When Cutting Calories, Target Those Eggs And Nuts

When you’re trimming fat and calories from your autumn cake recipes, the obvious culprits are oil, butter or margarine.

This apple cake recipe originally called for more than 1 cup of oil. Cutting the oil back to just 1/2 cup while adding 1/2 cup of buttermilk kept the cake moist and flavorful. You can use either liquid buttermilk or reconstituted powdered buttermilk.

Eggs and nuts are other ingredients that add fat. The original recipe called for three eggs; the streamlined version calls for 3/4 cup of fat-free, liquid egg substitutes. The original recipe called for 1 cup of chopped nuts; the streamlined version omits them completely. (A cup of walnuts adds 642 calories and more than 18 grams of fat.)

However, if you really crave that nutty crunch, you can add 1/2 cup of nuts. You will get more flavor if you toast the nuts before you add them.

Light Albuquerque Apple Cake

3 cups, plus 1 tablespoon, unbleached flour

1-2/3 cups granulated sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup liquid, fat-free egg substitutes

1/2 cup canola oil

1/2 cup cultured buttermilk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 medium tart, green apples, such as Granny Smith, cored and grated (about 3 cups)

1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted (optional)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a 13- by 9- by 2-inch baking pan with corn oil cooking spray. Dust lightly with the 1 tablespoon of flour. Set aside while preparing the batter.

In a large bowl of an electric mixer, combine the 3 cups of flour, sugar, cinnamon, soda and salt. On low speed, beat 30 seconds to 1 minute to mix ingredients.

In a separate container, combine the egg substitutes, oil, buttermilk and vanilla extract. On medium speed, beat the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients until just moistened. Do not overmix. Stir in the grated apples and optional toasted walnuts.

Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until the top is firm to the touch and a pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

Yield: 16 servings.

Nutrition information per serving (with optional walnuts): 274 calories, 10 grams fat (33 percent fat calories), 4 grams protein, 43 grams carbohydrate, no cholesterol, 171 milligrams sodium.

Nutrition information per serving (without optional walnuts): 250 calories, 7 grams fat (25 percent fat calories), 4 grams protein, 43 grams carbohydrate, no cholesterol, 171 milligrams sodium.

The following fields overflowed: SUPCAT = COLUMN, RECIPE - On the Light Side