Recipe of the Week: Carrot Cake (The Lighter Way)

For whatever reason, when I think of summer desserts, I think of carrot cake with cream cheese frosting.

I can hear you already: “Amanda, I’m trying to get into bikini shape, you’re not helping me here.”

But alas, this recipe, taken from Better Home and Gardens “Family Favorites Made Lighter,” includes less oil and eliminates the egg yolks typical of the traditional recipe.

Here’s what you need:

Nonstick spray

1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour

1 ¾ cup sugar

½ cup oat or wheat brand

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 cups finely shredded carrot

2/3 cup cooking oil

6 egg whites

¼ cup corn syrup

Here’s what you do:

Spray a 13-by-9 inch baking pan with nonstick coating and dust lightly with flour, then setting is aside.

In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, oat or wheat bran, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. Add the carrots, cooking oil, egg whites and corn syrup.

With an electric mixer, combine the ingredients until they are mixed properly.

Then, pour batter in a the pan.

Back at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool thoroughly and frost with the cream cheese icing.

Speaking of the cream cheese icing, here’s what you need to do:

In a medium mixing bowl, beat together ½ cup of light cream cheese, 2 cups of sifted powder sugar, 2 teaspoons of vanilla and ½ teaspoon of grated lemon or orange peel. Gradually beat in 1 ¼ cup of sifted powdered to make frosting that can easily be spread.

And after that?

Enjoy!