NEED CARROT CAKE (low fat) RECIPE

Sound like an oxymoron...but here is the one we all enjoy!

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Carrot Cake

cakes, desserts

----CAKE----

2 1/2 cup flour 2 tb baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoon cinnamon 1 cup brown sugar 1 cup sugar 1 1/2 cup butter, softened 3 large eggs 2 teaspoon vanilla 3 cup carrots, grated 1/2 cup pineapple, crushed & drain 1 cup raisins 1 cup walnuts, chopped ----ICING---- 16 oz cream cheese, softened 1/2 cup butter, softened 1 tb lemon juice 2 teaspoon vanilla 3 cup confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans.

In a large bowl stir together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and sugars. Add butter, one egg and vanilla; blend with electric mixer on low speed. Increase speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes.

Scrape down sides of bowl. And remaining eggs, one at a time, beating

30 seconds after each addition. Add carrots, pineapple, raisins and walnuts. Blend on low until thoroughly combined.

Pour batter into prepared pans and smooth the surface with a rubber spatula. Bake in center of oven for 60-70 minutes. Toothpick inserted into center should come out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Then invert cakes on rack and cool to room temperature.

TO PREPARE ICING: On a medium bowl with eclectic mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth add lemon juice and vanilla; beat until combined. Add sugar gradually, mixing on low until smooth.

TO ICE THE CARROT CAKE: Place one layer on a cake platter, and with a metal spatula spread icing over the top to form a thin filling. Place second layer over the first, rounded side up. Coat the top and sides of the cake evenly with remaining icing. Refrigerate 1 hour to set icing.

Yield: 12 servings

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The Fine Art of Cooking involves personal choice. Many preferences, ingredients, and procedures may not be consistent with what you know to be true. As with any recipe, you may find your personal intervention will be necessary. Bon Appetit!

Here is wonderful recipe for a moist, flavorful cake that people always like. It has only 1/2 cup of oil, which you could probably reduce to 1/4 cup oil and 1/4 cup applesauce. One pound of carrots is way more than I would expect in a recipe for a single, small cake. You could try to increase the carrot, but remember that they are about 80% water, so you will have to reduce the other liquid to compensate. You can also leave out the nuts, coconut, and/or raisins if you want, but they add a lot of flavor and texture to this cake. I would try it once as written, and then make modifications if you wish.

------------------------- Fantastic Pumpkin Carrot Cake (metric)

2 cups all-purpose flour (or 2 cup plus 2 Tbs. cake flour) (240 gm) 2 tsp. baking soda 2 tsp. ground cinnamon 1 tsp. allspice 1/2 tsp. salt 3/4 cup milk (183 gm.)* 1.5 tsp. lemon juice* 1 tsp. vanilla 1.5 cups granulated sugar (300 gm) 1.25 cups Libby's Solid Pack Pumpkin (306 gm) 3 eggs (150 gm) 1/2 cup packed brown sugar (110 gm) 1/2 cup vegetable oil (109 gm) 1 cup (8-oz. can) crushed pineapple, drained (195 gm) 1 cup grated carrots (110 gm) 1 cup flaked coconut (74 gm) 1 cup raisins (145 gm) 1.25 cups chopped walnuts or pecans, divided (120 + 30 gm)

(you can substitute buttermilk for the milk and lemon juice)*

Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice and salt in small bowl.

Combine milk, lemon juice, and vanilla in a small bowl and set aside.

Beat granulated sugar, pumpkin, eggs, brown sugar and vegetable oil until combined. Beat in pine- apple, carrots, milk mixture until combined. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in Coconut, raisins, and 1 cup nuts. Pour into 2 greased

9-inch round cake pans.

Bake in preheated 350F oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 15 minutes. Remove to racks to cool completely.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened 1 3 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened 3.5 cups powdered sugar 1 tsp. grated orange peel 2 Tsp. orange juice 1 tsp. vanilla 1/3 cup butter remaining nuts to garnish.

I especially like the idea of an "eclectic" mixer. It likes to mix all

*kinds* of different things together! :-)

In the spirit of the topic ... I think you can replace an egg or two with 1/2 cup of applesauce apiece to make the cake lower in fat. You can also replace the traditional creamcheese icing with a sugar/water glaze, or omit icing altogether. And finally, instead of butter see what kinds of lower-fat margerines might do. You might find that you can lower the amount of oil in the recipe without ill effect, but you'd have to experiment a bit to see what works.

Almost forgot! Two egg whites instead of one whole egg, or eggbeaters.

Hope this helps,

--Beth Kevles snipped-for-privacy@aol.com

-- a page for the milk-allergic Disclaimer: Nothing in this message should be construed as medical advice. Please consult with your own medical practicioner.NOTE: No email is read at my MIT address. Use the AOL one if you wouldlike me to reply.

For some reason I seldom type "electric" right and the spell checker converts the word to "eclectic." Sometimes the results of poor keyboard skills and a spell checker can be quite fascinating!

I agree that the icing can be omitted or changed. I would be reluctant to replace the eggs because I think it would change the texture. I would also think twice about changing butter to margarine in any recipe due to the presence of transfats in hydrogenated oil found in margerine. Butter is healthier than margarine. I do replace butter in part or whole with canola or olive oil in recipes when possible.

Replace the oil and not the eggs for the low fat. It makes it moist and yummy. You can do that in just about every baked item to make it low fat.