Light Tropical Carrot Cake

Carrot cake sounds like a healthy dessert, but most carrot cakes are loaded with fat and have over 600 calories a slice. So when Good Housekeeping published a healthy makeover carrot cake recipe with only 210 calories a slice, I had to give it a try and I wasn’t disappointed. It’s a great recipe, moist and delicious.

I have made this cake twice before in the recommended Bundt pan with great results, but this time I wanted to try it with Picky Palate’s fabulous Toasted Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting, giving it more of a tropical flare. I baked it in two 8×8 baking dishes for 30 min. The frosting is absolutely delicious and I love it on your coconut cupcakes, but it is too sweet for this carrot cake – but that didn’t stop me from having a second piece yesterday and two pieces today. Good thing I didn’t make the full fat version!

Light Tropical Carrot Cake

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Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cup(s) all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoon(s) baking soda
• 2 teaspoon(s) ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon(s) ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon(s) baking powder
• 1 teaspoon(s) salt
• 2 large eggs
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 cup(s) granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup(s) packed dark brown sugar
• 1 can(s) (8- to 8 1/4-ounces) crushed pineapple in juice
• 1/3 cup(s) canola oil
• 1 tablespoon(s) vanilla extract
• 1 bag(s) (10-ounces) shredded carrots
• 1/2 cup(s) dark raisins

Cream Cheese Icing

• 2 ounce(s) reduced-fat cream cheese
• 3/4 cup(s) confectioners’ sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) low-fat milk
• 1/4 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract

Toasted Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

• 4 Tablespoons softened butter, divided
• 2 Cups shredded coconut, sweetened
• 8 oz softenend cream cheese (I used reduced fat cream cheese)
• 3 Cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 teaspoons milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray nonstick 12-cup Bundt-style pan with nonstick cooking spray with flour.

Prepare cake: Combine flour, soda, cinnamon, ginger, baking powder, and salt.

In large bowl, with mixer on medium speed, beat eggs and egg whites until blended. Beat in sugars; beat 2 minutes. On low speed, beat in pineapple with juice, oil, and vanilla. Add flour mixture; beat 1 minute. Stir in carrots and raisins.

Pour batter into pan. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. (Don’t over cook.) Cool in pan 10 minutes. Invert cake onto rack; cool completely.

Prepare icing: In bowl, stir cream cheese and 1/4 cup sugar until smooth. Add milk, vanilla, and remaining sugar; stir to a drizzling consistency. Drizzle icing over cake.