Healthy Low-Fat Carrot Cake

Pin It Now! Who doesn't love carrot cake, seriously? With the thick cream cheese frosting and little bits of carrots and walnuts, carrot cake is a yummy end to the day. But there's a way to make it that's much healthier and about half the calories of regular carrot cake. Yes!

Ingredients:

For the cake ~

1 orange

1 lemon

2 1/2 cup carrots, finely grated

3/4 golden raisins

1 cup ground almonds

1/4 cup walnuts, roughly chopped

3 large eggs

1 1/4 cup light brown sugar

1 cup self-rising flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

For the icing ~

3 cups confectioner's or powdered sugar

1/4 cup cream cheese

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line bottom of 8" square pan with parchment paper. Lightly brush a little vegetable oil over the base and sides.

Grate the zest of the orange and set aside. Squeeze the orange juice into a bowl and add the golden raisins. Set bowl aside.

Using a mixer, whisk the eggs and sugar with the lemon zest for five minutes until pale and airy. Add grated carrot and beat to incorporate into mixture.

Slowly add in spices, salt, ground almonds, baking soda and flour, then quickly mix until all the ingredients are combined.

Using a spatula, mix in raisins and walnuts, along with any orange juice left in the bowl, until they are evenly distributed.

Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake and comes out clean.

Cool in pan for 15 minutes, then remove from pan. Chill in refrigerator for one hour.

To make the icing:

In a large bowl, beat the first cup of sugar with the cream cheese, using a wooden spoon. Once you reach a paste, add the remaining sugar along with the lemon juice and zest. Beat vigorously to combine. Refrigerate at least a half hour. Ice all over the top of the cake, slice into 9 portions and serve.

Life is uncertain. Eat dessert first.

~Ernestine Ulmer