Have you ever eaten cake for breakfast? Today, I did just that. You see, I’d made the cake the night before, and then I went to sleep dreaming about it. Come morning, I just had to have a slice!
I woke with the intention of making oatmeal. But raw carrot cake was calling me!
I’m not normally a raw-carrot person, but the above was as dreamy as it looks.
And now I’m still dreaming about it! I almost didn’t make it, though.
Tell me if this sounds familiar: When looking through a new cookbook, you fold down every single recipe that looks yummy, then feel overwhelmed at the number you’ve selected and end up making none of them! It happens to me all too often.
When I looked through the cookbook, Raw for Dessert, lemme tell you I folded down a lot of recipes! Cashew Cream, Crème Brulée, Chocolate Pudding, and on and on. These recipes seemed simple enough, with few ingredients and steps. And anyone who knows me knows that I am intimidated by long-winded recipes. But this time, I decided to challenge myself: find a long recipe that sounded good, and go for it! This is how I settled upon the Raw Spice Cake, a recipe I normally would’ve shied away from due to its extensive ingredient list.
Raw Spice Cake
(with CCK’s carrot-cake addition)
Yield: one 6-inch cake (8 servings)
Ingredients
1/2 cup raw almonds (unsoaked)
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded dried coconut (CCK omitted)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Pinch ground nutmeg
1 cup raw walnuts (unsoaked)
1 cup raw pecans (unsoaked)
8 pitted medjool dates
1 teaspoon orange zest
1/2 cup raisins
1 tablespoon maple syrup or dark agave syrup (CCK omitted)
1/4 to 1/2c shredded carrot (CCK special addition)
Place the almonds, coconut, cinnamon, ginger, salt, cloves, and nutmeg in a food processor fitted with the S blade and process until finely ground. Add the walnuts and pecans and process until finely ground. Add the dates and orange zest and process until the mixture begins to stick together. Add the raisins, maple syrup, and carrots, and process briefly to incorporate. Line a 6-inch cake pan with a parchment-paper round. Pour the nut mixture into the pan and distribute it evenly. Press down with your hand to compact. To serve, run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the cake. Place a serving plate upside down on top of the cake pan. Invert, then lift the pan off. Remove the parchment round. Covered with plastic wrap, Spice Cake will keep for 5 days stored in the refrigerator or for 2 weeks stored in the freezer.
I frosted my yumlicious carrot cake with Raw Cream Cheese Frosting and cinnamon.
Question of the Day:
Have you ever eaten cake for breakfast?
And did you start your day off on a yummy note?
{ 139 comments… read them below or add one }
Wow, that carrot cake is gorgeous!
The carrot cake looks amazing! Yum.
I started my day off with a bowl of Banana-Almond Butter-Cocoa porridge.
That looks divine! I love having cake for breakfast, I’ve haven’t had cake for breakfast in awhile, perhaps its an excuse to make THIS cake.
This morning was definitely started with a yummy note. My breakfast was a bowl of red quinoa with blueberries, cashew, raisins, and a drizzle of agave. yumm.
Mhm, carrot cake…
I always had cake for breakfast when I was younger!
Leftovers from birthday cakes and stuff like that. Gosh I miss that
Cake for breakfast. I like it
And I thought a teaspoon of dark chocolate spread in my porridge was a luxurious way to start my day … I have been outdone by carrot cake!
Oh no, chocolate can never be outdone
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Hehe, I was THISCLOSE to having a cupcake for breakfast this morning but I realized I’m giving blood and needed something a bit more substantial/hearty…but that’s not to say I can’t have one tomorrow!!!
Incredible! Cake for breakfast, especially raw cakes, have always been part of my ‘diet’. Why, just today I had CCK raw cheesecake with fresh garden raspberries for breakfast. Yummy and healthy – why not?
Mmm sounds good to me. I’m jealous of your garden raspberries! My uncle used to have raspberry bushes, and we LOVED picking them!! Then they went straight into our cereal.
That looks SO delicious!!! I started my day off with Kashi Heart to Heart and blueberries in sweetened vanilla almond milk (my favorite!)
O..m…g… I’m drooling. I just put “MAKE CCK RAW CARROT CAKE” on my To Do list for this weekend. YUMMM!!
that looks fabulous! I eat the same thing for breakfast everyday, maybe I’ll switch it up and try some healthy cake instead!
