Carrot Cake

I'm not usually a fan of carrot cake, but this recipe is really wonderful. I made it for my husband's birthday and he completely loved it! And everybody at the party took one bite and exclaimed how delicious it was and couldn't believe it contains no refined white sugar (it's sweetened with agave nectar).

Because it was a birthday, I frosted the cake with cream cheese frosting. (It took three 8-ounce packages of cream cheese) and sprinkled the top with chopped walnuts and golden raisins. But it would also be delicious eaten just plain (especially warm from the oven!) or with whipped cream, or a sprinkling of organic powdered evaporated cane juice.

This cake is very fragrant. My whole house smelled like cinnamon and spices while it was baking, and the fragrance lasted until the next day when we cut open the cake at the party. And it still lingered when we took the last leftover piece out of the refrigerator two days later.

This recipe makes a fairly large cake. To make a smaller cake, this recipe could be cut in half. And, I think it would freeze well if you didn't have a lot of people to share it with.

You know, I am making all these desserts every week, but I don't eat the entire amount. I taste it, and then I give the rest away to friends or take it to various meetings or gatherings. People are always surprised to learn it has no white sugar. When you make a recipe, eat what you want, but you don't need to eat the whole thing. Share the goodness and help those around you find out they can enjoy sweets without refined white sugar.

Makes 3 8-inch layers or a 9"x13" pan

Wet Ingredients

3/4 cup walnuts
1 1/2 cup peeled, grated carrots (3 or 4 large carrots)
3/4 cup crushed, unsweetened pineapple (fresh or canned in it's own juice)
3/4 cup raisins
3/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup agave nectar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Dry Ingredients

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line the bottoms of the cake pans with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
3. Toast the walnuts in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes, then allow to cool. Chop the nuts coarsely with a knife or in a food processor.
4. Peel and grate the carrots to a medium grate.
5. Drain the canned pineapple (reserve the juice for another use).
6. Combine the chopped nuts, grated carrots, pineapple, and raisins, and set aside.
7. Sift the dry ingredients together.
8. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream the butter and agave nectar together until well blended.
9. Add the eggs one at a time, incorporating the first egg before adding the second.
10. On the lowest speed, stir in the dry ingredients.
11. Fold the carrot mixture in by hand with a rubber or silicone spatula.
12. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, depending on pan size. The cake is done when it bounces back when touched lightly in the center.
13. Place the pan on a wire rack to cool. Make sure it is completely cool before frosting.