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 Next, I grated the carrots using this old outdated archaic food processor.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.

Whole Wheat Sugar Free Apple Cake

I love the fall weather and especially the crispness and sweetness of the apples. I recently purchased 20 lbs of organic Fuji apples from Azure Standard, a provider of quality bulk and natural foods. I think half is already gone. My favorite clean eating recipe for apples is apple cake and my kids love it, too! What I love most about this recipe is no sugar is needed. The apples' own sweetness makes this recipe a delightful dessert.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 stick (8tbsps) unsalted butter, softened and cooled
• ½ cup apple sauce unsweetened
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup and 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3-4 large apples, cored, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray an 8- to 9-inch pan with olive oil.  Using an electric mixer or hand whisk, mix the butter, apple sauce, eggs, and vanilla until well combined.

Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl. Add them to the moist mixture. Mix again until the batter is smooth. Fold in the apple cubes.

 Pour the batter in the prepared pan. Bake until the cake is set and slightly browned, about 35 minutes. Serve with homemade ice cream or store bought works just as well.

Whole Wheat Apple Cake Sugar Free

8 servings

1 stick (8tbsps) unsalted butter, softened and cooled
½ cup homemade pear sauce unsweetened
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup and 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
3 large apples, cored, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes (You could use fresh, but I used the frozen apples from last fall. I thought it was necessary to get them used up before the apples really developed freezer burn.)


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray an 8- to 9-inch pan with olive oil.

Using an electric mixer or hand whisk, mix the butter, pear sauce, eggs, and vanilla until well combined.

Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl. Add them to the moist mixture. Mix again until the batter is smooth.

Fold in the apple cubes.

Pour the batter in the prepared pan. Bake until the cake is set and slightly browned, about 35 minutes. Serve with homemade ice cream or store bought works just as well.