Nutrition Notes

Are Carrots Good for You?

Carrots are loaded with vitamin A—one medium carrot provides almost 60% of your day's worth. This is why they are mostly known for their influence on healthy vision. But carrots' health benefits go beyond just eyesight. The nutrients in carrots can also play a role in protecting the heart, brain and skin, and boost immunity. This is, in part, because they can also help calm chronic inflammation.

Is This Recipe Vegetarian-Friendly?

Yes, as long as you eat dairy and eggs, this recipe fits nicely into a vegetarian way of eating. Just make sure you check the ingredient list on the whipped topping to make sure it has no other animal products besides dairy (many whipped toppings contain sodium caseinate, which comes from milk).

Tips from the Test Kitchen

What Is the Best Way to Shred Carrots for Cake?

For the best texture, it's important to finely shred the carrots to help distribute them evenly throughout the cake and prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the pan during baking. You can finely shred carrots using the small shredding side of a box grater or the fine shredding disc of a food processor.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Make Carrot Cake Ahead?

Yes, you can wrap the cooled carrot cake layers in plastic wrap and refrigerate them for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature. Frost the carrot cake up to 2 hours ahead and garnish with the coarsely shredded carrot before serving.

Additional reporting by Carrie Myers, M.S. and Jan Valdez

Ingredients

Carrot Cake

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
⅔ cup flax-seed meal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
3 cups finely shredded carrot (about 6 medium carrots) (see Tip)
1 cup refrigerated or frozen egg product, thawed, or 4 eggs, lightly beaten
½ cup granulated sugar (see Tip)
½ cup packed brown sugar (see Tip)
½ cup canola oil
1 Coarsely shredded carrot

Fluffy Cream Cheese Frosting

2 ounces softened reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel)
½ teaspoon vanilla
¼ cup powdered sugar
1 ½ cups frozen light-whipped dessert topping

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and lightly flour two 8x1-1/2- or 9x1-1/2-inch round cake pans; line bottom of pans with waxed paper or parchment paper. Grease and lightly flour the waxed paper or parchment paper and the sides of the pans. Set aside.
In a large bowl, stir together flour, flax seed meal, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt; set aside. In another large bowl, combine finely shredded carrot, eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir until combined. Divide batter evenly among prepared pans, spreading evenly.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes for 8-inch pans, 20 to 25 minutes for 9-inch pans, or until a toothpick inserted near centers of the cakes comes out clean. Cool cakes in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto wire racks. Cool completely.
In a medium bowl, beat reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel) with an electric mixer on medium to high speed until smooth. Beat in vanilla. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until smooth. Thaw 1-1/2 cups frozen light whipped dessert topping. Fold about 1/2 cup of the topping into the cream cheese mixture to lighten. Fold in the remaining whipped topping.
Place one cooled cake layer on a serving platter. Top with half of the Fluffy Cream Cheese Frosting. Place the second cake layer atop the frosting; spread with the remaining frosting. If desired, garnish with coarsely shredded carrot.

Equipment

Two 8x1-1/2 or 9x1-1/2-inch round cake pans

Tip

If using a sugar substitute, choose Splenda Sugar Blend for Baking in place of granulated sugar. Choose Splenda Brown Sugar Blend for Baking in place of brown sugar. Follow package directions to use product amount that's equivalent to 1/2 cup granulated and brown sugars. Nutrition analysis per serving: same as below except 231 calories, 25 g carbohydrate, 186 mg sodium. Daily values: 3% calcium. Exchanges: 1 1/2 other carbohydrates. Carbohydrate choices: 1 1/2.

Originally appeared: Diabetic Living Magazine

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

254	Calories
12g	Fat
34g	Carbs
5g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 14
Serving Size 1 slice
Calories 254
% Daily Value *
Total Carbohydrate 34g	12%
Dietary Fiber 3g	9%
Total Sugars 19g
Protein 5g	10%
Total Fat 12g	15%
Saturated Fat 2g	10%
Cholesterol 3mg	1%
Vitamin A 4616IU	92%
Vitamin C 2mg	2%
Folate 45mcg	11%
Sodium 188mg	8%
Calcium 40mg	3%
Iron 1mg	6%
Magnesium 9mg	2%
Potassium 140mg	3%

Nutrition information is calculated by a registered dietitian using an ingredient database but should be considered an estimate.

* Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day. Percent Daily Value (%DV) found on nutrition labels tells you how much a serving of a particular food or recipe contributes to each of those total recommended amounts. Per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the daily value is based on a standard 2,000 calorie diet. Depending on your calorie needs or if you have a health condition, you may need more or less of particular nutrients. (For example, it’s recommended that people following a heart-healthy diet eat less sodium on a daily basis compared to those following a standard diet.)

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a special diet for medical reasons, be sure to consult with your primary care provider or a registered dietitian to better understand your personal nutrition needs.