It was an understated affair, M’s birthday. He worked all day, and while he toiled, I made a carrot cake as requested. When he got home, we quietly lit the candles, sang a wildly off-key “Happy Birthday”, and then M and I slipped out to dinner, leaving K in the able care of my mother.

Like the celebration, it was an unassuming cake. It didn’t rise much, and modestly turned golden in the oven, flecks of orange dotting it’s surface.

The recipe was from here, and is supposed to be a “healthy makeover” of the well-known dessert. Except for replacing the buttermilk with 2% milk and leaving out the pecans, I followed the recipe exactly. Could we tell that it was low fat? No. Is it truly low fat? It’s all relative. (According to that link above, a serving of carrot cake from a celebrity chef is 1,460 calories per slice?? I’m suddenly feeling nauseous from prior carrot cake indulgences.) Did M like it? Oh yes. At least he said so, and that’s all that matters.

My mom added her special touch with some mint leaves and blueberries. She showed remarkable restraint because she would normally completely cover the surface with anything edible.

I recommend this recipe if you like a cake that’s not too sweet, and I have to tell you that the cream cheese frosting rocked. It’s a straightforward recipe with straightforward ingredients, but the only part to watch is the baking time. The recipe states 28 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean, but my cake took closer to 45 minutes. Despite the extra time in the oven, it was fluffy and tasty and just what the birthday boy ordered. Next time, I might add a smidgen more sugar into the cake batter and serve the frosting in a smaller dollop on the side. Yum.