Light, fluffy, and made with dairy-free cream “cheese” frosting! Gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free and delicious!
Preparation:
Cook:
Level: Easy
Serves: 8
Ingredients
- ⅔ cups Unsweetened coconut flakes, plus extra for garnish (optional)
- ½ cups raw pecans
- 3 cups Almond Flour (270g, See Notes)
- 1-¼ cup Tapioca starch (152g, see notes)
- 1-½ cup coconut sugar
- 7 teaspoons Cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons Baking soda
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Nutmeg
- 4 Large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 Large egg yolks
- 5 tablespoons Coconut oil, melted
- 1 tbsp Vanilla extract
- 2 cups Carrots, Grated (200g)
- 1 cup Pineapple crushed, drained
- FOR THE GLAZE:
- 2-¼ cups Roasted and salted cashews, soaked in water overnight (300g)
- ¾ cups Unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- 6 tablespoons Plus 2 teaspoons of honey
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla
- 3 tablespoons Coconut oil, melted
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spread the coconut and pecans on two separate baking sheets and bake until the coconut is lightly browned and the pecans darken and smell nutty, about 2 to 4 minutes for the coconut (watch carefully as it burns quickly) and 10-12 minutes for the pecans. Put aside.
Line the bottom of two 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper and rub the sides with coconut oil.
In a medium bowl, combine the almond flour, tapioca starch, coconut sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. Dice the pecans and stir them into the flour mixture, along with the toasted coconut.
In a separate large bowl, use an electric hand mixer to beat the eggs, egg yolks, coconut oil and vanilla until smooth and blended. Add the dry ingredients and stir by hand until well combined.
Place the grated carrot in a thin tea towel and wring it out until you have as much water as possible. Do the same with the pineapple. You want them both nice and dry. Stir the coconut and pineapple into the batter until well blended.
Divide between the two cake pans (I like to use a digital kitchen scale for accuracy) and bake until dark brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 at 32 minutes. Let cool completely in pan.
Once cooled, prepare the frosting. Drain the cashews and place them in a large food processor (mine is 10 cup) along with the milk, honey and vanilla. Blend for 1-2 minutes until everything starts to smooth.
With the food processor running, pour in the oil. Blend, stopping to scrape the sides if necessary, until smooth and creamy. Place the frosting in the fridge for 1 hour to firm up.
Remove the cakes from the pans and place one, bottom side up, on a plate or cake stand. Spread 1 cup of frosting in the middle and place the top of the cake bottom side up. Spread a very thin layer of frosting all over the cake, then place in the freezer until it starts to set, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Spread the remaining frosting all over (I like to use an offset spatula) and top for more coconut if desired. Devour!
Remarks:
• Please weigh flours to ensure accurate results.
• If you are recooling the cake after frosting, let it come to room temperature to serve, otherwise the cake will be tough and lint-free.
