Skinny Carrot Cake

A very tasty carrot cake recipe...  just make sure to bake it long enough, so the middle isn't too "wet".  Whoops!

Skinny Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

from SkinnyTaste

Stats:  301 cals
Serves: 16 (1 slice)

3/4 cup all-purpose flour 
3/4 cup whole wheat flour 
1 cup granulated sugar 
1/4 cup flaked sweetened coconut (although I used unsweetened, and it was fine)
2 tsp baking soda 
1 tsp salt 
2 tsp ground cinnamon 
2 tbsp canola oil 
2 large eggs 
1 1/2 tsp vanilla 
2 cups grated carrots, peeled 
20 oz. can crushed pineapple in juice, drained  
 1/4 cup chopped pecans plus 1/4 cup for topping

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
 8 oz 1/3 fat Philadelphia Cream Cheese
 1 cup powdered sugar
 1 tsp vanilla extract

Optional add-ins:  raisins, dried cranberries, etc.

Note:  I might run the pineapple through the food processor next time; some places it was too chunky.

IMPORTANT:  Make sure to drain the pineapple WELL, or it will be too wet and won't cook properly.

Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, coconut, baking soda, salt, and spices; stir well with a whisk.

In a medium bowl, combine oil, eggs, and vanilla; stir well. Add grated carrots and pineapple; mix well. Fold wet ingredients with the dry ingredients, batter will be stiff and dry but keep folding it and it will all come together. Fold in 1/4 cup chopped nuts.

Spoon batter into an 8" or 9" cake pan coated with cooking spray. For me, it was big enough; however, there were some comments that they had to make 4-6 muffins for the batter to fit. 

Bake at 350° for about 40-50 minutes, depending on pan size or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and cake is pulling away from sides of pan. Cool cake completely on a wire rack.

To prepare frosting, beat together cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Spread frosting over top of cake. Garnish with remaining chopped pecans.

 

Light and Lemony Blueberry Buttermilk Cake

When we have a birthday at work, I try to bring some sort of "treat" to celebrate.  I saw this recipe on Skinnytaste a while ago, but I didn't have much of an excuse to whip it up until recently.  I mean, I could have just baked it "just because", but I'm trying to limit my sweets... so it never really happened.

I am so glad I tried this.  I have made it three times in the past two weeks...  I made a full cake for a birthday celebration at work, a half batch for me and Uz to chow down on, and then another full batch this past weekend to eat at our Spanish service on Saturday evening.  I just love it!

The blueberries do tend to sink to the bottom.  If that bothers you, instead of mixing all the blueberries with the batter, I would only mix half and sprinkle the remaining half on top of the cake once you've poured it into the dish.  Perhaps all the berries wouldn't sink to the bottom that way.  I haven't tried it, so I can't say for sure if it will work!

I've served it plain, topped with powdered sugar, and with Cool Whip.  So get creative!  I'm toying with using other summer berries (such as chopped strawberries, blackberries, raspberries)...  doesn't that sound wonderful?

It's moist and and just plain delicious without being overly sweet.  One word of warning...  this dessert goes best with coffee! 

Light and Lemony Blueberry Buttermilk Cake

From Skinnytaste.com
Serves: 18
Stats: ~168 cals per serving

2 3/4 cups cake flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups sugar
4 tbsp softened unsalted butter
3/4 cups unsweetened applesauce
3/4 cups low fat buttermilk
zest of one lemon
2 cups blueberries
1 large egg, beaten
2 large egg whites
2 tsp vanilla
baking spray

Preheat oven to 325°.  Grease a 13 x 9 inch baking pan with baking spray.

In a large bowl combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Mix well.

Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, in a medium bowl, beat sugar and butter for about 3 minutes. Add egg and egg whites one at a time and beat until combined. Add buttermilk, lemon zest, vanilla, and applesauce until incorporated.

Add wet ingredients to the flour mixture and stir until just blended.  Gently fold in blueberries.

Place the batter into the prepared cake pan; bake cake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 40 minutes.  Serve room temperature.

To make a half-batch, use a 9 x 9 inch pan for nine servings, same baking time but the recipe is written for a full sheet cake.


