Applesauce Carrot Cake

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This recipe makes one of the best carrot cakes--moist, flavorful and with much fewer calories than most carrot cakes.  The secret is using applesauce as a substitute for most of the oil called for in other recipes.  And of course you want a cream cheese frosting.  Most of the recipes for that include butter as well as the cream cheese--but it is not really needed--and  I also greatly reduced the amount of powdered sugar.

Cleo, Food Bank volunteer   

 

Ingredients

• 2 cups whole grain flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 large eggs
• 3 cups carrots, coarsely chopped

Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine, flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.

2. In a separate small bowl, combine the applesauce, oil and eggs. Add to the flour mixture, stirring until the ingredients are well blended. Add the carrots and mix again.

3. Pour the batter into a greased 9" tube pan, or use a 9" x 13" rectangular cake pan, or two bread loaf pans, or a cupcake pan.

4. Bake the cake in a preheated 350° F oven for about 1 hour, 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the thickest part of the cake comes out clean. Set the cake on a wire rack for five minutes. Then, run a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the cake, and turn the cake out onto the rack to cool.

Serves 16.

Recipe source

CALORIES: 145.8  |  FAT: 5.7g  |  PROTEIN: 3.6g  |  CARBS: 21.5g  |  FIBER: 2.9g