Dessert Recipes: Carrot Cake

Here's one of the best quick & easy dessert recipes out of a cookbook of cakes, pies, cupcakes, tarts, cheesecakes, brownies, cookies. It's the exclamation point on dinner recipes.

Dessert doesn't have to be elaborate to compliment your main meal entree.

Even a simple last bite like a fruit compote or a pudding recipe topped with whipped cream can make a wonderful last-statement sweet.

Consider your dinner recipe and what dessert recipe goes well to make a balanced taste. Avoid heavy or spicy dishes back to back. Balance rich dishes with simple ones.

Don't serve too many spicy foods in one meal. Don't serve successive sweet dishes, such as chicken basted with currant jelly, mixed fruit salad and strawberry trifle dessert recipe.

Presentation:  As the final dish, you want to serve dessert properly. Set out the dessert fork or spoon when you first set the table.

Choose the "dessert container," such as a small plate or glass stemware, once you decide what dessert you will prepare so you can visualize how your final presentation will appeal to the eye. For example, set crystal stemware on a crystal dish with a stem of mint leaves.

Carrot Cake
Serves: 10

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
6 ounces crushed pineapple with juice (one 8-ounce can)
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp powdered stevia extract
3 tbsp date sugar
2 eggs, warmed to room temperature and beaten
1/3 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1/4 cup soymilk or milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp maple flavoring
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 cups grated carrots

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup unbleached white flour
2 tbsp soy flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Oil an 8 to 9-inch springform pan or a 6 x 10-inch cake pan.

Soak the coconut in the pineapple and juice. Use all the juice from an 8-ounce can of pineapple but only 6 ounces of the pineapple. Set aside.

Soften and cream the butter in a large mixing bowl. Cream in the stevia extract and the date sugar. Gradually cream in the beaten eggs. Don't worry if the butter separates. Thin the yogurt with the soymilk or milk and add to the butter mixture. Mix in the vanilla and maple flavoring. Stir in the walnuts, the coconut-pineapple mixture and the carrots.

Sift the flours, leavenings, cinnamon, and salt together twice in a separate bowl. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, stirring just until blended. The batter will be stiff.

Spoon the batter into the cake pan, and bake for 1 hour. Cool in the pan. Release the pan and top with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting
Makes: 1 cup

8 ounces soft cream cheese
2 tbsp soymilk or milk
1 ½ tbsp lemon juice
Finely grated rind of ½ lemon
1/3 tsp to 1/2 tsp powdered stevia extract (to taste)
1 tbsp honey

Soften the cream cheese with the milk in a bowl. Beat in the lemon juice, lemon rind, stevia extract, and honey. Whip until thoroughly blended and creamy.

* Source: Stevia