#80) Apple Carrot Cake

Fall has come and gone here in Labrador, believe it or not! We are actually in the early stages of Winter already. You know what that means? Rich, spicy desserts that fill you up and make you feel warm and fuzzy inside :)

That's exactly what this extremely moist carrot cake does. The addition of grated apple and apple sauce really gives the cake its moisture, and the spices warm it up so you can stay safe from those bitter winter winds. It's all topped off with a thick maple cream cheese frosting that will make anyone go back for seconds!

In my after-school baking group we work very hard to make sure our sweet treats offer maximum flavour and enjoyment with limited amounts of fat and calories. Although this cake has a bit more sugar than we normally would use, it definitely has some of the qualities we look for in a healthier version of an old favorite:

- only 2 tbsp butter in the cake

- no oil

- replacing some of the sugar with maple syrup provides some manganese and zinc

- fat-free cream cheese for the frosting

So give the recipe a try and let me know what you think!

Apple Carrot Cake
Ingredients

2 tbsp butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 maple syrup (get the real stuff, table syrup doesn't have the same flavour)
1 egg
1/2 cup buttermilk (I used soy milk soured with about 1 tbsp vinegar)
1/4 cup applesauce
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
1 cup flour (if you want to boost the fibre, use some whole wheat flour)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup grated apple, no peel
1/2 cup grated carrot, no peel

Steps

Preheat oven to 350F.

Spray and 8" pan with non-stick spray.

In a small bowl, combine sugars, butter and maple syrup until well-blended.

Add buttermilk, egg, and applesauce. Mix well.

In a large bowl, combine flour, spices, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients until just combined.

Fold in apple and carrot.

Pour into prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes.

Let cool in pan for 10 minutes then remove from pan and continue cooling on a wire rack.


Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients

1 block fat-free cream cheese
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla
500 g icing sugar

Steps

-Combine cream cheese and butter.

-Add rest of ingredients and mix until smooth.

*This recipe makes more icing than you need for the cake. I am saving mine in the freezer for a cupcake recipe I have in the works for this weekend :)

PS - please excuse the pic... souRIRE photography was not around :(