25 Sep No-Bake Carrot Cake Recipe
This is the easiest cake because you don’t even need to turn on the oven, just your handy Thermomix. Try this no-bake carrot cake recipe.
This cake is actually entirely raw and not only does it taste that good, but the texture is surprisingly similar to a cooked cake. In an airtight container or well wrapped in the fridge, this cake will keep for up to 5 days. Perfect with a cup of tea too!
Serves: 6–8
Preparation time: 20 minutes + standing time
Ingredients
140 g (5 oz/1 cup) walnut pieces
750 g (1 lb 10 oz) carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
125 g (41/2 oz/1 1/4 cups) almond meal (see Note)
245 g (8 3/4 oz/1 1/2 cups) fresh pitted dates
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
90 g (3 1/4 oz/1 cup) desiccated coconut
4 tablespoons sultanas
1 quantity Labne (see recipe below)
2 tablespoons maple syrup
Method
You can use a Themomix to make this recipe.
Chop the walnuts for 3 sec/speed 4. Remove and set aside.
Grate the carrot for 20 sec/speed 8. Transfer to a clean tea towel and squeeze out as much excess liquid as possible. (Save the juice for drinking later!)
Blend the almond meal, dates, spices and a pinch of sea salt for10 sec/speed 4 until the mixture sticks together.
Add the carrot, coconut, sultanas and most of the walnuts.
Mix for 1 min/speed 2.
Double line a 15 cm (6 in) springform cake tin with plastic wrap. Firmly press the mixture into the tin, ensuring there are no air pockets.
Chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
Combine the labne and maple syrup in a bowl to make a frosting. Remove the cake from the tin, then spread over the frosting. Scatter over the remaining walnuts to serve.
Note: One of the great joys of being a thermo owner is having the ability to mill your own flours and meals. Make your own almond meal by milling the same weight in blanched almonds for 15 sec/speed 10. It’s simple and more nutritious.
How to make Labne
Out with store-bought processed cream cheese and in with homemade labne! My favourite alternative to cream cheese, this labne tastes so much better and is so much better for you – it has far less sodium and lots more calcium than processed cream cheese.
If you’re after a similar flavour profile to cream cheese, cow’s yoghurt is the best choice. That said, for the best homemade cheese or curd, goat’s labne is incredible. It’s such a versatile ingredient and so easy to make. So it’s well worth the effort and yet another good trick to have up your sleeve.
Makes approximately: 260 g (91/4 oz/1 cup)
Preparation time: 5 minutes + standing time
Ingredients
600 g (1 lb 2 oz) goat’s (or cow’s) yoghurt
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
Add the yoghurt and salt to a bowl and mix until well combined. Line a large, fine-mesh sieve with muslin (cheesecloth) or even two layers of paper towel with enough excess overhanging to cover the surface.
Transfer the yoghurt mixture to the cloth and cover the surface.
Sit the sieve inside a bowl or jug to collect any liquid.
Chill in the fridge for 1–2 days depending on the desired thickness. Discard any liquid.
Store the labne in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
This is an edited extract from Healthy Thermo Cooking for Busy Families by Olivia Andrews, Murdoch Books, $35.00 and is available in stores nationally.
Photography by Jeremy Simons
