Carrot Cake with Maple Glaze

This is one of those recipes that I saw a long time ago and keep thinking "I should try that" then forget! So I finally got around to making it and am glad that I did! It is based on the Fat Free Vegan Kitchen's "Famous Carrot Cake Cupcakes" recipe with the maple icing, but changed a bit to un-vegan-ize it...

Carrot Cake with Maple Glaze

for the cake:

1/2 c. whole wheat flour

1 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. sugar

1/4 c. light brown sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 heaping tsp. ground cinnamon

3/4 tsp. sea salt

1 large peeled carrot, shredded

1 1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce

1 tbsp. butter, softened

1 generous tsp. vanilla

1/2 c. chopped pecans

1/3 c. raisins

1/4 c. sweetened shredded coconut

for the glaze:

4 c. confectioners’ sugar

4 tbsp. maple

2 tbsp. butter, softened

2 tbsp. low fat cream cheese

1/4 c. skim milk

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 9" cake pan.
2. Mix flour, baking powder, soda, sugar, salt & cinnamon in a medium bowl.
3. In a mixer bowl, mix applesauce, butter, vanilla, and carrot. Add dry mix to wet mix 1/2 cup at a time.
4. Once blended, fold in walnuts, raisins, and coconut.
   
5. Pour batter into cake pan and bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the middle springs back if you lightly press it.
6. Once it is out of the oven, transfer it to a wire rack to cool.
7. While it is cooling, make the frosting.
8. In a mixer bowl, beat the butter, maple syrup, cream cheese, milk, cinnamon, and vanilla until well-blended.
9. Next, slowly mix in the confectioner's sugar until the glaze reaches the desired consistency (a little less sugar will make it more of a glaze, a little more will make it more of a frosting).
10. Once the cake is cool to the touch, top with the glaze and serve!

I decorated my cake with some marzipan maple leaves, which I made by dying some marzipan orange, rolling it out between 2 sheets of wax paper, then using a mini maple leaf-shaped cookie cutter to cut out 3 maple leaves.

Bon Appetit!