This comes from one of my favorite (pre gluten free) cookbooks “The Eating Well Diabetes Cookbook”. While neither my husband or I have diabetes, it runs in our families and I liked subbing lower GI recipes when I could. Now gluten free baking has taken over. Since an aquaintence was asking for healthier cake recipes, here’s another suggestion.
Cake:
1/2 c chopped walnuts or pecans
20 oz crushed pineapple (drain and reserve 1/4 cup juice)
2 c whole wheat pastry flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar, sucanat OR 3/4 c splenda for baking
3/4 cup non fat buttermilk (or sour some milk with lemon juice)
1/2 cup canola oil (applesauce could be subbed here if desired)
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups grated carrots
1/4 c unsweetened flaked coconut (find at a health food store)
- Preheat oven to 350 & grease a 9×13 pan.
- Toast nuts in a small baking pan in the oven or in a skillet on the stove.
Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl. - In a large bowl whisk eggs, sugar, buttermilk, oil, vanilla and juice in a large bowl.
- Stir in pineapple carrots, and coconut.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix just until blended.
- Stir in the nuts.
- Spread evenly into greased pan.
- Bake cake until the top springs back when touched or a cake tester comes out clean. This should be 40-45 minutes.
- Let cool completely on a wire rack.
Frosting:
2 TBSP (aka 1/8 cup) coconut chips or flaked coconut
12 oz reduced fat cream cheese softened
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar or splenda granular
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
- Toast coconut in the oven for 5-10 minutes in a 300* oven. Stirring occasionally.
- Beat cheese, sugar, and vanilla in a bowl until smooth.
- Spread over cake and sprinkle with toasted coconut.
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