Healthy Carrot Cake

Last month was our son's first birthday.  We created a tradition with our daughter that on their first birthday we just give them a HUGE. HUNK. OF. CAKE. and we let them tear into it any way they can.  It's a lot of fun to photograph, and even more fun to witness.  For my daughters first birthday two years ago I made the standard box cake mix, confetti cake with confetti frosting. It was delicious, but the part she loved wasn't the cake itself. It was really getting carte blache and tearing it to bits and smearing it all over her face.  Now, I know my kids. And I knew my son was gonna love tearing into it, but I also knew he was gonna EAT that cake.  So I decided this year, it was going to be a healthier version of a cake.  There's no saying that healthy has to taste any less amazing than junky stuff. So I resisted the urge to buy the cake mix, and googled carrot cake recipes.  I found one that had some great reviews.  But looking at the ingredients, I knew I was going to have to make some changes. A LOT of changes.  The recipe listed 2 cups white sugar. I cut that down to 1 scant cup. Also 1 1/4 cup oil....that became applesauce.  I subbed out the white flour for whole wheat (or sometimes....I make this a lot.....sometimes I do half whole wheat, half white).  The biggest shock to me was what the frosting called for.  8 oz cream cheese(that's ordinary,  I use neufchatel...easy switch.)  1/2 cup butter...I use 1/4 cup instead and then.....  4 cups of confectioners sugar.  You read that right. 4 CUPS!!!! Of SUGAR!!!! in the frosting alone. Geez Louise! I used 1/3 cup confectioners sugar and it was sweet enough.  The next time I tried a bit more and it was too sweet! So I can't imagine it with 4 cups. 

Zayd loved his cake.  I mean loved it! The next weekend I took another one of these cakes to my in-laws.  My nephew who does not eat vegetables loved it and came back for more.  When I say he doesn't eat vegetables, I mean he really doesn't. We once offered him $10 to eat a tiny piece of a tomato. He declined. But he ate this cake, knowingly.  Even when he knew how much carrot is in there.  The weekend after that I went to my parents house, and took another cake. This one didn't last two days. They devoured it! Success all around!

 I love sweets. And this has been one of my biggest healthy eating pitfalls. So I have tried to substitute as much as I can, so I can still have my occasional sweets, without derailing my day.  Also, I know you always hear this, but the less sugar you eat, the less you crave it.  It is so true.  Now, for the first time since I can't remember when, I can have a small bite of something sweet, and easily push the rest away.  I don't feel deprived.  In this cake I subbed out what was really unhealthy and added something good in its place.  Lots of spices, applesauce and whole wheat.  The best thing about this cake too? It gets better and more moist over the next few days. And if you really can't finish it? It freezes really well!

ZAYD'S BIRTHDAY CARROT CAKE
CAKE
4 eggs
1 1/4 cup applesauce(unsweetened is best)
1 scant cup white sugar (you could use brown too)
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups flour (whole wheat, white or any mix of the two)
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp allspice
3 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
3 cups grated or shredded carrots
       (if you have an attachment for your food processor that will do this for you, by all means use it!It will save you so much time, hassle, and probably bloody knuckles)


FROSTING
8 oz pkg of neufchatel cheese, room temp
1/3 cup butter, room temp
1/3 cup confectioners sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat your oven to 350.  Beat eggs, applesauce, sugar, and vanilla in a good sized bowl.  Add your dry ingredients right on the top of your wet, but don't mix it in.  When all your dry ingredients are piled together, lightly mix just the dry ingredients with your fingers or a fork.  Now mix all your ingredients together.  (i just saved you a bowl. You're welcome ;) ) Now fold in your carrots, lightly. Grease(I Prefer nonstick spray coating) a 9x13 pan or a large round one as I use.  Bake for 30-50 minutes, depending on your cake size.  Until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. 

For the frosting, Beat all the ingredients together with a hand mixer or stand mixer until its fluffy.  Refrigerate the frosting while the cake bakes.  When the cake is done, allow it to cool completely before you frost it. 

That's it. The best carrot cake I've ever had.  And its healthy-er....