Caribbean CARROT CAKE with Pineapple Cream Cheese Frosting for "the Project"

All things in moderation...

On the surface, this may appear as a diet busting, hip expanding, arse load of calories recipe.  Especially when that surface is a rich butter cream icing.  Well, on the surface, it is indeed a high calorie recipe.

The PERFECT recipe to make for company.  When it is just Jackie and I around the house; never, ever never, never would I have this in my fridge.  But with company... At most, I am going to only eat 1/4th of the cake, and since I do the cutting, I can try to cut extra size pieces for my company without them noticing.

But, my my my, this is worth it...

Believe it or not... This is part of my weight loss plan...

CARIBBEAN CARROT CAKE

1 cup Sugar
1 cup Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
3/4 cup Canola Oil
2 large Eggs
1 cup Walnuts
1 1/2 cup grated Carrots
1/2 cup canned crushed Pineapple (include all but 2 TBS of the juice... Reserve the 2 TBS for the frosting)

1/2 cup shredded sweetened Coconut1 tsp Cointreau (orange flavored liquor... can substitute Vanilla)
2 TBS Ground Cinnamon

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees

• Whisk together the dry ingredients
• Add one egg and the oil... Whisk, add the second egg, whisk
• Add the walnuts, carrots and pineapple, pineapple whisk
• Add the Cointreau and cinnamon.. whisk
• oil and flour the bottom of two cake pans
• fill each pan 1 inch of the batter
• bake for @50 minutes (use the toothpick method to check that the center of the cake is done, you all know that trick)

Now it's time to make the frosting...


1 8 oz package Cream Cheese
1/4 cup Butter
2 TBS pineapple juice from the can of crushed pineapple used in the cake
1 tsp Cointreau (WHY NOT AGAIN???  You can sub Vanilla Extract)
1 cup Confectioner's Sugar

• Cream together the butter and cream cheese
• Add the juice and Cointreau and cream again
• Slowly add the sugar and continue to cream
• Let the cake cool completely before you frost

Look at all the fruit... look at all the veggies... Look at that frosting (sorry).

But just imagine the taste.  And portion control, and palming at least half the cake off on your guests.  Dessert is meant to be enjoyed.  Just cut small slices.  That way you can enjoy this dessert several days in a row.

Update on the challenge...

Much as I would like to, I am not counting this cake as a serving of fruit and vegetables.  But I am still eating 4 servings of 'em a day.  Bananas, oranges. apples and tomatoes are the easy ones.  I eat them raw for breakfast and a mid morning snack.  Always some type of vegetable at night.  Again habit, a priority and always in my pantry.  It really is surprising once you decide to eat a sliced tomato how "not hungry" you are for a big lunch.

Still no scale, so have no idea what I weigh (and don't care).  Still wearing my 40 inch pants (my goal for the summer is to get into 38's).  But this week, I did move down a notch on my belt.

Gotta go, me and the iguanna are gonna take a morning walk.