You have to have a great carrot cake recipe to go to now and again. This one fits the bill—supermoist and loaded with goodies. Cut back on the fat even further by trying the Fat-Free Vanilla Yogurt Frosting (page 107) on this cake.

　　

Ingredients

serves 12

　　3 cups finely grated carrots (about 15 medium carrots)

　　1/2 cup raisins

　　1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

　　1 cup walnuts, chopped

　　2 cups sprouted spelt flour, or 1 1/2 cups barley flour and 1/2 cup oat flour

　　2 teaspoons baking soda

　　1/2 teaspoon baking powder

　　2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

　　3/4 cup light agave nectar

　　3 large eggs

　　1/2 cup canola oil

　　1 cup nonfat plain yogurt

　　2 teaspoons vanilla extract

　　Cream Cheese Frosting (page 110), Vanilla Buttercream Frosting (page 106), or Fat-Free Vanilla Yogurt Frosting (page 107)

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil two 9-inch cake pans with canola oil spray.

　　

Step 2

Mix together the carrots, raisins, coconut, and walnuts in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon. In a food processor, blend the agave nectar, eggs, canola oil, yogurt, and vanilla extract for about 1 minute. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir to blend. Add the carrot mixture and stir until combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the centers of the layers comes out clean. Let cool in the pan, then invert onto a platter. Frost the cake with your choice of frosting.

　　Reprinted with permission from Baking with Agave Nectar: Over 100 Recipes Using Nature's Ultimate Sweetener by Ania Catalano. Copyright © 2008 by Ania Catalano; photography © 2008 by Lara Hata. Published by Celestial Arts, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.Ania Catalano is a graduate of the Natural Gourmet School of Cooking in New York and the owner of the Gourmet Whole Foods Catering and Cooking School in Milford, Connecticut.