Super Bowl Sunday

Go Pats! In celebration of the Super Bowl, I've decorated my carrot cake with some green coconut astroturf and sprinkles. Goal posts of toothpicks and a football made by using a black sharpie on a red M&M.

For the cake, I used a recipe from Cooking Light. It's not really that "light" but I guess it's a whole lot lighter than other carrot cake recipes. The recipe only calls for 3 Tbs of oil! That's so little! er, I hope the cake tastes good.......

Carrot Cake Cake:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (about 6 3/4 ounces)
• 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut
• 1/3 cup chopped pecans
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups grated carrot
• 1 1/2 cups canned crushed pineapple, drainedCooking spray

Frosting:

• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 (8-ounce) block 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Additional grated carrot (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare cake, lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife.

Combine flour, sugar, coconut, pecans, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk.

Combine oil and eggs; stir well. Stir egg mixture, grated carrot, and pineapple into flour mixture.

Spoon batter into a 13 x 9-inch baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.

To prepare frosting, combine butter and cream cheese in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth.

Beat in powdered sugar and vanilla just until smooth. Spread frosting over top of cake. Garnish each serving with grated carrot, if desired.

Yield: 16 servings (serving size: 1 piece)CALORIES 322 (29% from fat); FAT 10.4g (sat 4.2g,mono 3.2g,poly 1.5g); PROTEIN 4.1g; CHOLESTEROL 40mg; CALCIUM 29mg; SODIUM 403mg; FIBER 1.4g; IRON 1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 54.4g

Cooking Light, APRIL 2007