Our healthified recipe brings out the natural goodness in Carrot Cake. With smart substitutions to keep it sweet and moist, it has 70% less fat and half the calories of the original.

Cake:
3-layer cake > 2-layer cake
Eggs > fat-free egg product
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil > 1/3 cup canola oil
Added 1/3 cup canned pumpkin
Added 1/4 cup fat-free (skim) milk 
2 cups all-purpose flour > 1 cup all-purpose flour plus 1/2 cup whole wheat flour

Frosting:
Cream cheese > 1/3-less-fat cream cheese (Neufchatel)
1/2 cup butter > 2 tablespoons butter or no-trans-fat 68% vegetable oil spread stick
1 cup chopped pecans > 1/3 cup chopped pecans

Nutritional Highlights

Prep Time:30 min

Start to Finish:2 hr 10 min

makes:16 servings

Cake
1/2 cup fat-free egg product
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1/4 cup fat-free (skim) milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups shredded carrots (about 4 medium) 

Frosting
4 oz (half of 8-oz package) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel), softened
2 tablespoons butter or no-trans-fat 68% vegetable oil spread stick, softened
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 to 2 teaspoons fat-free (skim) milk
1/3 cup chopped pecans

1  Heat oven to 350°F. Spray bottoms only of two 8-inch round cake pans with cooking spray. In large bowl, mix egg product, oil, pumpkin, 1/4 cup milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla with electric mixer on low speed until well blended.

2  Add all remaining cake ingredients except carrots. Beat on low speed 30 seconds or until well blended. Stir in carrots. Pour batter evenly into pans.

3  Bake 28 to 33 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Carefully run knife around sides of pans to loosen; remove from pans to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

4  In medium bowl, beat cream cheese and butter with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. On low speed, beat in 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla until well blended. Beat in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, until smooth. If necessary, add milk, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, until frosting is desired consistency. Spread frosting between cake layers and on top. Sprinkle with pecans.

Nutritional Information

1 serving: Calories 300 (Calories from Fat 90); Total Fat 10g (Saturated Fat 2 1/2g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 10mg; Sodium 190mg; Total Carbohydrate 50g (Dietary Fiber 1g, Sugars 39g); Protein 3g % Daily Value Vitamin A 70%; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 6%; Iron 6% Exchanges 1/2 Starch, 3 Other Carbohydrate, 2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices 3