Decadent Carrot Cake with Cashew Frosting & Coconut Caramel

This carrot cake is extremely decadent, loaded with wholesome ingredients, moist and delicious!

This is the best carrot cake I've ever had! I hope you give it a try and let me know if you feel the same.

I doubled this recipe to make a 1 double layer cake and 12 cupcakes and frosted them with the most delicious creamy Coconut Cashew Frosting. For extra deliciousness, I topped them with Coconut Candied Pecans and Coconut Caramel for a decadent treat you won't be able to resist!

The combination of flavours and textures are amazing! See below for the recipes.

Yield 1 cake or 12 - 14 cupcakes

For the Carrot Cake

Ingredients

• 2 Cups All Purpose Flour

• 1 1/4 Cup Coconut Sugar or brown sugar

• 1/2 tsp Salt

• 2 tsp Baking Powder

• 2 tsp Baking Soda

• 2 tsp Cinnamon

• 2 1/2 Cups Shredded Carrots

• 3/4 Cup Coconut Oil

• 1/2 Cup 100% Unsweetened Pineapple Juice (fresh is best)

• 1/2 Cup Sultanas, or Chopped Dates

• 1/2 Cup Desiccated Coconut (unsweetened coconut shreds)

• 1/2 Cup Slivered Almonds, or Chopped Walnuts or Pecans

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF

2. Add the flour, brown sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon to a mixing bowl and stir together until well combined. Fold in the shredded carrots, almonds and sultanas. Then and the coconut oil and pineapple juice and mix together well with a spoon. This is a thick batter.

3. Add the batter to a greased baking dish and bake for approximately 40- 45 minutes or until your toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the cake.

4. Allow to cool before frosting or decorating.

5. I used a creamy, decadent cashew coconut frosting for this carrot cake and decorated it with caramelized pecan pieces and coconut caramel. See below for the recipes.

For the Coconut Cashew Frosting

Ingredients

• 3 Cups Cashews

• 1 1/2 Cups Chopped Dates (or sub for raisins)

• 1 Cup Coconut Milk (I used canned coconut milk)

• 1 tsp Almond or Vanilla Extract

• Pinch of Salt

Methods

1. Add cashews and water to a pot (enough water to cover the cashews) and place on medium heat for 10 minutes.

2. Remove from heat and drain the water and rinse the cashews. Note: This process softens the cashews which makes them easier to blend and achieve a creamy consistency. You can also soak the cashews in water and leave in the fridge overnight, instead of cooking them on the stove. Make sure to drain and rinse well before blending.

3. Place the rinsed cashews with all of the other ingredients to a high-speed blender or food processor and blend until thick, smooth, and creamy. Blend to your desired texture.

For the Coconut Candied Pecans

Ingredients

• 1/2 Cup Chopped pecans

• 2 Tbsp Coconut Oil

• 1/4 Cup Coconut sugar

• Pinch of Salt

Method

1. Place a pan on medium heat, coat with coconut oil, then stir in the coconut sugar.

2. When the coconut sugar melts into the oil, add the pecans and mix together until evenly coated.

3. Toss frequently until toasted, evenly coated and sticky. (Add a few drops of water if needed)

4. The sugar will harden quickly, creating the most delicious, crunchy, candied pecan.

For the Coconut Caramel

Ingredients

• ¼ Cup Coconut Milk

• ⅓ Cup Coconut Sugar

• 2 Tbsp Coconut Oil

Method

1. Add all ingredients to a small pot on low heat and allow to simmer, stirring periodically until the caramel thickens and looks shiny and silky. You can test by dipping a spoon into the caramel and if it coats your spoon without running off, it's ready to come off the heat.

2. Set aside and allow the caramel to cool before serving.