I have a bunch of friends that tell me the day after their birthday they always have cake for breakfast and I was surprised…Cake for Breakfast? My parents would never let me do that! I am happy I have such health-concious parents – I won’t have to worry about breaking unhealthy food habits when I am older!
holy yum. i will be making this soon. it looks divine and carrot cake is one of my fave flavors!
Wow that looks really good! I know I’ve had cake for breakfast the day after my birthday. How could you not?
I started my day off with leftover kale, corn, and mushrooms. Maybe weird but I enjoyed it!
haha you started off opposite from me! But normally, I’m with you. I love leftovers for breakfast. Oh heck, I just love leftovers, period!
Carrot cake is my FAV dessert. Seriously love it so much. I would love to try this recipe it looks awesome.
I love carrot cake and that one looks amazing!! I used to adore the carrot cake that Starbucks used to have in their case and I would have that for breakfast once in a while..I haven’t seen it there for a while though
I’m not a big cake fan, so never had it for breakfast … but, I love a super-dense carrot cake-like creation and that looks awesome! I just bookmarked the recipe
That looks really good! I haven’t had cake for breakfast, but I’ve had “brownies” for breakfast!!! (Thanks to your fantastic brownie batter pancake recipe)
I had a sort of cake/muffin for breakfast too! I wanted to have it for this morning really bad last night, so even though it was late, i baked my chocolate-almond-buckwheat mini cake in one of those single serve sized pans. It was so cute and delicious
Ate it with a mango. But that’s funny you had carrot cake cause i actually meant to try a mini carrot cake, but it was too late that i decided to go with my usual familiar recipe.
Oooh wow! I was expecting a cake inspired oatmeal or something but this is even better!!!!
I’ve not eaten cake for breakfast in a long time but a few years ago i would have jumped at the chance!! xx
Carrot Cake for breakfast, now why I didn’t I think of that? Thanks for giving me an idea and recipe for tomorrow
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Nomnomnom!!!! That looks so freaking amazing, Katie! I’m sure I’ve eaten cake for breakfast after birthdays and what not when I was younger, but not for years. Oh my gosh, can I rip this from my screen?
How did I miss this recipe for raw carrot cake?? It looks SO good!
I can’t say I’ve ever eaten cake for breakfast…it’s actually too sweet for me in the morning. Sometimes even fruit in the morning is too sweet- I’m more of a savory-riser!
Best breakfast ever! I don’t think I’ve had cake for breakfast for years now, but that dense raw carrot cake sure looks amazing.
Lets say Yum together. YUM! That looks so good. I have not had cake for breakfast but if it is as healthy and good looking as your cake I may have to.
Definitely not every day, but I have certainly eaten cake for breakfast.
However, I think mine is usually triple chocolate mud cake, so perhaps not *quite* the same thing!
In the summer I have toast for brekkie everyday because it digests quick before a run but this morning I was out of bread so I had a slice of chocolate cake that I had baked last night (using Courtney and Whitney’s diet soda recipe) and it didn’t phase me at all during practice. If anything all the carbs gave me a major energy boost!
Hehe when I was on my “eat as much junk as possible” diet, I would routinely eat a huge slice of cake, then go out for a run! It really never upset my stomach!
this looks AMAZING!!
i checked out your blog this morning and this beautiful carrot cake keeps popping up in my mind….i will most definitely be trying this out in the next couple of days.
would it keep in the fridge for a day or two?
oh and i have had cake for breakfast…my wedding cake a few months ago. Sweet tasting food tastes sooo good first thing.
Definitely! That’s where mine is right now… but not for long!
(It’ll keep for 5 days covered in fridge, or 2 weeks in freezer)
thanks katie!!
Haha, the NAME of my blog was actually coined because I used to eat cake for breakfast growing up! It was the one indulgence my mom allowed us, and I still treasure it to this day. In college, I always used to say “Yes, I want cake for breakfast!” – and then shortened my catch-phrase to “Yes, I want cake.” Too funny…I am looking up that carrot cake to make for breakfast in the morning.
Mmm, I want that cake right now
WOW!! this looks like the best thing in the world!!!!
i loveeeeeeeeee carrot cakeeee!! omg..droooool. hehheehe. thank you for sharing sooo much! I believe this is my favorite one yet!
Wow that looks delicious! And I have started my morning with dessert on numerous occasions. I am not big on savory breakfasts. I like staring my days on a sweet note
Yes, I often have started my day on a sweet note. Being Asian, alot of us have savories for brekkie… like porridge, chapattis and even a whole noodle or rice meal?!? I find that too heavy. Your cake looks sinfully delish!
well, seeing as i’m never fully awake before mid-morning, I have an apple at 9, then my REAL breakfast around 11. for normal people, that’s time for cake anyway! i usually roll with oatmeal and nuts, but occasionally i have a play around with my couscous, carrot and apple spiced cake.
but i reckon your cake is happening tomorrow….
