CARROT CAKE w/ maple cream cheese frosting...for my sweetie.

CARROT CAKE w/ maple cream cheese frosting... for my sweetie.

With Valentine's Day around the corner, what better thing to make for your sweetie, family and friends....then something that has more than just sugar to sweeten it...? I love this Carrot Cake recipe because it uses 4 full cups of shredded carrots, plus 1 cup of diced pineapple. And if you really want to make this even more healthier, just replace the cane sugar with dates and Birch sugar...these are great alternatives that add fiber and additional vitamins and minerals. 

Carrot Cake 

INGREDIENTS

Cake

• 4 cup shredded carrots
• 3 egg replacer eggs
• 1 cup cane sugar
• 1 cup, pineapple chunks
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 3 cups flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• optional: candy hearts for decorating

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

• 2, 8 oz. packages cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• optional: 1 cup chopped walnuts to pat around the side of the cake...see picture above.

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 13x9x2-inch baking pan.
2. In a mixing bowl beat egg replacer eggs until fluffy. Then add sugar and oil and mix together until well combined.
3. Stir in the flour, baking powder, soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt, vanilla, and walnuts, mixing just until all ingredients are combined.
4. Add carrots and pineapple. Mix well.
5. Pour into greased pans.
6. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes at 350°, or until a wooden pick or cake tester inserted in center comes out with very little or no crumbs clinging to it. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.
7. While baking is happening, cream together all frosting ingredients until smooth and fluffy.
8. Once cakes are cooled, frost and decorate however you like!

VARIATIONSONE-PAN CAKE: Heat oven to 350° F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely. Frost.CUPCAKES: Line muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper bake cups.. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 22 to 25 minutes. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost.BUNDT CAKE: Grease and flour 12-cup Bundt pan. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 50 to 55 minutes. Cool 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely. Frost.

ENJOY!

VEGAN NOTES

• Just use vegan cream cheese for the frosting. It turns our just as well. And sugar of your choice.

GLUTEN FREE NOTES

• Substitute your favorite gluten free baking mix for the flour.

YOGIC COOKING NOTES

• Replace the sugar with 1/2 cup date paste and 1/2 cup birch sugar. To make date paste: chop 1/2 cup dates into small pieces,  heat small pot on medium, add 1 teaspoon ghee and then sautée dates in ghee until they breakdown and become paste like.

My sweetie enjoying the cake....