"Clean Eating" Carrot Cake

Becca here with a recipe that's great to make for a special occasion!  I don't consider myself to be a good baker.  In fact, this is the first layered cake I've ever made, and since it is a four layer cake, I called my neighbor in a panic to catch her before she left for work to borrow her cake pans so I would have four, not realizing that you actually need only two cake pans and cut the cakes into half to get four layers.  Better to have too many cake pans than not enough I guess though!  Anyway, my kids & I made this cake for my husband's birthday, since carrot cake is his favorite dessert.  It does take (significantly) longer than a dessert I would normally make, but the end result is delicious, and you don't have to feel too bad about eating it.  I followed the recipe in Clean Eating for Busy Families fairly closely.  Enjoy!

"Clean Eating" Carrot Cake

Cake:
2 cups whole wheat flour (I use hard wheat I grind fresh myself)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup light brown sugar (look for one that's all/only cane sugar!)
1/2 cup coconut oil
3 large eggs, room temperature
3 cups finely shredded carrots (about 7 medium carrots)
1 cup milk, room temperature

Frosting:
1 can (14 ounces) regular coconut milk (not light), refrigerated & NOT shaken
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese
1/4 cup organic sugar (evaporated cane juice)
1 Tablespoon cornstarch

Filling:
1 can (20 ounces) crushed pineapple, drained well
1/2 cup frosting (saved from above)

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease and flour two 9" round cake pans.

Combine dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt) in a medium bowl.  Set aside.

In a large bowl or mixer bowl, beat sugar & oil until combined.  Beat in eggs one at a time, and then beat for 5 minutes on medium high speed.

Stir in carrots, and then dry ingredients & milk, just until moistened. 

Pour batter equally into cake pans, and bake about 25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Cool in pan about 10 minutes, then carefully run a butter knife around edges to loose, and invert onto wire rack to finish cooling.

For frosting, place solid portion of chilled coconut milk into a bowl (a chilled bowl is even better!) and add cream cheese, beating on high until smooth and soft peaks form.  Add in sugar & cornstarch and beat until smooth.

For filling:  Mix drained pineapple with 1/2 cup of prepared frosting in a bowl.

To make cake:  Using the longest serrated knife you have, carefully cut cakes into half horizontally to make four layers total.  Place 1 cake layer on serving platter, and spread with 1/3 of filling.  Repeat until cake is finished.  Cover with frosting and refrigerate until ready to serve, up to three days.  Enjoy!!