I would eat that cake for breakfast!
I think I’ve had cake for breakfast before, although I can’t remember a specific time.
Thank you so much for sharing this raw carrot recipe. I made it this morning and it is soo good!! I added flaxseed to mine and also omitted the coconut and syrup. Everyday i so look forward to reading your blog! If it’s not too late please enter me in the cookbook giveaway. Thanks!
Wow, Nicole, you are fast! I’m so excited you already tried it (and even more excited you liked it)!
Definitely entered you
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I haven’t eaten cake for breakfast in years. I try not to have too much sugar for breakfast because my blood sugar gets all out of whack. I’d probably eat that raw carrot cake for breakfast though, it looks too good to pass up!
KATIE, DID I MENTION I LOVE YOU?!?!?!?!?!?!?! THANKS FOR ALWAYS POSTING UP SUCH GREAT RECIPES!!! I’m so going to try out the carrot cake recipe tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!! I love that it’s RAW.
Oh my gosh! I love you. Cake for breakfast? Who woulddaa thought! I’m def going to have to try this out soon
Me and my sister had made a carrot cake for her birthday late July but it wasn’t raw! But it was still good 
WOW that cake looks amazing I want in! x x
Hi Katie,
I am a first time commenter who has found your blog so inspirational over these past few weeks. As someone who’s just starting the journey to get healthy, I love how your recipes are healthy while still tasting good at the same time. You do some amazing things with oatmeal!
That being said, I am trying to lose a bit of weight carried over from before I started my healthy living. So although I would love to try some of the raw desserts that you and others often post, I’m afraid that they’re a little too calorie dense for me. Do you know if it’s possible to do a raw dessert, such as this carrot cake, and make it lower calorie? I know it’s probably not, but I thought I’d ask. I figured if anyone could pull it off, you could!
Your creativity is amazing, Katie. This is lovely, and I’m going to try it. (I don’t know how I missed it when you originally posted it.)
This is my fav coconut butter recipe–wow! Delicious!
Hi Katie,
Here is to hoping I win….love me some carrot cake!!
I’m commenting for the contest. Why? Because I LOVE this cake, and cannot imagine what coconut butter icing would taste like – divine, I’m sure. If I don’t win, I’ll make this cake with the shredded coconut icing I’ve used before. Carrot + coconut = happy tummy.
I am also commenting for the contest. Lately, I have been making carrot cake oatmeal every morning -the greek yogurt topping isn’t quite doing it for me, but coconut butter would take it up a notch!!!
I am also comment for the contest. Lately, I have been making carrot cake oatmeal in the morning – the greek yogurt topping isn’t quite doing it for me, but coconut butter would be amazing!!!
THIS LOOKS SO GOOD. I would love to win some Artisana Nut Butters and try to create some fabulous concoctions you come up with! MMMMM
I made this cake last month and it was AMAZING. I would love to try it with some of the Artisana products next time …either incorporated into the cake or just poured over top
This looks absolutely INCREDIBLE! Seriously, my mouth is watering right now.
I, too, am entering for the contest, but I believe I’ve found a new recipe to try in the process.
Mmmm – I keep meaning to try and make this recipe – it sounds so yummy.
I LOVE carrot cake and always wanted to know how raw tastes like
I was also commenting for the contest
OMG I love carrot cake! Oh I so have to make this! This looks way to good to be true that this is a raw carrot cake. mmm healthy deliciousness.
wow I want to try that!
(Comment for Artisana Nut Butter) I love carrot cake and haven’t had any in a long time! Especially that yours is raw, it just seems really interesting
This looks exquisitely DELICIOUS! I am so looking forward to trying this recipe along with Coconut Bliss!!
Thank you SO MUCH!
This is what I would make if I win the Coconut Butter giveaway! Thank you!!!!
I am going to make this when I win the Coconut butter giveaway!!
I’m so glad I found your blog! I’m known for my omnivorous carrot cake, but havent made it since transitioning to a vegan diet. I am so excited to try this cake and also the other recipes you have for that divine coconut butter. Pick me,pick me!!:)
I would definitely be making this if I win the coconut butter giveaway! yumm! your recipes all look amazing!
hmm this might be my favorite one cause i LOVE carrots, especially in a sweet dessert form
(for the giveaway!)
