Carrot Cake

As is often the case, I bought something on sale or, in this instance, buy one get one free, at the grocery store. This time it was two bags of pre-shredded carrots. It's more than I need to top a salad or make energy balls, and what better to do with leftover carrots than make carrot cake?

Oh how I love a good, not-dry, carrot cake.

And, in perfect timing, I got a Healthy Cooking magazine with a recipe to try. It was really, really good. This will be my go to carrot cake recipe from now on. Now, I don't pretend this is really all that healthy, but it is better for you with the substitutions the Healthy Cooking gals have made. It would be fabulous as a layer cake so that you get some good squishy layers of cream cheese frosting in there too...hmm...when are those carrots going on sale again?

Carrot Cake

Healthy Cooking magazine

3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups finely shredded carrots
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, optional

FROSTING:
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon fat-free milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
Dash salt

In a large bowl, beat the sugars, eggs, oil, applesauce and vanilla until well blended. Combine the flours, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, allspice and baking soda; gradually beat into sugar mixture until blended. Stir in carrots and walnuts.

Pour into a 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack. For frosting, in a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, milk and vanilla until fluffy. Add confectioners' sugar and salt; beat until smooth. Spread over top of cake. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 24 servings.

My notes: I did not use walnuts, but sometimes I do like to add raisins. I had a bag of pre-shredded carrots and zipped them through the food processor for a few pulses to make the pieces much smaller (but not watery). I also used light cream cheese in the frosting, which they don't recommend because they (who are "they" anyways?) say it makes the frosting too thin. I'll admit, it wasn't as decadent as full fat cream cheese frosting, but I was willing to sacrifice just a little bit to cut down on the fat. Feel free to go for the full monty - there's not much better than cream cheese frosting, is there?!?!?