Carrot Cake (Wait, there's pineapple and coconut in there?)

Carrot cake is a little bit of wonderfulness in my opinion.  I mean, you gotta love a dessert that incorporates a veggie and convinces you it's "healthy" when it is, in fact, cake!  Your typical cream cheese iced carrot cake has more fat and calories than a Duncan Hines mix cake with frosting.  Have no fear though, I am happy to report that I found a healthy-er substitution that is still extremely moist and delicious, but has about 50 percent less fat and calories than most.  Plus, there's coconut in it so you can't go wrong.  Have I mentioned how I feel about coconut (more coconut love here)?  LOL

This recipe was adapted from one found in Eating Well magazine.

Cake:
20 oz crushed pineapple
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 tsp baking soda
dash salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar (I used 1/2 granulated and 1 evaporated cane juice)
3/4 cup nonfat buttermilk
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups grated carrot (about 4-6)
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flake
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

Frosting:
8 oz low fat cream cheese
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
toasted coconut flakes to top

Heat oven to 350.  Coat 9x13 pan with cooking spray.  Drain pineapple over a bowl, pressing on the solids to get as much liquid out as possible.  Reserve 1/4 cup of the juice.

Whisk flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a bowl.  Whisk eggs, sugars, buttermilk, oil, vanilla and pineapple juice in a large bowl.  Stir in the pineapple, carrots and coconut.

 

Add dry ingredients to wet and mix until just blended.  Stir in the nuts and spread evenly into prepared pan.

Bake 40-45 minutes or until top springs back when touched.  Let cool on a wire rack.

For frosting, beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in a mixing bowl until smooth and creamy.  Spread over cooled cake and top with toasted coconut flake.  Now sit back, put your feet up, play some soft music, dim the lights, inhale deeply, close your eyes and take a bite.  Ahhhh, yum!