Oh, Katie, I do so enjoy reading all of your creatively yummy recipes! However, this delightfully delicious looking raw carrot cake always seems to captivate my attention. I would love to try some Artisana Coconut Butter. Thanks for sharing!
This looks so yummy! I would love to try some of these nut butters!
Mmmm. I want to recreate this cake RIGHT NOW!!! Looks delish.
This is what the coconut butter would be used for if I won the fabulous giveaway. I have been craving carrot cake and this is so much healthier then baked carrot cake. Thank you!
Yum!! Cant wait to give this a try. Carrot cake is a fav, and such a great fall dessert!!!
Sounds RIDICULOUSLY good especially around this time of year!
ENTER ME TO WIN SOME COCONUT BUTTAAAAAA!
omg! i want to win some artisana coconut butter JUST SO I CAN MAKE THIS!
I’ve made this cake TWICE now for my non veg/vegan friends and family and they fell in LOVE. The coconut butter makes the cake for sure.
The only way to get this is to order online unfortunately, so I would LOVE to win some so I could make some more goodies ( a.k.a eat it straight out of the jar)
This looks so delish! I am printing out the recipe now–in the hopes that I win some Artisana coconut butter!!!
I want to make this!! Enter me in your giveaway, puhleaze?
ZOMG.. this looks amazing! Unlike regular carrot cake, this raw carrot cake is so VIBRANT in color which just makes it look more delicious. I am going to copy down the recipe now and make this soon!
Lol hope to win some awesome coconut butter. I have never tried it!
Wow! If I won the giveaway I would eat this carrot cake for breakfast everyday! You definately have an awesome giveaway, recipe ideas, and an amazing blog. Crossing my fingers now!!
I absolutely love carrot cake and I’m totally making this recipe for our Halloween party!! Can’t wait to share it with our friends!!
This looks sooooooo good!! I made your 24 carrot cupcakes, but i made it into a bread instead. Anywho, CHOOSE ME FOR THE COCONUT BUTTER STUFF! it seems like i can never get a hold of coconut…
Ohhh! I really want to try this! I hope I win, because I can’t find coconut butter anywhere around here. Yum!
I wish I could recreate this as I love both coconut oil (yummmmmmm) and carrot, but where I live I cant get hold of any coconut butter
. Love your recipes they are so simple and delicious looking!!
Ooh, I love carrot cake – and I love raw goodness! Pleas enter me to win the goodies. xo
I’ve been wanting to jump on the coconut butter/oil bandwagon for months now. One day I actually held a bottle of it in my hands at the store and just couldn’t bring myself to buy it! The saturated fat is intimidating, but I’ve read so much more now regarding “the truth about fats.” I would love to try it out in this recipe.
If I win the coconut butter I can make this! Looks soooo good!
This looks so great!
Oh pleeeeeeeeeeease, I would like to try the Artisana Nut Butters!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
yumm i need to win this:)
Definitely need to make this one!! Looks delicious!
If I won the giveaway I would make this!!
I would eat it.
I would eat ALL of it.
Just sayin’.
This looks so yummy…carrot cake is one of my favorite treats!
I would love to win the coconut butter and finally get a chance to try this (and all your other) recipes!!
OBSESSED with carrots, and would LOVE to make this myself!!!!
what a GREAT giveaway. this carrot cake sounds totally amazing
Yum! Entering (to win!) the giveaway! Thanks Katie
I’m not much of a cake person, but I do love me some carrot cake! I’d love to enter this awesome giveaway! I’m so curious about all the different kinds of nut butters!
Love carrot cake…this looks great!
coconut buttah! Yum!
Entering the giveaway!!
Entering this amazing give away! I love this recipe but this butter is hard to find! Desperate times call for desperate measures:P I will think about this recipe all night
i’ve never had any nut butter other than peanut and almond. i am dying to try coconut butter. and i have to make this cake! raw carrot cake?! fuhgetaboutit.
mmm carrot cake! want cb to cover this in please!
I keep meaning to try this recipe out, I looooove carrot cake! Maybe I’ll finally get around to it if I win that coconut butter
Looks delicious! Lucky for me, I have a Costco-sized bag of carrots in my fridge begging to be used…
That looks amazingly healthy and delicious! I can’t wait to try and make it!
