Healthier Carrot Cake
Yields: 1 (9-inch) cake
 
Ingredients
  • 1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple in juice, drained and juice reserved
  • 1⁄2 cup golden raisins
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1⁄2 cup whole wheat flour
  • 3⁄4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
  • 11⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 11⁄2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1⁄4 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1⁄4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1⁄4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 2 cups grated carrot
  • 1⁄3 cup canola oil
  • 1⁄3 cup light buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows)
  • 1⁄4 cup toasted pecans, chopped
  • Garnish: ground cinnamon
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 9-inch round deep cake pan with baking spray with flour.
  2. In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine reserved pineapple juice and raisins. Microwave on high until mixture begins to boil, about 30 seconds. Let stand for 20 minutes. Drain raisins.
  3. In a large bowl, combine flours, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, allspice, ginger, and nutmeg. Stir in carrot. In a medium bowl, whisk together oil, buttermilk, vanilla, eggs, pineapple, and raisins.
  4. Make a well in the center of dry ingredients. Add egg mixture, stirring until moistened (batter will be thick). Spoon into prepared pan, smoothing top with a spatula.
  5. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan, and let cool completely on a wire rack.
  6. Place cake on a cake plate. Spread with Cream Cheese Frosting, and sprinkle with pecans. Garnish with cinnamon, if desired.
Recipe by Taste of the South at https://tasteofthesouthmagazine.com/healthier-carrot-cake/