Light Carrot Cake??

If ever you and I would have a discussion about favorite desserts, you would immediately discover that mine is carrot cake.  For years, my requested birthday cake has been "Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Icing," and for years, my wonderful mother has indulged me.  Yesterday, a craving hit.  I knew I had to have carrot cake.

No, I did not pull out my mother's fantastic recipe with pineapple and raisins and the richest, most decadent icing in the world.  Instead, I took a simple idea I learned from other Weight Watchers and made the cake, then lightened up cream cheese icing to make it less indulgent.  It worked!  Give this a try the next time the craving hits you.

Light Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

1 carrot cake box mix (I used Betty Crocker Supermoist)
1 15-ounce can pumpkin
1/2 cup water
4 ounces Neufchatel (light) cream cheese, room temperature
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Coat standard bundt pan with nonstick spray; set aside.  In mixing bowl, beat cake mix, pumpkin, and water on low speed until combined.  Scrape sides of bowl with spatula, then beat 2 minutes on medium speed.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 35 to 40 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool cake in pan for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack.

Beat Neufchatel with butter in mixing bowl until smooth.  Beat in powdered sugar and vanilla.  Spread over top of cooled cake allowing it to fall down sides.  Makes 24 servings just big enough to satisfy a craving, 3 points plus each, or 16 more substantial servings at 5 points plus each.