Eat Clean Carrot Cake

This is definitely not your typical carrot cake, but certainly edible.  I found this recipe on the Eat Clean Diet message boards.  The cake came out very moist and tasted just like a carrot cake, although since I used wheat flour, I could tell it was made with a “healthier” flour.  Not a bad thing, just noticeable to me.  The icing is what was the most different.  Since maple syrup and molasses are used in it, the icing will definitely not be white as the usual icing is for carrot cake.  The icing looks more like a caramel icing, but tastes like it goes well with the carrot cake.  If I could substitute the real icing for this “mock” one, I think the cake would be perfect.  The “mock” icing on the cake does taste very good (don’t get me wrong).  This is definitely worth making again.  I’m just not sure I would make it to take somewhere, because of the appearance of the icing (not being white).  Most people would be turned off by it because it doesn’t look like a traditional carrot cake.

EAT CLEAN CARROT CAKE

Cake
2 cup spelt four or Whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
2 cups grated carrots
1 cup skim, soy or rice milk
1.5 cups natural unsweetened applesauce
1 cup 100% maple syrup
1/2 cup crushed walnuts

Icing
8 oz low-fat cream cheese
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp molasses

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grate carrots in small bowl and set aside.  Mix all dry ingredients in large bowl. Mix all wet ingredients in another bowl.  Add wet ingredients and grated carrots to dry ingredients and stir until just mixed. Stir in walnuts.

Pour into a greased 9×13 pan and bake for 40-50 minutes or until toothpick in center comes out clean.  Cool and Ice.  Beat icing until smooth.