Low Fat Carrot Cake

Cake:
9 Tbsp butter, softened
2/3 C. packed brown sugar
1/2 C. sugar
2 large eggs
2 large egg whites
2 tsp vanilla
2 C. flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 C. low-fat buttermilk
2 C. finely shredded carrots   

Frosting:
4 ounces block-style fat free cream cheese*
1/4 C. butter, softened
2 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt
2 3/4 C powdered sugar, divided
Orange sugar sprinkles (or whatever you have around)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.**

To prepare cake, coat a 13x9 inch baking pan with cooking spray; line bottom of pan with wax paper.  Coat wax paper with cooking spray; set aside.

Place 9 Tbsp butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar in a large bowl; beat with mixer at medium speed 5 minutes or until well blended.  Add eggs and egg whites, 1 at a time; beating well after each addition until pale and fluffy.  Beat in 2 tsp of vanilla.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with knife.  Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp salt, stirring with a whisk.  Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix after each addition.  Stir in carrot.  Spoon batter into prepared pan.  Sharply tap pan once on counter to remove air bubbles.  Bake at 350 degrees** for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan.  Carefully peel off wax paper; cool completely on wire rack.

To prepare frosting, place the cream cheese, 1/4 C butter, 2 tsp of vanilla and 1/8 tsp salt in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth.  Gradually add 2 cups powdered sugar, beating at low speed until smooth (do not overbeat).  Stir in the remaining 3/4 c. powdered sugar.  Cover and chill 30 minutes.  Spread frosting over top of cake.  Garnish with  sprinkles.  Store cake loosely covered in refrigerator. 
Yield:  16 servings

Calories:  309; Fat 10.3 g; Protein 4.5g; Carb 50.2 g; Fiber 0.9g

*I have never been able to find Fat free cream cheese so I always use the 1/3 less fat ones.

**The recipe calls for the oven to be at 350 degrees, but I bake it at 300 degrees for one hour or until done.

From whence it came:  Starts with "K", ends with "erinda".  That's right, my great friend, Kerinda gets another gold star for sharing another golden recipe.  (Knowing her like I do, she's not gonna want a gold star.  She's gonna want chocolate.  She and I share a love of all things chocolate.  But all she's getting is a gold star.  And a great big thank you!)

Why it's blogable:  To be totally honest, which I always am, except when it comes to listing my weight on my driver's license, I think this carrot cake recipe is better, but it's also a lot more fattening.  So, this one is blogable because it's a lot less fattening, and still really yum-e.  No one will know it's low fat unless you tell them.  And you really shouldn't tell them, at least not until they tell you they love it, and they will.

Give it a try. 
Take it for a test drive. 
Give it a whirl. 
Take it out for a spin. 

Click here to get the printable:
Low Fat Carrot Cake

Hope you enjoy stirring it up!