Reduced-fat Carrot Cake

Ingredients

 * 1/4 cup walnuts
 * 2 1/2 cup sifted cake flour
 * 2 tsp cinnamon
 * 2 tsp baking powder
 * 1 1/2 tsp soda
 * 1 tsp salt
 * 2 large eggs
 * 2 large egg whites
 * 2 cup sugar
 * 1/3 cup vegetable oil
 * 2 cup grated carrots (5 to 6
 * -small carrots)
 * 1 can 8oz crushed pineapple
 * thoroughly drained
 * 12 oz low fat cream cheese
 * softened
 * 1/2 cup powdered sugar
 * 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
 * 1 cup pitted prunes
 * 6 tbsp hot water

Directions
Directions: cake: preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat the inside of three 9 inch layer cake pans with vegetable oil cooking spray. Line the bottoms with wax paper and set aside. Spread walnuts in a pie plate and bake 8 - 10 minutes, or until fragrant. Let cool and chop coarsely. In a medium size bowl, stir together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, soda and salt. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and egg whites. Add sugar, prune puree and oil and whisk until smooth. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until blended. Stir in carrots, pineapple and the toasted walnuts. Divide the batter among the prepared pans and bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan on a rack. Loosen edges and invert cakes onto racks. Peel off paper and let cool completely. Place 1 cake layer on a serving plate, spread a scant ½ cup cream cheese frosting over it. Top with another cake layer and spread another scant ½ cup frosting. Place the third layer on top and spread top and sides with remaining frosting. Cream frosting: in a mixing bowl,combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla; beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Prune puree: to make prune puree, combine 6 oz (1 cup) pitted prunes with 6 tbsp. hot water in a food processor and process util smooth. Makes 1 cup. Note: one cup puree contains 407 calories and 1 gram fat. 1 cup of butter contains 1,600 calories and 182 grams of fat. 1 cup of oil contains 1,944 calories and 218 grams fat. Makes 16 servings each 310 calories, 6 gram protein, 10 gram carbohydrates, 392 milligrams sodium, 34 milligrams colesterol