This Healthy & Light Carrot Cake is low-fat and full of wholesome ingredients like shredded carrots, prunes, pineapple. walnuts and applesauce. It's Weight Watchers friendly and the low-fat cream cheese makes for a lighter icing. But it's so delicious you'll never know healthy, light or WW friendly!
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/175 degrees C. Coat the inside of 3- 8 inch layer pans with cake release (see NOTES) Or use non-stick cooking spray.
Spread walnuts in a pie plate and bake for 8 -10 minutes, until fragrant. Cool.
In a medium sized bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, baking powder and salt.Â
Make Prune puree
In a food processor, combine 1 cup of pitted prunes with 6 tbsps hot water. Process until smooth.
In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and egg whites. Add sugar, prune puree and apple sauce and whisk until smooth.
Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and stir until blended. Stir in carrots, pineapple and toasted walnuts.
Mix until blended.
Divide the batter among the pans and bake for 30- 35 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes before gently removing from pan.
Cool for an additional 10 minutes on a cooling rack.
To Make Frosting
In a separte bowl, combine cream cheese, icing sugar and vanilla; beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy
Assembly
Before you start to decorate, take a pastry brush and dust off any crumbs on the cake.
Place the first cake on an 8 inch cardboard cake circle (for easy transport) if you plan to move it or place it on the surface you plan to serve it on.
Then add some cream cheese icing/frosting as filling (see photo). You don't want to use very much, as it's rich and you need to keep most of it to frost the cake. Then add the second cake and repeat. Add the third cake.
Crumb coat the cake and freeze for 10 minutes: Add a very thin layer of frosting (as shown) to the cake and smooth. Do NOT leave in the freezer any longer than 10 minutes. *** You don't have to do this, but I do find it makes it easier to frost, especially if you want to avoid getting crumbs mixed in the icing!
Frost/Ice the Cake: Spread the remainder of the icing evenly on the cake (SEE VIDEO IN NOTES)Â
Garnish/Decorations (optional):
Add chopped walnuts to the side of the cake (I did this by literally 'throwing them' at the side of the cake. Then add to top. * This is optional
Pat dry pineapple rings and cut in half. Make sure they are dried well.
Add 2 pineapple halves, pressed together to the top of the cake - you'll need 5 sets of 2.
Slice peeled carrot into circles.
Add a slice of carrot to each side of the pineapple.
Serve or refrigerate until ready to serve. * Can be made in advance and refrigerated for up to 4 days.
Notes
*See post for important information and tips!
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Nutrition Facts
📋 Healthy and Light Carrot Cake Recipe
Amount Per Serving (1 slice)
Calories 255Calories from Fat 45
% Daily Value*
Fat 5g8%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Cholesterol 34mg11%
Sodium 391mg17%
Potassium 332mg9%
Carbohydrates 47g16%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 27g30%
Protein 6g12%
Vitamin A 2925IU59%
Vitamin C 4mg5%
Calcium 85mg9%
Iron 0.7mg4%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.