Carrot Dessert

Name: Spiced Carrot Dessert
Ingredients: Juice of 1/2 lemon; Zest of one lemon; 1 med Apple, grated; 1 cup Dried figs, soaked (reserve water to use in topping); 1 cup Raisins, soaked (reserve water to use in topping); 3/4 cup Pitted Iranian dates; 2 cups Shredded carrots; 3 cups Pulp from juiced carrots (drink the juice!); 3 cups Soaked nuts (almonds, walnuts, or what have you); 1/2 tsp (or to taste) Ginger; 1/2 tsp (or to taste) Cardamom; 1/2 tsp (or to taste) Nutmeg; 1/2 tsp (or to taste) Cinnamon; pinch Cloves, ground; Juice of 2 lemons; 1 tsp Vanilla; 1/2 cup Grated coconut; 2 Tbsp Agave syrup; 1/2 cup Dates; 1/2 cup Walnuts; 1/2 cup Raw almond butter or (what have you); 1/2 cup Rough chopped almonds (to decorate); 1/2 cup Soak water from raisins & figs; pinch Sea salt

July 27, 2006 Other Contributors

About

This decadent “cake” is great for those on a plant-based, raw food or grain-free diet. It is so full of tasty ingredients others will probably like it too! Created by personal chef Yesim Gumus, this recipe features yummy ingredients such as dried fruit, nuts & nut butter as well as mouth watering spices like ginger, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves. This dessert needs to be started the night before so remember to plan ahead!

Base

Juice of 1/2 lemon
Zest of one lemon
Apple, grated		1 med
Dried figs, soaked (reserve water to use in topping)		1 cup
Raisins, soaked (reserve water to use in topping)		1 cup
Pitted Iranian dates		3/4 cup
Shredded carrots		2 cups
Pulp from juiced carrots (drink the juice!)		3 cups
Soaked nuts (almonds, walnuts, or what have you)		3 cups
Ginger		1/2 tsp (or to taste)
Cardamom		1/2 tsp (or to taste)
Nutmeg		1/2 tsp (or to taste)
Cinnamon		1/2 tsp (or to taste)
Cloves, ground		pinch

Topping

Juice of 2 lemons
Vanilla		1 tsp
Grated coconut		1/2 cup
Agave syrup		2 Tbsp
Dates		1/2 cup
Walnuts		1/2 cup
Raw almond butter or (what have you)		1/2 cup
Rough chopped almonds (to decorate)		1/2 cup
Soak water from raisins & figs		1/2 cup
Sea salt		pinch

Directions

Start the night before. Soak nuts in a generous amount of water overnight and separately soak figs & raisins in water to cover.
The next day, prepare carrots and apple, and place in a big bowl.
Chop almonds for topping roughly in processor and set aside. Drain and rinse soaked nuts. Place nuts in food processor and chop fine. Add to carrots.
Put drained figs, raisins, dates, lemon juice, and spices in processor and process until smooth. Pour mixture into main bowl. Mix well with clean hands, kneading together. The mixture should be dry but holding together.
Form mixture into desired shape on tray or platter (not too thick). Put in fridge.
Process the topping ingredients on high, without water, until smooth. Add the 1/2 cup of soak water slowly until icing consistency is reached. Taste and adjust flavours to your liking. The icing should be creamy with a zing! Spread on top of the base. Decorate with raisins, chopped almonds, walnut halves and shredded coconut. Serve immediately or chilled and eat within a day or two. So good!

“I wish to support myself through the application of my gifts, talents and interests. Love your work and you will never work a day in your life.” – Yesim Gumus

Healthy Whole Foods; Preparation & Guidance; Personal Catering; Intuitive cooking classes. For more information please visit Yesim’s website.

Editor’s Notes

I tagged this recipes as “Paleo Friendly” . . . though with the amount of dried fruit, paleo folks should eat this kind of dish in moderation and have a small serving size. I also tagged it as “Reduced (refined) Sugar” because even though it will be sweet, it is mostly sweetened with whole fruit and a very small amount of agave. Also, check our recipe for making your own raw nut butter!

Ievgeniia Maslovska photo / Shutterstock.com
This photo of a raw carrot cake is not a picture of the actual final product of this recipe. Photo has been used for graphical enhancement.