Every October, I find myself craving a piece of my mom’s fresh apple cake. The apple cake recipe with fresh apples she made every fall when apple harvest season arrived in Connecticut. The apple and cinnamon cake I began making every fall during college. It’s a wonderful old-fashioned recipe, very similar to this recipe for fresh apple cake. It’s a great cake, but loaded with fat and sugar.
This year I found myself craving a different kind of fresh apple cake. A light, healthy, low-fat apple cake that would be both delicious and better for me. One that wouldn’t shoot my blood sugar sky high and pack on the pounds.
Healthy Fresh Apple Cake
I found exactly what I was looking for in The Sugar Solution Cookbook: More Than 200 Delicious Recipes to Balance Your Blood Sugar Naturally (Preventions)
As the book explains, apples are low in calories and full of pectin, a fiber that slows digestion and helps control your blood sugar and lower cholesterol. Of course, you realize that the healthiest way to get your apple-a-day is by eating them whole and unpeeled, which is what I do most of the time. But every fall, for a few days, I opt for a slice of healthy fresh apple cake instead.
- 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and roughly chopped
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar
- 1-1/2 cups whole grain pastry flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup canola oil
- ⅓ cup low-fat buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
- ½ cup raisins
- Preheat the oven to 350 F degrees. Coat a 9 x 9-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, combine the apples and brown sugar, stirring to coat the apples well. Let stand for 30 minutes, giving the mixture a stir every once in a while.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt.
- In a small bowl, stir the oil, buttermilk, egg and vanilla together until well blended.
- Add the egg mixture to the apple mixture along with the walnuts and raisins and stir until combined.
- Add the flour mixture and stir until well blended.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread it out evenly.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
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