Carrot Cake

I love Easter!  It is my favorite holiday after Christmas and Thanksgiving.  I think it might be because I associate these three holidays with family gatherings and I absolutely love when our families get together and sit around the table for great food and laughs.

I was looking for a healthy version of dessert for our Easter meal and decided to mess around with a carrot cake recipe.  What followed can only be described as a VERY wonderful surprise.  I could not believe how tasty and moist this cake turned out to be.

I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup flaked sweetened coconut

3 T ground flaxseed meal

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp salt

½ cup fat free buttermilk

2 tbsp canola oil

2 large eggs

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

2 cups grated carrots, peeled

10 oz. can crushed pineapple in juice, drained  (Update from first post:  added more pineapple!)

Instructions:Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, flaxseed meal, coconut, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; stir well with a whisk.

In a medium bowl, combine buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla; stir well. Add grated carrots and pineapple; mix well. Fold wet ingredients with the dry ingredients.

Spoon batter into a Bundt pan coated with cooking spray.  Bake at 350° for about 50-55 minutes, until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and cake is pulling away from sides of pan. Cool cake completely on a wire rack.

Look at how pretty it is!

Below, here we are making the healthy carrot cake, UN...or shall we say LESS healthy…by adding The Pioneer Woman’s Best-Frosting-I’ve-Ever-Had…hey, it’s a celebration!  And it truly is AH-MAH-ZING frosting…so just go on and make it; you will thank me.

HAPPY EASTER!

Serves 16 / Per Serving:  Calories 162 / Carbs 29g / Fat 4g / Protein 3g / Fiber 2g / Sodium 327mg