An old favorite with an updated nutritional profile, but still as moist and delicious as ever.
| Prep Time: | 30 minutes |
| Ready in: | 1 hour 10 minutes (plus 1 hour cooling time) |
| Yield: | 16 servings |
| Ease of Prep: | Moderate |
| Recipe Ingredients | |
| 1/2 cup chopped walnuts | |
| 2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour (see Ingredient note) | |
| 2 teaspoons baking soda | |
| 1/2 teaspoon salt | |
| 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon | |
| 3 large eggs | |
| 1 1/2 cups sugar | |
| 3/4 cup nonfat buttermilk | |
| 1/2 cup canola oil | |
| 1 teaspoon vanilla extract | |
| 1 20-ounce can crushed pineapple , drained, juice reserved | |
| 2 cups grated carrots (4-6 medium) | |
| 1/4 cup unsweetened flaked coconut | |
| 2 tablespoons coconut chips or flaked coconut | |
| 12 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese , softened | |
| 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar , sifted | |
| 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract | |
Recipe Directions
- To prepare cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Toast walnuts in a small baking pan in the oven until fragrant, 5 to 10 minutes.
- Whisk flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Whisk eggs, sugar, buttermilk, oil, vanilla and 1/4 cup of the reserved pineapple juice in a large bowl until blended. Stir in pineapple, carrots and coconut. Add the dry ingredients and mix with a rubber spatula just until blended. Stir in the nuts. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, spreading evenly.
- Bake the cake until the top springs back when touched lightly and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
- To prepare frosting & finish cake: Place coconut in a small baking pan and toast in the oven at 300 degrees F, stirring several times, until light golden, 5 to 10 minutes.
- Beat cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Spread the frosting over the cooled cake. Sprinkle with the coconut.
Ingredient Note: Whole-wheat pastry flour is milled from soft wheat. It contains less gluten than regular whole-wheat flour and helps ensure a tender result in delicate baked goods while providing the nutritional benefits of whole grains. Available in large supermarkets and in natural-foods stores. Store in the freezer.
Health Advantages: low cholesterol, low sodium.
| Nutrition Information | ||||||||
| Servings Per Recipe: 16 | ||||||||
| Amount Per serving | ||||||||
| Calories: | 344 cal | Carbohydrate Servings: | 3 | |||||
| Carbohydrates: | 43 g | Dietary Fiber: | 3 g | Cholesterol: | 56 mg | |||
| Fat: | 17 g | Sodium: | 349 mg | Saturated Fat: | 5 g | |||
| Protein: | 6 g | Potassium: | 151 mg | Monounsaturated Fat: | 6 g | |||
| Nutrition Bonus: | Vitamin A (40% daily value), Fiber (12% dv). | |||||||
| Exchanges: | 2 1/2 other carbohydrate, 1/2 vegetable, 3 fat | |||||||
