Carrot Spice cake and cream cheese icing

I made this cake a few weeks ago but have hesitated on blogging about it for 2 reasons:

#1 The icing didn't turn out right, I didn't have enough powdered sugar to really make it a true icing, it was more of a glaze

#2 The photos aren't too good either, partly because I was very VERY tired of cooking and photography this day (I cooked and photographed 5 new dishes!) and, well, see #1

After a week or so, I decided to just post the cake, ugly pictures and all, as the cake itself was very very good. Its incredibly moist, the last slices were just as moist and delicious as the 1st ones were. The ample amount of spices and bright color make this a delightful treat on cold end of winter days.

I created this recipe because my daughter requested carrot cake. Well, she actually asked me to make her chocolate chip cookies, but we were out of chocolate chips. So she then asked "What about carrot cake Mom?" I was a little shocked and surprised, she's never asked for carrot cake before, heck she's not had carrot cake since she was 1 and even then she didn't eat it!! What kind of a mom would deny my little Witch a carrot cake??? After all, its got veggies in it, its practically health food!

I did some research on carrot cake, most call for an unholy amount of oil. I halved the oil, added a can of crushed pineapples and added reconstituted raisins, all of which helped keep the cake super moist and keep it on this side of healthy. A bit of whole wheat flour added a bit more fiber, and its texture was completely unnoticeable in the cake.



The recipe makes 3 eight (8) cakes, so you have a nice, tall layer cake. I don't think I'd try it in a bundt pan, its too dense and I'm pretty sure the outside would burn before the inside was finished cooking.

Carrot Spice Cake
makes 12 servings
3 cups shredded carrots (about 5 large)
1 20 oz can crushed pineapple in its own juice, drained well
1 c. raisins, plumped
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1/2 c oil
juice and zest of 1 orange
1 cup flaked coconut
1 T vanilla
2 t cinnamon
1 t ground ginger
pinch cloves
pinch fresh ground nutmeg
1 t salt
2 t baking soda
2 1/2 cups AP flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour

Cream Cheese icing
8 oz cream cheese (1 block) or Neufchatel cheese (low fat cream cheese)
4 cups confectioners sugar
2 T butter
1 t vanilla
1 t lemon juice

Cake batter assembly: This can be done with a mixer or by hand
In a large work bowl combine the oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla and lemon & orange juices, mix well until throughly combined and smooth. Add orange zest, carrots, pineapple, coconut and raisins. Mix until combined, this will be lumpy.

Mix dry ingredients together, including spices. Add dry ingredients to the wet in 3 installments, stirring in each round until flour is no longer visible but you don't want to over mix this, so don't go overboard. If using a stand mixer I'd go about 4-5 seconds on a 3-4 speed, scrape down sides, add the next round of dry good, mix 5 seconds, scrape, add last round of dry and mix 5-7 seconds longer.

Prep 3 8 inch round cake pans by spraying with non stick spray and lining bottoms with parchment rounds. If you don't have parchment you can use aluminium foil, I did and it worked fine! If you need details on how to make a parchment round for you cake pans send me a comment & I'll let you know how its done :)



Distribute batter evenly among the 3 pans. Bake at 350* for 35 to 40 minute, or until cake tests clean in center. Run a knife along the edge of cake and allow to cool about 30 minutes before inverting out of pan. Once cakes are fully cooled you can frost the cake.

Isn't it UGLY?? Good thing it tasted good :)


Nutrition Facts provided by SparkPeople Recipe Calculator
12 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 505.9
Total Fat 16.9 g
Saturated Fat 5.6 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 3.1 g
Monounsaturated Fat 7.1 g
Cholesterol 49.8 mg
Sodium 528.5 mg
Potassium 304.2 mg
Total Carbohydrate 83.6 g
Dietary Fiber 3.5 g
Sugars 42.8 g
Protein 7.3 g