Happy Applesauce Cake Day!
In honor of the occasion try making this delicious, energy-boosting applesauce cake with raisins. Using applesauce in your recipes instead of butter or oil is a great way to cut down on fat and calories, thereby turning your baked goods into energizers, not crashers. Since applesauce is sweet, when you replace butter or oil you can also cut back on the amount of sugar that you use.
Applesauce is a source of antioxidants such as catechins and chlorogenic acid, which fight free radicals in the body (helps to defy aging skin!). It also has 4 grams of fiber per serving, which will keep you feeling full for hours, as well as aid in digestion. The whole wheat flour in this recipe also adds to the fiber. Gotta love it when you easily can sneak fiber into sweet goodness!
Share the cake with your friends and family! They’ll never believe that something this delicious makes them feel so good and only has 169 calories per serving!
Recipe (serves 9)
- 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
- 2/3 cup all purpose flour
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup plain fat free yogurt
- 2 beaten egg whites
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 1/3 cup of raisins
Optional frosting:
- 4 oz of reduced fat cream cheese
- 1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions:
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and ground cloves. Combine applesauce, water, yogurt, egg whites, and almond extract. Stir into dry ingredients and fold in the raisins after.
- Pour mixture into a greased 8” square baking dish.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until done.
- For frosting: combine all ingredients in a bowl and beat together until smooth.
Nutrition Facts: Calories: 169,Total Fat: .2 g, Total Carbohydrates: 39.5, Protein: 4g, Sugars: 18g, Cholesterol: 0mg; Sodium: 109.4 mg.
Do you have any favorite applesauce recipes ?? Muffins? Breads? Do you ever use variations like adding pumpkin or oats?
