Reduced-Fat Carrot Cake
Submitted by DawnShimmield
Reduced-fat carrot cake swaps most of the oil for prune purée, then layers three moist spiced cakes with light cream cheese frosting. Toasted walnuts, grated carrots, and crushed pineapple build full carrot cake flavor with less fat.
YIELD
1 cakePREP
20 minCOOK
40 minREADY
60 minReduced-fat carrot cake proves you don’t have to choose between a lighter dessert and a memorable one. Prune purée replaces most of the oil, contributing moisture, natural sweetness, and a subtle dark depth that carrot cake fans never miss. A modest half cup of oil keeps the crumb tender without the heaviness of the typical cup or more.
Toasting the walnuts is the trick that lets the recipe get away with just a quarter cup. Fresh-toasted nuts deliver three times the aroma and flavor of raw, so a small amount distributes punch throughout the cake.
Grated carrots, crushed pineapple, and warm cinnamon build the unmistakable carrot cake profile, layered with a lighter cream cheese frosting that still goes thick and tangy.
Pro Tips
- Make prune purée in advance and keep it in the fridge. It lasts 2 weeks and works in any cake or muffin recipe as an oil substitute.
- Drain the crushed pineapple thoroughly before adding. Excess juice waterlogs the batter and the cake never sets right.
- Don’t overmix once the flour goes in. A few streaks of dry are better than a tough, overworked crumb.
- Use low-fat cream cheese, not fat-free, for the frosting. Fat-free versions don’t hold structure and the frosting weeps on the cake.
Variations
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 350℉ (180℃).
Coat inside of three 9-inch round layer-cake pans with non-stick cooking spray.
Line the bottoms with wax paper and set aside.
Spread walnuts in a pie plate and bake for 8 to 10 minutes at 350 degrees, or until fragrant.
Let cool; chop coarsely.
Toasting the walnuts brings out their nutty flavor, and means you don’t need to use as many as in traditional recipes.
In a medium-sized bowl, stir together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and egg whites.
Add sugar, prune purée and oil and whisk until smooth.
Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until blended.
Stir in carrots, pineapple and the toasted walnuts.
Divide the batter among the prepared pans and bake for 30 to 35 minutes at 350 degrees, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan on a rack.
Loosen edges and invert cakes onto racks.
Peel off paper and let cool completely.
TO MAKE PRUNE PUREE: In a food processor, combine 6 ounces (1 cup) pitted prunes with 6 tablespoons hot water; process until smooth.
Makes 1 cup.
One cup of prune purée contains 407 calories and 1 gram of fat; a cup of butter contains 1, 600 calories and 182 grams of fat; and a cup of oil contains 1, 944 calories and 218 grams of fat.
FROSTING In a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla; beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.
TO ASSEMBLE CAKE: Place 1 cake layer on a serving plate.
Spread a scant ½ cup of frosting over it.
Top with another cake layer and spread another scant ½ cup frosting.
Place third layer on top and spread with remaining frosting.
Serves 16.
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