Do yourself a favor and make this...  quick!

recipe: Hummingbird Coffee Cake

I stuck to the original recipe for this one, and it turned out beautifully.  I haven't tasted the finished product yet (it's for a birthday at work), but the batter was divine and the glaze heavenly.  Can't wait to nibble on a piece at lunch!

This wasn't as scary as I thought it was going to be.  I'm embarrassed to say it's my first bundt cake.  I tried to think of a way to turn this into a bread with a glaze, or cupcakes, but in the end I decided to just go ahead and do it.  The worst that could happen is it would fall apart and I'd have to run up to the store to find something else to bring for a birthday.

And the worst didn't happen.  Like I said, it turned out beautifully.  A perfect Hummingbird Coffee Cake.  I am so excited and proud of myself!

A couple tips if you haven't done this before:  Make sure to really grease up the pan with butter.  Don't be shy!  It's really messy.  Also, be generous with the flour when coating the pan, and tap it out over the trashcan or sink...  it flies everywhere like flour is wont to do.

Oh!  And for the glaze, I ended up adding in ~2 TBS extra of milk... it was way too thick.  And instead of chopping up a real pineapple, I went the quick 'n' easy route and drained the liquid out of a can of crushed pineapple and used that.  

One more thing...  When I turned the cake over to get it out of the pan, after sliding a plastic knife (they are more flexible than a real knife when sliding around bumps and curves in a pan) around the edge and the middle part, I placed the bottom of my cake container on top of the pan, layered with wax paper (for easier clean-up at work, yo!).  Then, I held it really firmly and just *BAM!* flipped it.  The cake popped right out and onto the wax paper.  Easy-peasy!

Does anyone really say that?  Easy-peasy?  Because I do.  Maybe that's weird.

Anyway, on to the good stuff:  the recipe and pics.  Please make this... it's not nearly as intimidating as I thought, and it's absolutely gorgeous!!

Hummingbird Coffee Cake: from Annie's Eats

Stats: 268 for one slice
Serves: 16

not pictured:  confectioners sugar... whoops!

For the cake:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
8 tbsp. (½ cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pan
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. coconut extract (optional)
1 cup low-fat plain greek yogurt
2 mashed bananas (about a scant 1 cup)
2/3 cup shredded coconut
1 cup finely chopped pineapple

For the glaze:
2 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 tbsp. milk
½ tsp. vanilla extract
¾ cup confectioners’ sugar, plus more as needed

To garnish:
1/3 cup shredded coconut
1/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, macadamia nuts, or pecans

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Thoroughly grease a bundt pan with butter.  Coat the inside with flour, tapping out the excess.

not pretty, but it got the job done!

In a small bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.  Whisk to blend; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar.  Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.

Mix in the eggs one at a time, blending well after each addition.

Blend in the vanilla and coconut extracts.  Beat in the yogurt until well incorporated.

look at that motion...  love my mixer!

With the mixer on low speed, beat in half of the dry ingredients, mixing just until incorporated.  Beat in the mashed bananas and then the remaining dry ingredients, again mixing just until incorporated.  With a silicone spatula, gently fold in the coconut and chopped pineapple.

 
Transfer the batter to the prepared bundt pan and smooth into an even layer.

I wasn't feeling very confident at this point...  doesn't look very pretty, does it?

Bake, rotating halfway through baking, until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean, about 50-55 minutes.  Let cool 20-30 minutes in the pan placed on a wire rack.

 
Gently loosen the cake from the sides of the pan with a knife, and carefully turn out onto the cooling rack.  Allow to cool completely.

if you get to this point, breathe a big sigh of relief... it's all downhill from here!

To make the glaze, whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl.  If the glaze is too thin, whisk in more confectioners’ sugar.  If the glaze is too thick, whisk in additional milk 1 teaspoon at a time.  Drizzle the glaze over the top of the cooled cake.  Sprinkle with shredded coconut and chopped nuts for garnish.  Let glaze set before slicing and serving.

UPDATE:  They liked it so much at work that one of my co-workers asked if I'd make it a big 18" cake for his daughter's birthday this weekend!  What?!?!