Carrot Birthday Cake

Happy Tuesday everyone!  We had a lovely long weekend, and of course I have lots of progress to show you on the dining room, which is nearing completion... yay!

However, lately I feel like I'm just giving you the news; what we've finished, what we're working on, etc.  So today I'm going to add a little life and give you a fab recipe.  I love to bake, when I was in university I used to bake to relieve stress so around exam time there would be cookies flying out of the oven.  Our house was very popular for studying as you might imagine.  I joke that my husband (who I met in university) married me for my chocolate chip cookies.

This cake recipe has become one of my signature go-to things to make for a party, plus its hubby's favourite, so that doesn't hurt either.

Remember when I mentioned about hubby's birthday party a couple of weeks ago?  Well for his birthday he said that all he wanted was a carrot cake, so that's what I made! Of course I also threw him a party and made lots of other food and maybe I also got him a gift too... can't help it!  I LOVE birthdays.

So without further ado here is how you can make a fabulous carrot cake of your own.  Oh and did I mention that it's also low in fat!  Could it get any better? 

Carrot Cake (adapted from "Must Bake Carrot Cake" from Janet & Greta Podleski "Crazy Plates" book)
2 1/2 cups of all purpose flour (usually I use 2 cups white and 1/2 cup whole wheat)
2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp EACH baking soda and baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups of brown sugar
1 small can of crushed pineapple drained of all juice (do not include the juice)
3 eggs
3/4 cup plain yogurt (not sweetened)
1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla
3 cups grated carrots
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1/2 cup raisins (optional)

Preheat oven to 350F.  Spray 2x8" round baking pans with non-stick spray (I also add parchment paper to the bottom of the pans for easier removal).

Combine first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together brown sugar, pineapple, eggs,
yogurt, applesauce, oil and vanilla.  Stir in grated carrots.  Add flour
mixture to carrot mixture and stir until well blended.  Stir in walnuts and raisins.

Pour batter into prepared pans.  Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a
toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean.  Set pan on a wire
rack and cool cake completely.

Remove cake from pans and frost as desired (I like cream cheese frosting).

If your cake looks like this and is surrounded by empty plates you know it was good.

Yum!

I'm linking this up to Rhoda's Recipe Party