If you are looking for a super yummy, low-calorie version of a homemade carrot cake recipe, then you came to the right place!
Considering that traditional carrot cakes can average 12-15 weight watchers points per serving, this diet-friendly carrot cake recipe is a fabulous bargain.
And then there’s the not so average, Cheesecake Factory Carrot Cake Recipe. It has approximately: 1,510 calories, 84g fat, 600mg sodium, 179g carbs, 6g fiber, 129g sugars, and 18g protein. CRAZY.
I have always been a fan of carrot cakes with that rich, gooey, cream cheese frosting, but being a weight watcher pretty much kept me away from all my favorite dessert recipes. But after some trial and error and alterations with traditional carrot cake recipes, I was able to create a version that is much lower in points and yet still tastes AMAZING.
It’s a great, low-calorie dessert that will satisfy the carrot cake lover in everyone.
CARROT CAKE RECIPE
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole wheat all-purpose flour
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ cup raisins
- 1 egg
- 2 egg whites
- 2 ½ cups shredded carrots
- ½ cup applesauce
- ⅓ cup light butter - (melted)
- 12 oz fat free cream cheese
- 3 tbsp hot water
- 5 oz Jet Puffed marshmallow creme
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spray 2 (9-inch) round cake pans with non-fat cooking spray (I used butter flavored Pam), line the bottoms with parchment or wax paper, and spray the paper with the nonstick spray.
- Combine the flour, both kinds of sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
- Whisk the egg substitute and egg whites in a large bowl. Add the carrots, applesauce, butter, and raisins, and hot water stirring until blended. With a rubber spatula, add the flour mixture to the carrot mixture, and stir until blended. Spread the batter evenly in the cake pans. Bake until the cakes are nicely browned and the center of each one bounces back when lightly pressed with a fingertip, approx 30-32 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pans, peel off the paper, and cool completely on racks.
- To make the frosting, with an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the remaining ingredients until smooth.
- Place on layer of cake on a cake plate, and using 1/2 cup of frosting, frost evenly out to edges. Place other layer of cake on top, and spread remaining frosting on top and on sides. Slice into 16 servings.
45 Comments
just put all ingredients into the recipe builder on WW it is now 10 points for 16 sices. oh well
Made these in a pinch when I wanted to use leftover cream cheese icing. I didn’t have egg substitute so subbed 2 whole eggs for the 1/2 cup egg substitute. I also made this recipe into 16 cupcakes in cupcake wrappers and baked approx 20 minutes. The changes I made don’t make it a weight watcher recipe anymore but it was fast, easy and delicious! Thanks for sharing.
Wow, that is a lot of sugar, 1 1/2 cups, how many calories per slice I wonder.
223 calories , under the recipe notes it says nutritional info :)
I made this for a church luncheon. I didn’t have marshmallow cream. I made whipped cream cheese frosting using 8 oz low fat cream cheese, 1/2 cup of confectioners sugar beat with mixer, then fold in 12 oz of lite whipped topping. I eliminated the raisins in the cake. It was amazing! I did it on the Weight Watchers recipe builder & got 7 points also.
I have no idea what egg substitute is or where to get it.
You can find egg substitute next to where you find the eggs. There’s egg beaters and some other brands.
You can sub 1 whole egg for each 1/4 cup egg substitute. I did and the recipe turned out well.
I just entered all ingredients in the WW Recipe Builder, and as of today, this is a 6 PP recipe. Still not too bad, and I will definitely be making this!
I’m confused. The ingredients seem to include hot water in the frosting, but the directions include the hot water in the cake.
Made this tonight and it is so good, but the only problem I have is that you labeled this as 4 points and that’s not true :( this is actually 7pp!
I figured 7 points as well. :)
Yeah, this is a 7 point recipe, not 4.
This was amazing!! Made it tonight. Ladies (and gentleman), ingredients at end are a little out of place, frosting is only the cream cheese, marshmallow crème and vanilla extract. The water goes into the batter mix!! It says in the steps, its just confusing on how it says add remaining ingredients for frosting and it appears that the water is with it but it is not, mine was not runny what so ever!!
This is SO good.
Thank you :) :) Yuuuummmmy!!!
I made this as a two layer cake using the parchment paper and the cake is a little rough on the sides. Made it hard to put the icing on, plus the icing was runny. Next time I’m going to try baking mine in a bundt pan then drizzle the icing on, therefore using LESS icing, which in turn should make the points plus value lower. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Could I use a sugar substitue instead of the same thing and would it be the same amount?
The cake has excellent taste and texture, but my frosting was definitely on the runny side too. I even tried adding a bit more marshmallow creme and some icing sugar and it was still runny. Tastes delicious, though, especially with the addition of walnuts and using pineapple instead of applesauce . Everyone at our work potluck should enjoy it. +4 stars
I am making this for my Sister she loves it and will use her 47 week points on this and a glass of wine and other food for daughter birthday. We will freeze it and she can take it home. Thank you so much. I want to give it +5 stars.
