Lightened-Up Carrot Cake

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Lightened-Up Carrot Cake

This Lightened-Up Carrot Cake is a lighter version of the typical carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. You'll get the best of both worlds with this recipe, making a classic Easter dessert recipe without excessive unhealthy ingredients. 

Notes



  •  If you do not have a 6-cup tube pan, use an 8 x 8 bake pan instead.



One dessert recipe that we think you'll love if you enjoyed making Lightened-Up Carrot Cake is a classic Hummingbird Cake. This moist and flavorful cake is loaded with bananas, pineapple, and pecans, making it a deliciously sweet treat. It's perfect for any occasion and is sure to be a hit with your family and friends.

If you're looking for a healthier dessert option, we suggest trying a recipe for Greek Yogurt Lemon Bars. These tangy and refreshing bars are a great alternative to traditional lemon bars, as they are made with Greek yogurt for a lighter twist. They are easy to make and are perfect for a summer gathering or a casual dinner party.

For a more decadent option, we recommend making a Chocolate Zucchini Bread. This rich and moist bread is a great way to use up summer zucchinis and is a sneaky way to add some vegetables into your dessert. It's a great option for chocolate lovers and can be enjoyed as a breakfast treat or a dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

We hope these dessert recommendations inspire you to try something new in the kitchen and satisfy your sweet tooth! Let us know which one you decide to make next.

Serves8

Preparation Time20 min

Cooking Time20 min

Cooking MethodOven

Ingredients

  • 2 egg whites
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup cake flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
  •  
  • 1/2 cup non-fat plain yogurt
  • 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 cup shredded carrot (about 1 large carrot)
  • 10 ounces canned pineapple in juice
  • 1/2 cup golden raisins (optional)
  • For the Glaze:
  • 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Spray a 6-cup Bundt tube cake pan liberally with cooking spray.

  2. Separate eggs while they are cold and let whites stand at room temperature while assembling the rest of the ingredients. (Discard yolks or use for another recipe).

  3. Combine flour, cake flour, baking powder and baking soda and the spices in a bowl. Stir with a whisk to mix completely.

  4. Drain pineapple, reserving cup of juice for use in the glaze.

  5. With an electric mixer on medium high, beat egg whites until foamy, 1 minute. Add yogurt, brown sugar, oil and vanilla, beating until well mixed. Place dry ingredients into a sifter or wire sieve and sift over the egg mixture, then fold lightly until combined. Light fold in carrots, pineapple and raisins.

  6. Spoon evenly into the prepared tube pan and bake about 45 minutes, or until cake test done in the center with a toothpick. Remove to a cooling rack and cool 10 minutes, then gently loosen sides and around the tube using a table knife. Invert cake on a cooling rack and cool completely.

  7. When cake is cool, sift powdered sugar and salt into a bowl. Whisk in the juice as needed to make a smooth pourable glaze and add the salt. Place cake on a serving platter and pour glaze over and down the sides of the cake.

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I'm not usually a fan of carrot cake, but I really enjoyed this one! It kind of tasted like a cross between a carrot cake, spice cake, and the brown bread my Grandma used to make. I'd eat this again.

This wasn't my favorite carrot cake, because I usually like a bit more frosting, but it makes for a decent "lighter" version of the dessert.

This cake tastes like what I wish carrot-cake-flavored cereal/snack bars tasted like. It's springy and filled with yummy fruit. I'd be more inclined to eat it as a snack than a dessert.

I thought this cake was pretty good, but it would have been better with more frosting (although that would probably defeat the purpose of the "lighter" version).

Too much pineapple and not enough carrot flavor to seem like a carrot cake to me. The texture was a little "bouncy," for lack of a better description, but overall, not a bad cake. I like the traditional icing on it, though that probably doesn't help with lightening it up.

This reminded me exactly of a Bundt cake my Grandma used to make. Extra points for the nostalgia!

Do you think this recipe would turn out if I just left out all the fruit? My philosophy is that fruit and cake should not mix.

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