Carrot Cake (sweetened with crushed pineapple and juice)

Dear David's birthday, his first, and I wanted to make something special and healthy. I found this recipe on Cooks.com, but the original recipe called for 6 tablespoons of sugar. I wanted something totally sugar free for my baby and only sweetened with fruit juice concentrate, so I just cut the sugar and added more crushed pineapple and unsweetened pineapple juice concentrate. The recipe turned out great and even my mother was asking for the recipe and my father-in-law enjoyed it, too!

Ingredients:

1 c. all-purpose flour 

3/4 c. whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. olive oil 

2 eggs
1/4 c. unsweetened pineapple juice concentrate
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. shredded carrots
1/2 c. raisins
3/4 c. crushed unsweetened pineapple, drained

Very first step, preheat the oven to 350°F and grease and flour two 8x8x2 inch pans. Next, I grated the carrots using this old outdated archaic food processor. It looks like its from the 60's, because it is from the 60's. A hand me down from my mother that I will not let go. It's dependable and efficient. They don't make 'em like this one anymore!

After that, I tossed the dry ingredients in one bowl. In a second bowl, I stirred the oil, eggs, juice and vanilla.

Stir the liquid into dry ingredients until smooth. 

 

Add the carrots, raisins and pineapple. 

Scrape the batter into prepared pans and bake 35-40 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack for about one hour or if you are like me, till you have time to come back and frost, which may be the next day.

The finishing touch, frost with Cream Cheese Frosting. See recipe below. I hope your family enjoys it as much as mine did!

Cream Cheese Frosting

For Carrot Cake or Applesauce Cake.

1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
5 tbsp. unsweetened pineapple juice concentrate
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. finely grated orange zest

Beat all ingredients together until smooth.