Recipe Rehab: Fresh Apple Cake

Gwen writes to us from Lufkin, Texas, with the request to reduce the carbohydrates in a family-favorite recipe for Fresh Apple Cake. Everyone in her household suffers from diabetes, and she would like to continue to bake the foods her family loves while keeping blood sugar under control. She tried to replace the sugar with Splenda but feels the substitution causes the cake to lose its moistness. Gwen, I commend you for your attempt to make lower-carbohydrate substitutions, and I will show you how to retain the moistness in my lighter version of your recipe.

For starters, I will reduce the amount of sugar in the recipe and replace it with a small amount of Splenda. To add moistness to the cake and reduce the calories even further, I will replace the oil with unsweetened applesauce. Replacing the eggs with Egg Beaters is another way to further reduce calories. Fiber is important to help slow the absorption of carbohydrates and prevent blood sugar spikes in people with diabetes, so I will use whole-wheat flour and rolled oats to enhance the base of the cake. Finally, dried fruits and nuts add a lot of natural sugars and calories. I will replace the dried dates by increasing the amount of apples, and I will toast the pecans to enhance their flavor so that I will be able to use a smaller amount.

With these simple substitutions, I was able to cut the carbohydrates from 54 grams per serving to only 23 grams per serving. Additionally, the 3 grams of fiber will help with blood sugar control. This apple cake is sure to please your family's sweet tooth without causing huge spikes in blood sugar.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sugar OR 1/2 cup Splenda
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce
• 3/4 cup Egg Beaters
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 4 cups apples, chopped (about 5 whole)
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray a Bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Place the pecans on a cookie sheet and place in the oven as it is preheating. Toast pecans for 5-7 minutes, until slightly browned. Be careful not to burn.
3. Mix together the sugar (or Splenda), applesauce and Egg Beaters. Beat until well blended.
4. Add the flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder and spices. Mix until combined.
5. Fold in the apple and toasted pecans.
6. Bake for one hour or until toothpick entered in the center comes out clean.

Serves: 16

Nutrition Content (per serving):
182 calories, 4 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 35 g carbohydrates, 18 g sugar, 3 g fiber, 4 g protein, 275 mg sodium

Note: Using Splenda will reduce the nutrition content to 136 calories, 23 g carbohydrates, 3 g sugar.

For another low-carbohydrate treat, try my Bread Pudding.

Readers, I would love to hear from you! Please send me your favorite fattening recipes that need a RECIPE REAHB! Everything from your mom's meatloaf to your kid's favorite dessert -- let me lighten it up.

Celebrity dietitian and motivational life coach Tanya Zuckerbrot, author of www.ffactordiet.com and founder of www.skinnyandthecity.com and www.theskinnyondietitians.com, has helped thousands of people lose weight and keep it off with her program. Her philosophy? Tanya believes you should never sacrifice taste, even when you're eating healthy foods. Have a recipe in need of rehab? Send us your recipe!