Carrot & Orange Cake With Cashew Cream Icing - cooking recipe

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE
3 cups carrots (finely grated)
2 cups pecans (ground in a food processor)
1/4 cup dried apricot (chopped rough and unsulpherated please)
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons mixed spice (see mixture below in the directions)
1 cup dates (soft and made into a paste)
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 teaspoon celtic sea salt
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest (you could use lime or orange)
1/2 cup desiccated unsweetened coconut
FOR THE CASHEW CREAM ICING
1 1/2 cups raw cashews
1/2 cup filtered water
2 tablespoons agave syrup
3 tablespoons cocoa butter or 3 tablespoons coconut butter
1 tablespoon organic vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon celtic sea salt

Preparation

FOR THE SPICE BLEND:
3 tablespoons cinnamon.
1 teaspoons each ground cardamom and carraway.
1/4 teaspoons each nutmeg, ginger and cloves.
FOR THE DATE PASTE:
If your dates are hard, soak them for about 20 mts. in the orange juice. If your dates aren't soft in 20 minutes leave them in the juice until they are. This is important. Once soft process these in a food processor so that you have a nice paste.
ASSEMBLE THE CAKE:
In the bowl of a stand mixer slowly mix all the ingredients. Either shape into individual cakes or press into an 8x8\" glass pyrex dish.
Put into the fridge and let set up for at least 2 hours or *you can also dehydrate this by placing on a dehydrator sheet for 8-12 hours at 115'F.
FOR THE FROSTING:
Blend all the ingredients in a high speed blender such as a Vita Mix, until smooth.
Place the frosting in the fridge to thicken up, then ice your carrot cake. You can do this all at once of add a little to each piece. Its up to you.
Garnish the cake with ground nutmeg.
Bon Appetit!