Carrot Cake

Because I'm a complete and total foodie, I often find myself overhauling recipes. Fats are replaced, proteins are added, etc. But it appears that perhaps I took it too far, because my husband started to moan and groan about all the healthy versions of muffins, cakes, and even dinners!

Fair is fair, and it's important to be healthy without ruining all the fun. With that in mind, I created this version of  carrot cake that includes only a few compromises.

I serve this cake cut into 18 pieces about 2"x3" each. When that is the case, the nutritional info for one piece of UNfrosted cake is: 230 kcal,  11g fat, 29g carbs, 4g protein.

Bowl 1

Though the recipe is my own, this photo is courtesy of Epicurious.com 

1 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp cinnamon

Bowl 2
4 eggs (beaten)
1/2 cup canola oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar

Others
3 cups grated carrots
8 oz can crushed pineapple (drained)
1 cup chopped pecans

Method (60 minutes)

Preheat oven to 350F
1. Whisk together dry ingredients in Bowl 1.
2. In Bowl 2, combine all the ingredients and beat until consistency is even.
3. Using a spatula, fold ingredients from Bowl 2 into Bowl 1 and combine until all the dry ingredients are moist.
4. Fold in the final ingredients (carrots, pineapple, and pecans) and stir until they are evenly distributed. It's very important not to overdo it with mixing and blending.
5. Use a dark, 9"x13", non-stick pan coated with non-stick spray. Bake for 40 minutes at 350F. A toothpick inserted into the middle should come out clean after baking.

Frosting
8 oz Neufchatel (softened)
1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1-3 cups of confectioners sugar

Garnish with 1/2 cup of pan-toasted, chopped pecans.

For the frosting, I go by taste. Using a small spatula, I combine the neufchatel and butter. Then I add the vanilla extract and whip to ensure even distribution. I like to add confectioners sugar slowly, about 1/4 cup at a time. Then I taste between each addition until I'm happy. Admittedly, I don't care for overpoweringly sweet desserts. For mine, I used only 1 cup of confectioners sugar. My frosting has the following nutritional information: 128 kcal, 10g fat, 8g carbs, 1g protein.

Put it all together, and you have 1 slice of frosted cake garnished with pecans that weighs in at:

358 kcal
37g fat
21g carbs
5g protein

I'll be honest and say that my cake doesn't qualify as "low calorie" or even "low fat." But to be fair, this recipe will give you a delicious, decadent American classic that no one will recognize as a "healthy" compromise. And let's not forget that similar versions at popular chain restaurants like The Cheesecake Factory weigh in at over 1500 kcal (according to Calorie Lab).