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Weight Watchers Recipe of the Day: WW Healthy Low Fat Carrot Cake with Pineapple and Cream Cheese Frosting
If you are looking for a low calorie, low fat, healthy carrot cake that is moist and delicious this is the carrot cake recipe for you!
I’ve been a carrot cake lover for as long as I can remember. The problem with most traditional carrot cakes is that they are heavy, sweet and packed with fat.
A typical homemade carrot cake recipe, like this one, contains a cup or more of oil and two cups of sugar—with each serving weighing in at a hefty 819 calories and *36 WW Freestyle SmartPoints. Yikes!
This moist carrot cake is a light and healthy alternative thanks to a generous amount of crushed pineapple. It is one of the best carrot cakes I’ve ever tasted.
Moist and not too sweet, it was a huge hit with the entire family when I served it up for Easter Brunch.
How Many Calories and WW Points in this Carrot Cake?
According to my calculations each slice of cake has 206 calories and:
9 *SmartPoints (Green plan)
8 *SmartPoints (Blue plan)
8 *SmartPoints (Purple plan)
5 *PointsPlus (Old plan)
To see your WW PersonalPoints for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site, Click here!
An amazing bargain when compared to most carrot cakes. You could also shave off more points by using Splenda or Truvia (affiliate link) in place of the sugar in this recipe if you wanted.
Recipe Notes
This recipe was adapted from one I saw in Weight Watchers Best-Ever Desserts: 150 Cakes, Pies, Cookies, Bars, Breads and Tarts (affiliate link).
I made the following changes to the recipe from the original:
- Instead of making a traditional 2-layer cake, I baked the cake in an 8-inch spring form pan instead. This created taller single layer cake that took 35 to 40 minutes to bake.
- I used all purpose flour instead of cake flour.
- I increased the amount of canned crushed drained pineapple from 8 ounces to 20.
- I made a half batch of icing and spread it only on the top of the cake.
The recipe calls for 1/2 cup apple butter, which adds sweetness, spice and moisture. Though I haven’t tried it yet, I think applesauce would be a fine substitute.
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WW Moist Healthy Low Fat Carrot Cake with Pineapple & Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Cake
- 1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup apple butter (or applesauce)
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
- 1-1/2 cups shredded carrots (about 3 or 4)
- 1/2 cup raisins (I used golden raisins)
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
Frosting
- 4 ounces light cream cheese
- 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
- 2 tablespoons plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Garnish
- 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts, optional for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
- Spray an 8-inch springform pan (affiliate link) with nonstick spray and set it aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well blended. Set aside.
- In a large bowl beat the eggs with an electric mixer (affiliate link) on high speed until thickened, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the sugar, beating until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Reduce the speed to low. Beat in the apple butter and oil just until blended.
- Add the flour mixture and beat just until blended.
- Stir in the pineapple, carrots, raisins and walnuts until well combined.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and place on a rack to cool for 10 minutes. Release the springform pan (affiliate link) and place the cake on a rack to completely cool.
- To make the frosting, in a medium bowl, with an electric mixer (affiliate link) on high speed beat together the cream cheese, confectioner sugar, yogurt and vanilla until smooth, about 1 minute. Place in the fridge until ready to frost the cake.
- Place the cake on a serving plate. With a narrow metal spatula, coat the top of the cake evening with the frosting. Sprinkle the walnuts on top of the cake, if desired.
- Cut into 16 even wedges.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Source: Weight Watchers Best-Ever Desserts: 150 Cakes, Pies, Cookies, Bars, Breads and Tarts (affiliate link)
A note about WW Points
If you're following Weight Watchers, all the recipes here on Simple Nourished Living have been updated for the new WW program, with points displayed in the recipe card. The Check the WW Points link in the recipe card takes you to the Weight Watchers App where you can edit it using the WW recipe builder or add it to your day.
(Must be logged into WW account on a mobile device, such as smartphone or tablet).
Delicious! The entire family enjoys this cake.
Made this into cupcakes. I used monk fruit instead of sugar also cut oil down by increasing apple sauce. Added a few extra raisins and walnuts. I did it for a friend’s bday. She just started WW. I taste tested one and WOW!! I had not added frosting even. I could eat these like a banana bread! So yummy.