Carrot, Pecan & Coconut Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

Carrot cake has to be the GOAT. It has a special place in so many people’s hearts. This one is whipped up in the Vitamix Ascent Series blender which makes light work of crushing the nuts and blending down the raw carrot then mixing the whole cake back in the blender ready to be baked. The frosting comes together in under 1 minute with the blender whipping it so light and fluffy. Grab your carrots and get baking!

Ingredients

• 1 cup pecans
• 3 medium carrots, peeled, roughly chopped
• 2 large free-range eggs, room temp
• 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1/2 cup coconut yoghurt
• 1/3 cup desiccated Coconut
• 1/3 cup currants
• 1 1/2 cup gluten-free self-raising flour
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• Pinch salt
• ½ cup coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
• 250g cream cheese
• ¼ cup pure cream
• ½ cup icing sugar
• Zest 1 orange

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Prepare cake tins by greasing and lining with baking paper.
2. Place pecans in the Vitamix container and secure the lid. Pulse on speed 1 until a crushed texture is achieved. Set aside in a bowl.
3. Turn the Vitamix on to speed 2, and add the carrots onto the running blades through the lid opening. Blend until a rough breadcrumb
   texture is achieved, approximately 30 seconds.
4. Add the remaining cake batter ingredients into the Vitamix container in the order listed and 2/3 of the ground pecans, then secure the lid. Blend on speed 2 for 20 seconds until combined. Used the tamper if necessary.
5. Spoon the cake mixture into the prepared tins and smooth out the batter with the back of a spoon. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the cake is firm in the centre and a dry skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes then remove from the tin and allow to cool completely before topping with the frosting.
6. For the frosting, add the ingredients into the clean Vitamix container in the order listed and secure the lid. Blend on speed 3 for 30 seconds, scrape down the sides then repeat. Spoon this over the completely cooled cakes and finish with decorate with the remaining pecans.