Healthy Carrot Cake

Submitted by Chris from Kansas

"This is a really good lower-fat version of carrot cake. It is from a book called Dr. Cookie, which includes healthier versions of popular desserts."

 

• Ready In: 50mins
• Ingredients: 18
• Serves: 12-15

ingredients

• 1 3⁄4 cups flour
• 2⁄3 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 1⁄4 cups brown sugar, packed
• 1⁄4 cup vegetable oil
• 3 cups carrots, shredded
• 2⁄3 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
• 3⁄4 cup raisins

• Cream Cheese Frosting

• 8 ounces neufchatel cheese
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons skim milk

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Coat a 9X13 pan with spray and dust lightly with flour.
3. Tap out the excess flour.
4. Whisk the flours with the baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
5. Set aside.
6. Beat the egg, egg whites, brown sugar and oil with an electric mixer until smooth.
7. Add the carrots and beat for 1 minute.
8. Add the buttermilk, pineapple and raisins and beat again.
9. Add the flour mixture and beat until well mixed.
10. Scrape the batter into the pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
11. Cool the cake in the pan set on a wire rack.
12. Frost, if desired, when completely cool.
13. Store the cake in the pan in the refrigerator.
14. To make the frosting, beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with an elecric mixer set at medium-high speed until smooth.
15. Reduce the speed to medium-low and add the milk, a tsp.
16. at a time until the frosting is at spreading consistency.
17. Spread the frosting on the cooled, uncut cake.

Reviews

[Holly Blackwell]

This cake is ridiculously good. I put in applesauce instead of oil and i used 2 whole eggs. I had my doubts, but it's too good.

 

[933113]

Very good. I deleted the raisins and reduced the brown sugar to 1 cup. Also, I found that only 1/2 c of powdered sugar was needed in the frosting. I also made these into cupcakes, rather than a whole cake. The recipe made 20, which with my modifications were approx. 185 calories each.

 

[SugarPlum336]

This was a very tasty, healthy carrot cake recipe! I cut the recipe in half and made cupcakes (like another reviewer) and I came out with 10 cupcakes. I left out the raisins and walnuts because they were for a work birthday with people who don't care for those two items. The cupcakes were moist and flavorful. I used white whole wheat flour and whole wheat flour. This was an easy and good recipe. I'd like to make it again.

 

[okinok]

Very tasty. I made this for my daughter's first birthday. I used 100% whole "white wheat" and left out the raisins in the cake. I baked the cake in two 8" round pans. Since I was making this a layer cake, I needed more frosting so I used 16 ounces of cream cheese. I wanted less sugar in the frosting, so I used 1 cup of raisins, and 1 cup of powdered sugar along with 2 teaspoons vanilla and 2 teaspoons skim milk. I whirled the raisins in the food processor and then added the other ingredients. Since I was doubling the frosting, the 1 cup of powdered sugar ended up being just 1/4 of the original amount.

 

[bhayslett1]

Just a Menu suggestion: add 1/2 cup of Apple Sauce and leave out oil. Sounds like a great recipe. Thanks for sharing it!