When life gives you carrots...make carrot juice. Which is what I have been doing, making lots of carrot apple citrus juice with the over abundance of carrots I have had in my fridge lately and making my body feel good from the inside out in the process. But another option for lots of carrots is, to make carrot cake! That was what my thought was exactly as I was drinking my carrot juice last week and dreaming about how good some raw carrot cake would be. So it was settled, I had to make some. I decided on cupcakes rather than a big cake though, because they are so much more fun. And, I wanted them to have a filling, because I can never resist cupcakes with a filling. Also, these carrot cake cupcakes were going to be orange scented because orange and carrot are simply heavenly together! 
The batter was amazing, even before I spooned it into the tins. I scented it with ginger, cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg as well as orange zest and juice and stirred in coconut for extra goodness. Once they were dehydrated, they smelled pretty fabulous, and I filled them with a luscious orange cream. Lastly, they needed to be topped off with a mountain (yes, a mountain) of fluffy white coconut frosting because that is how a proper cupcake is decorated in my opinion. 
They were yummalicious! Some of the best carrot cake I have ever eaten, and that light orange scent made them even better. Having too many carrots is never a problem...just make carrot cake!
Raw Orange Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Makes 12
Cake:
2 1/2 cups raw sprouted buckwheat, raw sprouted oat, or raw sprouted quinoa flour
2 cups ground raw flaxseed
3 cups raw coconut flour (do NOT use store-bought!)
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
1 Tbsp cinnamon
2 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 inch chunk fresh ginger
2 cups grated carrot
1 cup medjool dates, pitted (soaked in filtered water for 30 minutes if not soft, then drained)
2/3 cup raw coconut nectar or your choice of liquid sweetener
1 cup coconut water (or as needed)
1 cup fresh orange juice
2 Tbsp orange zest
1 cup finely shredded coconut
3 cups grated carrots
Filling:
2 cups young coconut meat
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup kumquats
1/4 cup raw coconut nectar or raw agave nectar
1/4 tsp sea salt
seeds of one vanilla bean, or 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp raw coconut butter, warmed to liquid
Frosting:
2 cups young coconut meat
1/4 cup coconut water
1/4 cup raw coconut nectar or raw agave nectar
1/4 tsp sea salt
seeds of one vanilla bean, or 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp raw coconut butter, warmed to liquid
Garnish:
Sliced kumqats or oranges
For the cake batter, combine flour, flaxseed, coconut flour, sea salt, in a large bowl and whisk together until and set aside. To a food processor, add the dates, vanilla, carrots, nectar, water, juice and zest to the processor and process until pretty smooth. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until smooth with a sturdy spoon (wooden works well) and well incorporated (the batter will be stiff, so you might want to use your stand mixer if you have one, and you may need additional coconut water if the batter is too thick (it should be the consistency of thick brownie batter) because the water content in carrots may vary). Stir in the 1 cup shredded coconut and 3 cups grated carrots. Spoon the batter into 12 standard sized foil muffin tins (mounded high because it will not rise) and place on a dehydrator sheet. Dry for about 12-14 hours (until dry on the outside but still moist). Cut a divet about 1 large Tbsp in size from the top of each cupcake for the filling (discarding or eating the top you scooped out).
To make the filling, combine all ingredients but the coconut butter and oil in a food processor and process until smooth. With the motor running, add the coconut butter and process a minute more. Spoon the mixture into the divets of the cupcakes, and place in the fridge to set up for about an hour.
Meanwhile, to make the frosting, combine all ingredients but the coconut butter and oil in a food processor and process until smooth. With the motor running, add the coconut butter and process a minute more. Pour the cream into a bowl and let sit in the freezer for about half an hour to 45 minutes or so until the consistency of whipped cream. Once it reaches this stage, it can be placed in the fridge until ready to use.
When ready to frost, place the frosting in a pastry bag, and pipe decoratively over the cupcakes. Garnish with kumquat slices. Serve! Store extra in the fridge.