Splendid Diabetic Carrot Cake

• 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)

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Sift together dry ingredients.
3. Spread nuts on a cookie sheet and place in oven as it preheats. *When you can smell the nuts roasting, they're ready.
4. Place oil, applesauce, sugar, eggs, carrot pieces, and vanilla in a blender. Chop until carrots are in very small pieces, but not pureed.
5. Pour this mixture into dry ingredients; mix well.
6. Then add crushed pineapple (entire 8 oz can) and roasted nuts.
7. Pour into well-greased and floured 9 x 13 pan or 2 round cake pans.
8. Bake for 45 minutes or until cake tests done. Let cool 5 minutes, then turn out onto rack to cool completely.
9. *Optional Icing (makes a small amount so you may want to double it):.
10. 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!

whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, canola oil, unsweetened applesauce, splenda artificial, eggs, carrots, vanilla, pineapple, pecans

Taken from www.food.com/recipe/splendid-diabetic-carrot-cake-375754 (may not work)