The Best of Clean Eating - Slow Cooker Carrot Cake

 A couple of weeks ago I found this book at Sam's club.  I'm loving it.  For the most part I've cut most of the sugar out of my life but occasionally I want a sweet treat that has a little more nutritional value.  I've been doing a lot of green smoothie girls stuff but I needed some variety.  Two Sunday's ago when Peach was too sick to go to church I made this little dish.  It wasn't like the carrot cake I get at the hospital...I have a secret love affair with the hospital carrot cake, push a baby out, order carrot cake twenty minutes later.  Have my appendix out, order carrot cake for breakfast, so it isn't that good but for something pretty darn health it tasted pretty darn good.  Dr. J didn't like the frosting, he thought it should be sweeter.  Go figure.  Here is the recipe exact...

Ingredients

olive oil cooking spray

1 1/4 cups all purpose spelt flour

1/3 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 cup unsweetened sultana raisins (golden raisins)

1 large egg white

1 tsp flaxseed, ground, mixed with 2 tsp water

1/2 cup honey

1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/4 cup buttermilk or low-fat plain yogurt

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

4 oz carrot, peeled and finely shredded (about 1/2 cup packed)

cheese honey drizzle ingredients

1/4 cup cream cheese

1 Tbsp raw organic honey

1 lemon, finely zested and juiced, divided (Dr. J thinks this is to much lemon and not enough honey :)

Instructions:

Cut parchment to fit bottom and sides of stoneware insert.  (worked perfect with my 3 quart slow cooker...might not be enough for a big slow cooker).  Spray inserts or dish with cooking spray and line with prepared parchment. 

Place flour, coconut, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl and whisk lightly to combine.  Stir in raisins.

In a separate large bowl, combine egg white and flax-water mixture and whisk until bubbles form.  Add honey, applesauce, buttermilk, oil and vanilla and whisk until well blended.  Stir in dry ingredients, until just mixed.  Fold in carrot and pour mixture into prepared stoneware dish.  Cover entire top of slow cooker with three layers of paper towel and secure with lid.  This will catch the extra condensation in the slow cooker and prevent the cake from getting too moist.  Bake for two hours on low or until a knife inserted in centre of cake comes out dry.  Remove stoneware dish and place on cooling rack until cool.

Slice cake into ten equal portions, about three ounces each and serve warm or at room temperature with one tablespoon Cream Cheese Honey Drizzle.

Cream Cheese Honey Drizzle

In a small bowl, heat cream cheese on high in microwave until slightly warm, about 10 to 15 seconds.  Remove from microwave and use a rubber spatula to stir honey into cream cheese until smooth.  Add pinch lemon zest and two teaspoons lemon juice and continue to stir.  Slowly add two tablespoons water, a bit at a time, until mixture is consistency of thick cream. 

Calories for 3 oz cake and 1 tbsp drizzle is 190.