Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius and line a loaf pan with parchment paper. Melt the coconut oil so it can be easily incorporated later.

Peel and grate the ginger. Weigh the grated ginger again; you may need a little more. Peeling reduces the weight slightly, and sometimes not all the grated ginger can be used because small, tough fibers (“hairs”) remain. Remove as many of these hairs as possible from the grated ginger. Cook the grated ginger for a few minutes in a small saucepan. Leave to drain in a fine-mesh strainer (press gently).

Grate the carrot and squeeze it as well to remove some of the liquid. Leave to drain.

Cut the dates into pieces, place them in the food processor with the ground almonds and process until finely chopped. Add all the ingredients except the water. The food processor may struggle a little at this point. Transfer the dough to a mixing bowl and continue by hand.

Take your time. The tapioca flour and gum still need to do their work. To help this along, knead a little water into the dough by hand (about 30 ml, 2 to 3 tablespoons). It becomes slightly white and looks a little like “egg white”.

The dough now has a clay-like texture and can easily be pressed into the loaf pan. Smooth the top with a wet hand. Bake for about 35 to 40 minutes.

Grate the zest of 1 lemon (a little more finely than in the photo, if you like).

Gently melt the cream cheese over (very) low heat with the coconut oil. Add the vanilla and lemon juice. Stir everything thoroughly (pressing with the back of a spoon works well) until no lumps remain. Leave to cool (about 5 minutes).

Spread the frosting over the cake (a butter knife or the back of a spoon works well). Sprinkle with the grated zest.

The cake stays nice and moist when stored at room temperature. In the refrigerator, the coconut oil sets too firmly; if refrigerated, take it out well in advance before eating.