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Carrot Cake

By EatingWell.com

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