Vanilla Snack Cake (that's sugar free!)

I know this is my third recipe for a sugar free snack, but I like I mentioned before, I have family and friends who need to go sugar free and I also like to use natural alternatives to sugar for my own family.  I never was a big fan of the artificial sweeteners but honey is a great alternative.  I recently learned that pure maple syrup and agave nectar (a lighter type honey taste) are great natural alternatives also.  I made a blueberry tart with maple syrup instead of sugar and it turned out pretty good.  I also made this vanilla cake that I am going to show you today.  I served it warm right out of the oven with no frosting and it was good.  I put the leftovers in my refrigerator in the basement and forgot about it until last night (4 days later) when we had the rest for our dessert.  I thought it tasted even better. This is adapted from the May Family Circle magazine.

For the cake you will need:

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I used cake flour)
3 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened (I never said it was fat free!)
1 1/2 cup agave syrup (I found it by the maple syrup)
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk

For the frosting you will need:

2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
6 tablespoons agave syrup

Heat oven to 325.  Coat a 13 X 9 X 2-inch pan or bundt pan with cooking spray.  In medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt.

With mixer on medium speed, beat butter and agave syrup in bowl until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each.  Beat in vanilla.  On low, beat flour mixture alternately with milk into butter mixture, beating after each addition.  Pour into prepared pan.

Bake at 325 for 45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (my bundt pan took 50 minutes).  If using a bundt pan, remove cake when the pan can be handled bare handed.

While cake cools, prepare frosting.  Beat cream cheese and butter in a large bowl until smooth.  Beat in agave syrup until good spreading consistency.  Spread onto cooled cake.  Store in refrigerator.
Note:  I only used half of the frosting for the cake (because we had eaten half the cake with no frosting when it was still warm!), and discovered the rest makes a good spread on bagels!