Low-Fat Carrot Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

Submitted by echo echo

"Tasty yet relatively easy on the waistline. Apple sauce replaces the usual fat to keep the cake moist. If you wanted to make it even lower calorie, you could substitute Splenda for some or all of the sugar."

 

• Ready In: 55mins
• Ingredients: 20
• Serves: 16

ingredients

• 1 tablespoon flour
• 2 1⁄4 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2⁄3 cup sugar
• 2⁄3 cup dark brown sugar
• 1⁄2 cup applesauce
• 1⁄3 cup oil
• 1⁄4 cup plain nonfat yogurt
• 2 1⁄2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 large egg
• 2 cups finely shredded carrots

• Cream Cheese Frosting

• 2⁄3 cup tub-style light cream cheese or 2/3 cup fat free cream cheese
• 1 1⁄4 teaspoons vanilla
• 3 1⁄2 cups powdered sugar
• 1⁄4 cup chopped walnuts

directions

1. Coat 2 (8-inch) round cake pans or 1 13 x 9-inch pan with spray and dust with 1 Tbs flour.
2. Combine 2¼ cups flour through nutmeg in a medium bowl.
3. Combine sugars through egg in a large bowl and beat well at medium speed; add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.
4. Stir in carrot.
5. Pour into the cake pans, then sharply tap pans once on counter to remove air bubbles.
6. Bake at 375°F about 30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in center of each cake comes out clean.
7. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes, then remove from pans and cool completely.
8. MAKE FROSTING: Beat cream and vanilla in a large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until smooth.
9. Gradually add sugar and beat at low speed just until smooth.
10. (If necessary you can thin the frosting with a little skim milk).
11. Spread about 1/2 cup on bottom layer of cake; top with other layer. Spread rest of frosting over top and sides of cake.
12. Alternatively, if using a 13 x 9 pan, just spread frosting over the top.
13. Either way, sprinkle walnuts over top.

Reviews

[Wallar]

I followed this recipe best I could. There seemed to be some steps missing. It turned out pretty heavy...more like a pound cake or a bread than a "cake". Regardless, it tasted pretty good. The cream cheese frosting was excellent with low fat cream cheese. I also added walnuts to the cake, rather than the frosting. I don't think I will make this again though...I was looking for more of a cakey cake than a bready cake.

 

[Westbank Boy]

I tryed this recipe out , seem to have everything I wanted in a good carrot cake. I added 1/2 cup of cream cheese in the batter although it didnt call for it . Just adds to the moist texture. Anyway great recipe kirt

 

[WeazelChef]

I used cinnamon applesauce and fat free cream cheese. I think the cream cheese should never be substituted. It was still pretty good!

 

[Desert Rose]

This was great! very filling, not as naughty, but sooooo tasty! been snacking away at it all day! I didnt out in a 1/4 of the sugar but it didnt need it-there was plenty in there. Good idea with the apple sauce, it really does keep it moist! -thanks!

 

[PaulaG]

This cake was actually made twice. I attempted to use Splenda and a brown sugar replacement for half the sugar. It was a bust! Then I realized that my cake pans were not 8-in but 9 and as they were hot and I needed to get the cake made for dinner guests, I put the batter in a 9x13 rectangular pan. I was out of cinnamon but did have some Applie Pie Spice and used that instead of the cinnamon and nutmeg. For the cream cheese, I used the called for amount of Neufchatel cheese and thinned the frosting ever so slightly (1 ½ teaspoons) with milk. It was very moist and delicious. One of the people I served it to isn’t to fond of overly sweet desserts and they ate 2 pieces. Thanks for posting.