Carrot Cake

Carrots give carrot cake a health-halo effect—people think it is health food, but it is usually very high in fat and calories. But this modified carrot cake uses applesauce in place of half the oil, and fat-free cream cheese instead of regular cream cheese. These simple substitutions cut the fat by two-thirds and calories by one-third.

(Make 12 serves)

Amount Per Serving: 390 Calories, 6 g. Protein, 63 g. Carbohydrates, 1 g. Dietary Fiber, 12 g. Fat, 2 g. Saturated Fat, 1 mg. Cholesterol, 230 mg. Sodium, 160 mg. Potassium, 36 mg. Calcium

Ingredients:

• 1 1/3 cups of shredded carrots
• 3 cups of water
• 2 cups of all-purpose (plain) flour
• 2 cups of sugar
• 2 tsp. of baking soda
• 2 tsp. of ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup of corn oil
• 1/2 cup of applesauce
• 5 egg whites (from large eggs)
• 2 tsp. of vanilla
• 1/4 cup of chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup of coconut
• 1/2 cup of canned, crushed pineapple (in own juice), drained

Ingredients of frosting:

• 4 oz. of fat-free cream cheese spread, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup of powdered sugar
• 3/4 tsp. of vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. of lemon juice

Preparation:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat a 9-by-13-inch cake pan with cooking spray. Dust with a bit of flour (about 1 Tbsp.) and turn the pan over to remove most of it.
• Add carrots and water in medium-size saucepan then bring to boil and cook about 5 minutes. Drain water and set aside to cool.
• Whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda and cinnamon in large-size bowl.
• In another bowl, using electric mixer on low speed, beat together oil, applesauce, egg whites and vanilla.
• Add flour mixture and beat until well blended. Fold in cooked carrots, walnuts, coconut and pineapple.
• Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
• Let cool in pan on a wire rack about 10 minutes. Remove cake from the pan and let cool completely on cooling rack, about 60 minutes.
• To make frosting, in small-size mixing bowl, using electric mixer slowly beat cream cheese. Add powdered sugar slowly and continue beating. Add vanilla and lemon juice. Mix until smooth. Frost the top and sides of the cake.
• Note : You have to make a little extra cream cheese icing to make it look like the picture.

Source : MayoClinic

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