Ingredients (20x30cm baking sheet):
- 3-4 carrots (350 g), peeled and grated
- 1 apple, pitted and grated
- 60 g dried dates, finely chopped
- 230 g spelled flour
- 200 g ground hazelnuts
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cinnamon, ground
- 1 tsp cardamom, ground
- 1/2 lemon, zest
- 1/2 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated (alt. ground)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp apple vinegar
- 60 g maple syrup
- 100 ml coconut oil
- 200 g applesauce (sugar free)
for the frosting:
- 1 handful hazelnuts, roughly chopped
- 200 g vegan cream cheese
- 100 g vegan curd cheese
- 1-2 TL maple syrup
- 1 tsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 1 tsp orange juice, freshly squeezed
- Heat tho oven to 180 ˚C.
- Line a 20×30 cm baking pan with parchment paper.
- Set aside 1 tbsp of the grated carrots for the decoration.
- Mix flour, ground hazelnuts, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cardamom, lemon zest, grated ginger and salt in a bowl.
- Add the vinegar, oil, dates and applesauce and stir quickly to form a smooth dough.
- Fold in the grated carrots and apple.
- If the dough is too firm, add some almond or coconut milk.
- Pour the dough into the prepared form and smooth it out. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes on the middle rack. Take out of the oven and let cool down.
- For the frosting mix the cream cheese with curd cheese. Sweeten with maple syrup and season with lemon and orange juice.
- Spread on the cooled carrot cake, decorate with hazelnuts and grated carrots. Finally sprinkle with some lemon and orange zest on top.
