This is a delicious and moist carrot cake recipe, with my favorite - cream cheese icing.

The grated apple adds taste and moisture, while the mix of half white flour and half whole wheat makes it healthier.

If we're going to eat cake, a healthy mixture of carrots, raisins, apples, walnuts and wheat flour will take away at least a bit of the guilt and will be so much better for you.

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 cup white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 cups grated carrots
1 1/2 cups grated peeled apples
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup walnuts

Cream Cheese Icing

4 ounces cream cheese
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup icing sugar

Directions:
Mix together the sugar, oil and eggs until the mixture is slightly thickened. Sift the flours together with the soda, salt and cinnamon.

Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture. Add the carrots, apples, raisins and walnuts. Stir until evenly mixed.

Bake in a greased and floured pan, 9"x13"x2" or a bundt type pan or two round cake pans. Bake at 350ºF for 35-40 minutes if using the 13" long pan.

Always check for doneness by piercing the center of the cake with a toothpick. If it comes out clean, it's done. If you use the round cake pans, check for doneness about 5 to 10 minutes earlier as they are smaller and you don't want to over bake the cake.

Let the cake cool and ice with the cream cheese icing below.

Blend all of the icing ingredients together and spread over cooled cake.

If you are making a layered carrot cake in the round pans and want to put some icing between the layers, double this recipe to make sure you have enough.

Makes about 12 servings.

• If you want to drizzle the icing on a bundt style cake you will need to make it thinner. Do this by adding warm water to the icing a few drops at a time until it is the right consistency. Don't add too much water at one time. It's easier to add a bit more than try to fix runny icing.

• Replace the grated apple with an equal amount of crushed pineapple that has been well drained. It adds a wonderful bit of tropical flavor to the carrot cake recipe and blends well with the carrots and raisins.