Splendid Diabetic Carrot Cake - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
1/4 teaspoon cardamom (optional)
3/4 cup canola oil
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 1/3 cups splenda artificial sweetener
4 eggs
2 cups carrots, chopped into small pieces and fit into measuring cup to 2 cup line
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 small can crushed pineapple in juice
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans (or walnuts)

Preparation

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
Sift together dry ingredients.
Spread nuts on a cookie sheet and place in oven as it preheats. *When you can smell the nuts roasting, they're ready.
Place oil, applesauce, sugar, eggs, carrot pieces, and vanilla in a blender. Chop until carrots are in very small pieces, but not pureed.
Pour this mixture into dry ingredients; mix well.
Then add crushed pineapple (entire 8 oz can) and roasted nuts.
Pour into well-greased and floured 9 x 13 pan or 2 round cake pans.
Bake for 45 minutes or until cake tests done. Let cool 5 minutes, then turn out onto rack to cool completely.
*Optional Icing (makes a small amount so you may want to double it):.
Beat together 4 oz cream cheese and 2 Tbs. unsalted butter. Meanwhile, in a blender or food processor, combine 1 1/2 cups splenda with 2 Tbs. cornstarch. Blend until it becomes a superfine powder, then add it to cream cheese/butter mixture. Thin with orange juice (crucial for flavor and to counter dreaded Splenda aftertaste!) to desired consistency (I prefer somewhere between a glaze and a frosting), then add 1 pinch of salt and a teaspoon of vanilla. Ice your cake and Enjoy!