Carrot Cake

This week’s recipe

    At the 2012 Lions Convention in Goderich, we were served this delicious carrot cake. Lion Regina Campbell shared this recipe with us and it is truly moist and delicious. It is a Manitoulin Island Family Favourite.

        Ingredients:

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

I cup oil

2 tsp vanilla

2 cups grated carrots

1 – l0 oz can crushed pineapple (save some juice for icing)

1 cup coconut

1/4 cup coconut

1/3 cup chopped walnuts  (or raisins as they had at the  convention)

2 1/2 cups flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

        Instructions:

    Beat eggs well, add sugar oil and beat.

    Add vanilla, grated carrots. pineapple, coconut and nuts (or raisins).

    Fold in flour, soda, salt.

    Pour into an 11″ x l3″ pan or two 8” pans and bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes.

    When cool ice with…

        Icing & Instructions:

1 small pkg cream cheese

1/4 cup butter

1 cup icing sugar

small amount of pineapple juice.

    Cream together and spread over cooled cake.

    Keeps well, but is certain to disappear quickly.

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    I found this recipe on the Food Network website. I like carrot cake but it is pretty high in calories. So I hunted for a recipe with reduced calories. This recipe is actually quite good although it does not have walnuts or pecans in it.

        Ingredients:

Vegetable cooking spray

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 3/4 tsp baking soda

1 3/4 tsp kosher salt  (I used sea salt)

1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

3 large eggs

1 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup canola oil (next time I’m using applesauce)

3/4 cup buttermilk (1 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice, fill milk to one cup, let stand 5 minutes)

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

3 cups coarsely grated carrots

        Instructions:

    1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.   Spray a 9 x 13 pan with vegetable spray; line it with a piece of parchment paper, leaving a 1 inch overhang on sides and spray paper.

    2. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice in a medium bowl. In another medium bowl, whisk the eggs  and sugar until pale; whisk in the oil, then the buttermilk and vanilla. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold in the carrots. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

    3. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack. Using the parchment overhang, remove the cake from the pan. Frost the cooled cake with Lighter Creamy Frosting, if desired. Cut into 16 (2 by 3 inch) pieces and serve.

Nutritional values per serving: Calories 198; total fat 6g; protein 3g; carb 34g; fiber 3g.