I have made this before, and i loved it:D
Boy, I can’t wait till I can make some of your delicious carrot cake and slather it in coconut butter! Good luck to all but here’s hoping I’m the chosen one! lol
I bookmarked this recipe when you first post it and I keep returning to it and drooling over how delicious and perfect it looks. Now I just need to win this recipe to make the perfect frosting with artisana coconut buttah!!!!
im a carrot cake freak! if i win the giveaway this will be the first on my list of CCK treats to make!
I’ve been dying to try this recipe for quite some time but my student budget isn’t very coconut butter friendly at the moment, so this contest is perfect for me! hehe Thanks for hosting it Katie.
If i win the giveaway I am totally making this cake! it looks amazing!
Yummers!
That sounds like a great breakfast. Especially with the Artisana Coconut Butter Icing. Helloooo!
This has been on my “to make” list for a while and hopefully I’ll get around to it soon! Thanks for this contest Katie!
this is definitely the recipe i would try if i won the giveaway!
This recipe looks amazing! I’d love to try it soon
I left a comment on the other post but maybe i should have left it here for the giveaway. But i would love to win
and im hoping to make the carrot cake when i visit home from college 
OH I want this so bad! and an going to try and make it SOON!!! and would LOVE to win a giveaway
I totally have eaten cake for breakfast. Even when it’s not pancakes or coffeecake, which are legit breakfast cakes. yummm if only I had a food processor right now to make this!!!
I live in a small town in Northern Ontario where no one’s even heard of coconut butter! If I won it would help the humanity of our whole town!
I think this recipe sounds most delicious – I am a HUGE fan of carrot cake and your recipe is so simple! Plus I would totally follow in your footsteps and have it for breakfast, mmmm!
I wanted to thank you, Katie, for your simple but innovative ideas. Since I can remember, I’ve preferred raw and meat-free foods, so when I made switch over from vegetarianism a year ago, I thought it would be super easy. I did find it easy, but I also found myself very bored of the foods I was eating, very quickly. I’m a teenager who still lives at home, and so when I decided to become vegetarian, that was also making the decision to cook all my own food. Little ideas like your melted banana trick (I had oatmeal this week with melted banana, peanut butter, pecans, cinnamon and a pinch of brown sugar mixed in… it tasted and smelled so perfect and gourmet that I’m probably going to have to have it again tomorrow!) which I never would of thought of, or your new vegan ice cream (today after school I had a strawberry version). I really appreciate your posts and I like how honest and down to earth you seem. Keep blogging!
Thanks so much, Emma, for your sweet words.
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I must warn you: if you win, you won’t want to share with your town… or even your family
I definitely want to try this stuff. You speak so highly of it. I also love carrot cake and have not had it in a very long time because I do the vegan and gluten-free thing now. I would love to make this and blow my family away with it these upcoming holidays. They always look forward to (and sometimes approach with hesitation until they try it) the different foods that I make. Thanks for the give-a-way.
Have a great day!
This recipe has been on my “to make” list for ages. Would you believe that I’ve never even tasted coconut butter before? I can’t wait until I finally manage to get a jar (getting any nut butter other than PB in my podunk town involves pleading with store managers and minor bribery)
Thank you so much for the giveaway.
you have done what i previously considered the impossible – made a healthy, great tasting carrot cake. i LOVE my carrot cake and this is a delicious take on it. now i really can have my cake and eat it too!
This is by far my favorite recipe of yours! I LOVE COCONUT BUTTER! And carrot cake is just too divine for words.
This carrot cake is AMAZING!
The cake looks delicious, and I would love to win some coconut butter!
I’m new to being vegan and since I’ve discovered your blog I’ve been dreaming about this cake. I miss desserts for breakfast, but I think this will do the trick:)
commenting specifically for the coconut butter giveaway… but can I just say I LOVE carrot cake?? Can’t wait to try this recipe!
I munch on carrots all the time to satisfy low-blood sugar mood swings. This will DEFINITELY do the trick
oh my bejeezus–this looks so unbelievable, and raw too?!. and carrot cake is my bf’s FAVORITE dessert. I gotta win me some coconut butter so I can give it a try.
oh man i would make this is a heartbeat if i won the giveaway!!!
I think I just stumbled across dessert for tonight- YUM!….and breakfast and lunch and dinner.
i think I have book marked.. about 10 pages since my last comment.
haha <3 YUM
katieeee! this is so yummers! thanks for sharing, i will make it again and again!
ooo I’m so excited you made it!!
Oh wow the Carrot “Cake” does look way awesome!!! I am so excited to try it!
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