Carrot Cake

By Kmac_4

Ingredients

• For the Cake:
• 1/2 C chopped walnuts
• 2 C whole wheat pastry flour
• 2 t baking soda
• 1/2 t salt
• 2 t cinnamon
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 C sugar
• 3/4 C nonfat buttermilk
• 1/2 C canola oil
• 1 t vanilla
• 1 20 oz. can crushed pineapple, drained, juice reserved
• 2 C grated carrots (4-6 medium)
• 1/4 C unsweetened flaked coconut
• Frosting:
• 2 T coconut chips or flaked coconut
• 12 oz. reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 C confectioners sugar, sifted
• 1 1/2 t vanilla

Details

Servings 16

Preparation

Step 1

To prepare cake: Preheat oven to 350. Coat a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray. Toast walnuts in a small baking pan in the oven until fragrant, 5 to 10 minutes.

Whisk flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Whisk eggs, sugar, buttermilk, oil, vanilla and 1/4 C of the reserved pineapple juice in a large bowl until blended. Stir in pineapple, carrots and coconut. Add the dry ingredients and mix with a rubber spatula just until blended. Stir in the nuts. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, spreading evenly.

Bake the cake until the top springs back when touched lightly and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool completely.

Toast coconut in the oven at 300 degrees stirring for several times until light golden, 5 to l0 minutes. Make frosting. Sprinkle toasted coconut on top.