Healthful Carrot Cake

I'm eating healthier these days in an effort to shake the pesky extra pounds I acquired through gluttonous eating during the holidays. And that means baking more healthful snacks for my family. You know the drill, if there is a pan of fresh brownies sitting on the counter all day, nibbling a bite here and there is too tempting. Pretty soon the pan is gone and your husband comes home and asks where the brownies are. It's embarrassing and downright sinful. So, I was in the mood for a moist cake today to nibble on throughout the afternoon, so I searched allrecipes.com for a carrot cake recipe (much healthier than brownies, I am sure). All the recipes I found were anything but healthy; chocked full of butter and/or oil, white sugar and white flour. 

One recipe had 1,406 five star reviews, so I decided to make it with a few adaptations. I cut the oil almost completely and substituted apple sauce, used whole wheat flour for most of the white, added wheat germ for good measure and flax seed meal as a nutty taste since I didn't add any other nuts. I baked the cake in muffin tins and we devoured them as our dessert at lunch today. The cake stayed moist even without the oil (although didn't have enough rise to look good as a muffin without frosting), and they were full of flavor and, best of all, guilt free.

4 eggs

1/2 cup oil

3/4 cup apple sauce

1 cup brown sugar (the original recipe calls for double)

3 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup wheat germ

1/4 cup flax meal

2 tsp soda

2 tsp baking pdr.

1 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg (optional, I didn't use it)

3 cups carrots grated

1 cup raisins

You know what to do: add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Don't over mix. Add all to a greased 9x13 baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes. For muffin cups, 20 minutes.

To completely void all your healthy attempts, frost with cream cheese frosting. I obstained, but this looks so good:

1/2 cups butter, softened

8 ounces ceam cheese, softened

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Beat all ingredients together until smooth and creamy.