Chocolate Chip Carrot Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

This carrot cake has undergone a number of changes over 15 (!) years, to become a delightfully quirky take on a classic dessert - and one that significantly cuts saturated fat and calories (though still - eat with moderation!) while dramatically increasing nutritional content. At a recent writing retreat, my fellow writers loved it enough to demand a second cake over the weekend!

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour 1 cup sugar (light brown – raw sugar) 1.5 tsp cinnamon 1.5 tsp allspice 1 tsp baking soda 1.5 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 4-5 large carrots, grated (at least 3 cups!) 1 tsp vanilla 1 cup canola oil 4 eggs, lightly beaten 1/2 cup golden raisins 1/2 cup dried cranberries, blueberries or raisins 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 8 oz Frosting Neufchatel cream cheese or soy "cream cheese" 2 Tbs frozen orange juice concentrate 2 cups powdered sugar 1  Mix dry ingredients in large bowl (flour through salt). 2  Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients. (To increase fluffiness, you can beat the egg whites separately until they are stiff, slowly add the yolks, and then fold into entire mixture). 3  Add dried fruit and chocolate chips. 4  Bake in oiled and floured 9x9 pan for about 50 minutes at 325 degrees.  After cooling, sift the powdered sugar into a bowl.  Beat powdered sugar, Neufchatel cheese, and orange juice.  This will make a runnier frosting than you may be used to, but it is delicious!  Servings: 15 Nutrition Information generated using Living Cookbook Nutrition Facts Serving size: 1/15 of a recipe (4.2 ounces). Percent daily values based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet. Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients. Amount Per Serving Calories 399.71 Calories From Fat (56%) 222.97 % Daily Value Total Fat 25.7g 40% Saturated Fat 6.02g 30% Cholesterol 67.89mg 23% Sodium 306.97mg 13% Potassium 230.21mg 7% Total Carbohydrates 40.09g 13% Fiber 3.86g 15% Sugar 18.02g Protein 6.84g 14% Vitamin A 3870.99IU 77% Vitamin B12 0.21mcg 4% Vitamin B6 0.15mg 8% Vitamin C 2.6mg 4% Vitamin D 4.67IU 1% Vitamin E 2.98mg 30% Vitamin K 13.91mcg 17%