Pineapple Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

pstrongServes 8/strong/p
h3Notes/h3
pReplacing 1/3 of the flour in the original recipe with ground nuts cuts the carbohydrate count and adds both fiber and protein. You can replace up to 1/2 of the flour with ground nuts./p
pWhen using a granulated sugar substitute, cakes do not brown or rise the same way as when using regular sugar. Adding sour cream, baking soda and vinegar helps to get the cake to rise. (A cake made in an 8" round pan will be only about 1-1/2 inches high.) /p
h3Ingredients/h3
pstrongPineapple Carrot Cake/strong/p
ul
li1/2 stick of butter (Balance Blend 50/50 or I Can't Believe It's Not Butter sticks) at room temperature/li
li1/4 cup vegetable oil/li
li1 cup granulated sugar substitute/li
li2 large eggs at room temperature/li
li1 tsp pure vanilla extract/li
li2 tbsp low-fat sour cream/li
li1 tsp cider vinegar/li
li2/3 cup flour, divided/li
li1/2 cup toasted walnuts, cooled and chopped, divided/li
li3/4 cup shredded carrots/li
li1/2 cup chopped pineapple, well drained/li
li1 tsp cinnamon/li
li1 tsp ginger/li
li1/8 tsp nutmeg (optional)/li
li1/8 tsp ground cardamom (if you can find it)/li
li1 tsp baking powder/li
li1 tsp baking soda, divided/li
liPinch of salt/li
/ul
pstrongCream Cheese Frosting/strong/p
ul
li8 ounces (1 pkg.) cream cheese (low-fat is OK but NOT fat-free)/li
li1/2 cup granulated sugar substitute/li
li1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract/li
li1 tsp pineapple juice/li
/ul
h3Preparation/h3
ol
liPreheat oven to 350 F./li
liIn a food processor: Combine 1/4 cup walnuts, 1/3 cup flour and salt. Pulse until nuts are pulverized. Add 1/3 cup flour and spices. Pulse until combined. Add baking powder and 1/2 tsp baking soda. Pulse until combined./li
liIn a stand mixer: Cream butter and granulated sugar substitute until light and fluffy. Add oil and beat until well-combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add 1 tsp vanilla./li
liAdd remaining 1/2 tsp baking soda to sour cream and stir. Add to sugar mixture./li
liAlternately add the dry ingredients, the eggs, and the sour cream mixture to the sugar mixture, starting with the dry. MIX ONLY UNTIL JUST INCORPORATED (otherwise you'll wind up with bread)./li
liWhen the wet and dry ingredients are combined, add the shredded carrots, remaining 1/4 cup walnuts, and chopped pineapple. Stir until just incorporated./li
liSpray an 8" spring form or small (6 cup) bundt pan with cooking spray to avoid sticking./li
liSpoon into baking pan and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until tester comes out dry from the center. (Note: This cake may not brown.)/li
liCombine cream cheese, 1/2 cup granulated sugar substitute, 1/2 tsp vanilla and pineapple juice. Beat until smooth./li
liFrost cake while still slightly warm. Decorate with whole walnut pieces and chopped pineapple./li
/ol
h3Nutritional Information/h3
pNet carbohydrates: 14g/p
pciteRecipe from a href="http://www.thedecadentdiabetic.com/"Ward Alper, the Decadent Diabetic/a./cite/p
p class="small-note"In the event that you find that this recipe is not appropriate for diabetics, please a href="http://www.informationaboutdiabetes.com/ content/main/about-contact"contact us/a and we will review your suggestions./p