I just plugged this in to WW Recipe Builder for Points Plus and I used low fat cream cheese and 3 real eggs (not substitute) and I got back 8 points when cutting into 16 pieces.
Yea I did the same but I got back 7 points lol and thats including the frosting. Still not bad!
Is the egg substitute and two egg whites equivalent to two eggs?
everything was fantastic. The frosting is one of my favorite things but this is really quite high on the new points + program. It equals out to 10pts per slice if you cut it into 16 pieces. We made it for my sons birthday. Big hit!! Thanks!
I am on the new points plus system as well and when I put the whole recipe into the recipe builder it still calculated it out to 7 points per slice for 16 slices.
I added 2 tsp. baking powder and 3/4 c. chopped walnuts, used 1/2 cup of crushed pineapple instead of 1/2 cup of applesauce, and substituted 1 cup of whole wheat pastry flour for 1 cup of all purpose flour, When I mixed everything together, the batter was a little too dry, so I added milk 1 Tbsp at a time (2 Tbsp total) until it was the right consistency and baked the cake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until a wooden toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake came out clean with a few crumbs still sticking to it. It was delicious and the right amount of sweetness.
Oh my word! I have the WORST sweet tooth! This cake looks like it would sate it just fine! My problem is…I’m diabetic. I can substitute Splenda for the sugar and splenda mix for the brown sugar. What I can’t figure out is…the marshmallow cream. Any thoughts on how I might adjust that part of the recipe?
This looks delicious! I would love if you shared this in my holiday dessert recipes Blog Hop. Enter it for a chance at a Wilton Pre-Baked Gingerbread Cookies Decorating Kit! http://www.recipelionblog.com/december-blog-hop-holiday-dessert-recipes-giveaway
Sarah @ RecipeLion
The cake was good but the frosting was so runny. I thought it would be more stiff so I could put all the frosting on the cake but I wasted most of it since it was runing off the cake.
Pat
same thing happened to me. I loved the cake though. Figured out the ww points on my own and without the frosting, it’s 6 pts on the newest program (2012)
It would be helpful if you posted the nutritional information as the point value has changed…I am sure you are aware! The new point plus system makes everything a little different, usually double, is this the case with your recipes? Thanks!
Thanks for your input! Unfortunately, I'm not always able to post the nutritional stats of all my recipes. I'm in the process of revising the blog and trying to figure out the best way to accomodate all of my readers. And yes, I have noticed that the new system does tend to make the Points values higher, so many of my old recipes will actually be higher in Points Plus values now. I hope to be able to update all of my old recipes with the new Points Plus values, but I just don't know if that will be possible, since I don't have the nutritional stats for them. Id have to input each recipe into the recipe builder on WW, and that will take a lot of time. Plus, it's not always accurate. But I'm working on ways to figure all this out, so hang in there! And thanks for reading!
This was perfect for my fall get together this weekend. To help with ease of serving, I made this in a big sheet pan…and cut them into 2-bite bars. I would think it would pair the POINTS value down to only 2 per bar (if they are cut correctly.) They were a huge hit!
what size of pan and how many serving woud this be to get 2 points? and is the new point system
Being an Australian, i am not familiar with marshmallow creme, what do u use for an egg substitute and what is cool whip. Thankyou, look forward to trying your recipes
My carrot cake frosting was very runny. What did i do wrong? cAKE IS DELICIOUS. LOL
Hi Debbie! To make the frosting less runny, try using just 1 tbsp of water instead of the 3 that the recipe calls for. Hopefully that will help! The frosting can be tricky, but once you get it down, it's so worth it!
Your recipe has the water added to the cake not the frosting. I added nothing but the cream cheese marshmellow cream and vanilla and it was still runny any suggestions
i know someone needing 3000 calories a day this is a great recipe.
I know a friend who has malabsorption (CROHNS DISEASE) NEEDING 3000 caloriesa daily. This would be a prefect recipe.
What Happened To The Hot Water??? Mine Got Cold.
The water is mixed in with the "remaining ingredients" during the making of the frosting. :) Sorry about the confusion on that.
Made the carrot cake. It was very good. About 2 hours after cutting the cake I noticed green specks in the cake. It looked like pieces of carrot. What could this be?
i made this for my husband for dad's day, instead of the one i always make by ina garten. it was great. i added 1 tsp vanilla to the cake batter. next time i think i will add a
half cup of crushed pineapple. love this & will definitely will make again! thanks!
Oooo…GREAT ideas!! Thanks for sharing!
I am a bit confused how to make the icing…thanks so much!
To make the icing, just take the ingredients that you haven't used yet – the fat free cream cheese, the marshmallow creme and the vanilla extract and beat them together with an electric mixer. Hope that helps!