Springy skinny carrot cake {Recipe}

* You can still enter my current giveaway here*

Two weeks in my diet and I am still doing ok, although I can see that I am getting a bit bored with my comfort zone food - and seeing Mr MiH eating an obscene amount of peanuts (how can he still be so skinny?) is getting to me a bit. So I am on a mission to find tasty recipe in a skinnier version so I won't feel like I am missing out on cakes and snacks - although coated peanuts may be out for a while still. 

This recipe is from The Hairy Dieters. I saw the BBC TV show and some of the skinnier versions of my favourite comfort food looked amazing. I grabbed a copy when I was still pregnant and sort of left it for later whilst stuffing my face. If this recipe is anything to go by, it is time to get it out and try all the recipes - and I may not even know I am on a diet! 

This is a Mr MiH portion size... 

You are going to need (12 portions - 6 points by my diet):

• 3 medium carrots (about 250g total unpeeled weight)
• 3 eggs
• 100ml sunflower oil
• 100g soft light brown sugar
• 200g self raising flour
• 100g sultanas
• finely grated zest of 1/2 large well-scrubbed orange
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder

there are skinny portions and Mr MiH portions... 

1. Preheat the oven to 190 C/Fan. Grease a 24 cm round loose-based cake tin with a little oil and line the base with baking parchment. Peel the carrots and grate then with a medium-fine grater - you should have about 200 g of grated carrot. 

2. Beat the eggs in a large bowl with a large metal whisk. Add the sunflower oil and sugar and whisk until well-combined. Stir in the grated carrot, then add the flour, sultanas, orange zest, spices and baking powder. Stir together until just combined. Pour into the prepared cake tin and smooth the surface. 

3. Bake in the centre of the oven for 25-30 minutes or until the cake is well risen and feels springy to the touch. It should be just beginning to shrink back from the sides of the tin. Leave to coll in the tin for 5 minutes then turn out and remove the lining paper. Leave to cool fully on a wire rack then transfer to a serving plate. 

4. Sift the icing sugar over the cake and scatter grated or pared orange zest on top. This cake should keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days. 

I may have been heavy handed with the icing sugar.. purely for the picture

It does taste like it a healthier version of a carrot cake - not as ... greasy. It is light and airy, and still very much moist. I may add another carrot next time. I love the icing sugar instead of a creamy topping (but that is probably more of a personal topping dislike). 

Any diet recipe book or recipe you would recommend? If Mr MiH approves it, it may be featured next on the blog...