It sounds too good to be true or at least low-fat, but this recipe lets you have your cake and eat its cream cheese frosting, too, without suffering undue guilt.

The recipe specifies much less oil than usually called for, and adds applesauce and raisins to keep the cake moist. And the cream cheese frosting keeps its fat content within bounds because it uses nonfat cream cheese.

By reducing the amount of oil, this recipe for Carrot Cake With Cream Cheese earns a low-fat label. Applesauce and raisins help keep the cake moist.

Carrot Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

3 large eggs

1 cup plain nonfat yogurt

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup canola oil

2 tablespoons grated orange zest

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 medium carrots, shredded, about 2 cups

1 cup golden raisins

8 ounces nonfat cream cheese

3 ounces Neufchatel cheese

1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray two 9-inch cake pans with nonstick spray and lightly dust with flour.

With an electric mixer at high speed, beat the eggs, yogurt, applesauce, brown sugar, oil, 1 tablespoon of the orange zest and the vanilla until blended.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to the egg mixture and mix on low speed just until blended, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the carrots and raisins. Scrape the batter into the pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes.

Cool cake in the pans on a rack 10 minutes; remove from the pans and cool completely on the rack.

To prepare the frosting: With an electric mixer at high speed, beat the nonfat cream cheese, Neufchatel cheese, confectioners’ sugar and the remaining 1 tablespoon orange zest until blended.

To assemble: Place one cake layer on a plate. Spread with about 1/2 cup of frosting and place the second layer on top. Frost the top and sides with the remaining frosting.

Makes 24 servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 233 cal., 6 g total fat (1 g saturated fat), 30 mg chol., 255 mg sodium, 39 g carbo., 1 g dietary fiber, 5 g pro.

Recipe from Weight Watchers “Simply Delicious Winning Points Cookbook” 2002, Weight Watchers International.