Mini Carrot Cakes with Yogurt Cheese Frosting

Cake:
1/2 cup spelt flour (or wheat; sprouted is even better)
2 Tbsp oat flour (or additional wheat)
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or 1/2 tsp cinnamon + 1/4 tsp powdered ginger + 1/8 tsp nutmeg + 1/8 tsp cloves)
1 1/2 Tbsp REAL(!!) maple syrup, Grade B or Grade A DARK
1 Tbsp melted butter or coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup (2 4-oz. containers) baby food carrots

Frosting:
1/2 C nonfat yogurt cheese, room temperature
1/8 tsp lemon juice
1/8 tsp vanilla extract
pinch salt
1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar

OPTIONAL for non-broken tummies (not included in nutrition info): 2 Tbsp finely chopped walnuts or pecans

Prep time is actual "hands-on" time, not including baking, cooling or chilling,

PLEASE use real maple syrup. Setting aside the fact that it tastes weird and nothing like the real thing, the fake stuff is really, really bad for you. It is so flavorful that you don't need to use much, so it is worth investing in a small bottle which keeps pretty much forever in the refrigerator.

If you only have one 4" springform, the batter for both cakes will _just barely_ fit; you may get a little overflow so set the pan on a piece of foil on a baking sheet. Cut the frosting recipe down by 1/3 and slice the cake into 3 layers. Batter will also make an acceptable single cake in a 6" springform, also reduce frosting recipe by 1/3.

I make a somewhat-less-refined confectioner's sugar by whirling Sucanat in a blender until powdered. Sift it to avoid grittiness. Rather than using artificial sweeteners like xylitol/erythritol (which can have some alarming effects on your digestive tract! Baking-type TruVia and its like are based on erythritol) or sucralose, if I had to reduce the sugar I'd make half the quantity of frosting and frost only the top rather than making layers. If you don't mind the fakes, go ahead and use them for the frosting.

To make yogurt cheese, line a strainer with coffee filters, cheesecloth, or even a clean cotton handkerchief, set it over a bowl, and dump 1 1/2 cups (2 6-oz containers) of nonfat PLAIN yogurt in. Milk and cultures and nothing else. Cover lightly (fold the cloth over, or drop another coffee filter on top) and refrigerate from 8 hours to overnight, until the contents of the strainer are the texture of cream cheese. Measure out 1/2 cup and use any remainder like cream cheese. In a pinch (or if you just don't feel like making yogurt cheese), you can use low-fat cream cheese. I do prefer lowfat yogurt, which adds 3-5g fat to each serving, but the fat can buffer the sugar's impact so if you can tolerate the additional fat, use lowfat yogurt.

Frosted cake will keep 3 days in refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap; frosting may weep a little toward the end of that time but the cake still tastes great!

Grease and flour two 4" mini springform pans, and preheat oven to 350F.

Combine dry ingredients and set aside.

Combine wet ingredients.

Using a rubber spatula, blend dry ingredients into wet. Divide batter between the two pans.

Bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs clinging to it.

Allow cake to "set up" in pan for 5 minutes, then remove rings, flip upside down and lift off base (if you did not grease it well enough, you may need to slip a knife between base and cake), then cool completely on a rack.

Make frosting when you put the cake in the oven: Beat together cheese, vanilla, lemon juice and salt, then gradually beat in confectioner's sugar. Frosting will be loose. Cover and refrigerate until cake is _completely_ cold.

Split each cake in half horizontally to make two layers, and place each bottom layer on a small plate. Spread 1/4 of the frosting onto each bottom layer. Set top layer on and spread 1/4 of the frosting onto top layers. I like the "casual" look of the exposed cake sides, although there is enough frosting to spread it out onto the sides if you want a more traditional appearance. If you use the nuts, sprinkle them on top of the frosting. Chill cake at least 1 hour to allow frosting to firm up. Cover if cake will not be eaten that day.

Serving Size: two 4" cakes with frosting, each serves 2-3