paleo carrot cake with cashew "cream cheese" frosting

I've made this a number of times now, including for our "see you later" party for our Vietnamese friend Ha Vinh:

It's a beautiful cake on its own and doesn't even need frosting, unless you want to go whole hog (or whole cashew!). 

I just made it again on New Year's Day, this first and beautiful day of 2020.

Reading War and Peace with a piece of carrot cake: perfect! 

The recipe came into our kitchen via The Roasted Root here, and the cashew frosting was from their website too (make sure you soak your cashews overnight the night before). 

For the cake, I left out the coconut, which I can't have, and I substituted 1/4 cup katakuriko (Japanese potato-starch flour) and 1/4 cup rice flour instead of the 1/2 cup tapioca starch called for in the recipe.

Enjoy, but be warned, this cake takes some time to put together. 

For the cake itself, you'll need:

• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/3 cup grapeseed oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups almond flour
• 1/4 cup katakuriko potato starch 
• 1/4 cup rice flour (or instead of the katakuriko and rice flour, 1/2 cup tapioca flour)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 cup raw walnuts chopped
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 2 cups grated carrots (I do this in my food processor)

Do this: 

Blend everything except the walnuts, raisins, and carrots, then add those in at the end and stir by hand. Pour into a 10-inch springform pan that's been oiled and lined on the bottom with baking paper, then bake at 170 C/350 F for at least 40 minutes. Check the whole cake to make sure it's not squidgy in any area. Allow to cool.

For the frosting, you'll need:

• 2 cups raw cashews, soaked overnight and then drained and patted dry with a towel
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt

Do this:

Add the cashews into a food processor and blend for a number of minutes until a thick paste forms. While the processor is running, drizzle in the remaining ingredients until smooth. Frost your cake, top with chopped nuts or whatever you like, and share with friends and family.