Heart & Vascular Center : Recipes : Carrot Cake with Lemony Cream Cheese Icing

Serves 12
Calories 289, Protien 6 g, Carbohydrates 61g, Fiber 1g, Total fat 3g, Saturated 2g, Polyunsaturated 0g, Monounsaturated 1g, Cholesterol 9mg, Sodium 327 mg

Both baking powder and baking soda are used in this recipe. Why? Baking powder aerates and lightens the batter and baking soda helps neutralize the acid in the buttermilk. The result is a delightful cake with a tangy, creamy topping.

Vegetable oil spray

Cake:
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons fat-free tub margarine, softened
¾ cup fat-free or low-fat buttermilk
Whites of 3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups grated carrots (4 to 5 medium)
½ cup raisins

Icing:
4 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese
4 ounces fat-free cream cheese
2 tablespoons fat-free tub margarine, chilled
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 to 3 ½ cups sifted confectioners’ sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray two 8-inch square or round cake pans with vegetable oil spray.

For cake, in a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and baking soda.

In a large mixing bowl, beat brown sugar and margarine with an electric mixer on medium until well blended.

Add buttermilk, egg whites, and vanilla; beat on medium until well blended.

Gradually add flour mixture to buttermilk mixture, beating on low after each addition just until blended.

Fold in carrots and raisins. Divide batter evenly between two cake pans.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand on cooling racks for 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto racks, remove pans, and let cool completely.

Meanwhile, in a medium mixing bowl, combine icing ingredients except confectioners’ sugar. Beat on low just until smooth (don’t overbeat or icing will be too thin).

Gradually add 3 cups confectioners’ sugar, beating on low until thick; add more confectioners’ sugar if necessary to reach icinglike consistency. Transfer mixture to a shallow bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until thick and spreadable, about 1 hour.

To assemble, place one cake layer on a serving plate; spread ½ cup icing over top of cake only. Place a second cake layer on first and spread remaining icing over top and sides. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.

For additional fruit flavor, fold ½ cup finely chopped fresh or drained crushed pineapple (canned in its own juice) into the cake batter before baking.

Many times, as with this cake, you can make the cake, filling and icing in advance, then wrap them separately in plastic wrap and refrigerate them for up to two days. Tightly wrapped in plastic wrap, the un-iced cake can be frozen for up to one month; however, it is best not to freeze the icing. Let the cake thaw at room temperature before icing it.

This recipe is reprinted with permission from The New American Heart Association Low-fat & Luscious Desserts, Copyright © 2000 by the American Heart Association. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, a division of Random House, Inc. Available from booksellers everywhere.