Eat Cake for Breakfast...Guilt-free Carrot Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Okay, okay I know I have done carrot cake here before, whether it was Magnolia Bakery's recipe for Carrot Cake or Gluten-free Carrot Cake...or well cupcakes, pancakes, cookies, even gluten-free cookie sandwiches.  I think I might have a problem....then again carrot cake is my favorite!  (I think I might just have to figure out a baked carrot cake donut.)  There is just something about making it too, because I knew exactly what the steps were going to be once I got home after work, and knew it wouldn't be a taxing cake to whisk together on a week night.  There weren't going to be any surprises.  Plus, this one has two twists.  One, it is reduced fat, as in there is no butter in this cake and really not all that much oil!  Two, I topped it off with maple cream cheese frosting.  This cake literally was breakfast for a few people in my office yesterday morning. I mean why not eat cake for breakfast?   Kate Spade totally agrees with me on this...

But seriously other than the frosting, there isn't much difference between this cake and eating coffee cake for breakfast or even a muffin.  Or...maybe I am just trying to talk myself into it really being okay to eat cake for breakfast.  

This cake really is delicious and moist, plus it has a great spice flavor and the maple in the frosting just leaves you wondering what the new flavor is, as it is not in your face maple.  This cake is so jam packed with flavor you won't even miss the butter!  So give it a try and enjoy!

Dry ingredients ready for sifting: flour, baking soda, baking powder 

&

Spices: allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg & ginger + salt

These will ultimately form the wet ingredients...

Bowl on the left: eggs, canola oil, Greek yogurt and apple sauce

Bowl on the right: white sugar and light brown sugar

Raisins, pineapple and carrots...ready to be folded into the batter.

Ready for the pans.

Again the small things in life...like when cakes glide easily out of their pans.

Reduced Fat Carrot Cake: (recipe adapted from Alton Brown)
2 1/2 cups, all-purpose flour
2 cups grated carrots
1/2 cup crushed pineapple in pineapple juice
1/2 cup raisins
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
3 large eggs
4 oz No Fat Plain Greek Yogurt [126820]
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting:
**Note if you want to frost the sides of this cake, I would recommend doubling the frosting recipe.
8 oz 1/3 fat cream cheese
1/4 cup Earth Balance
2 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tablespoon maple syrup

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray 2-9 inch pans with non-stick cooking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper.  Set aside.

2.  In a medium sized mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, all spice, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger.

3.  In a large mixing bowl, whisk together yogurt, apple sauce, canola oil, and eggs until well combined.  Then whisk the white sugar and brown sugar into the wet ingredients.

4.  In 3 addition, gently whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients just until combined.  Do not over mix.

5.  Next, carefully fold the carrots, raisins and pineapple into the batter, just until incorporated.

6.  Divide the batter between the two prepared pans.  Bake in preheated oven for 25-20 minutes or until a tooth pick tester comes out clean.  Let cool on cooling racks for 15 minutes, and then remove cakes from pan, pulling away the parchment paper, and let finish cooling.  While the cakes are cooling prepare the frosting.

7.  In a large mixing bowl, using and electric mixer, cream together the cream cheese and earth balance until light and fluffy.  Then mix in 2 cups of sifted powered sugar, until all sugar is incorporated.  Then mix in the 1/2 tablespoon of maple syrup.  If frosting appears to runny mix in another 1/2 cup of powdered sugar or until desired consistency is reached.

8.  Once cakes have cooled, using a serrated knife, cut the rounded top off of one cake to make it flat; this will be the bottom layer.  Place bottom layer on serving plate.  Frost with about 1/3 of the frosting or until the top of the bottom layer is covered.  Place the 2nd cake on top, and frost only the top.  Serve immediately or place in the refrigerator until 30 minutes before serving.  Enjoy!

Here are the health facts per serving: (getting 16 slices out of the cake)

292 calories per serving

Total Fat 13.0g

    Saturated Fat 4.1g

    Trans fat 0.0g

Cholesterol 45mg
Sodium 286mg

Total Carbohydrates 42.1g

    Dietary Fiber 1.1g

    Sugar 39.2g

Protein 3.1g

% Daily Value
Vitamin A 47%
Vitamin C 6%
Calcium 5%
Iron 4%