Lowfat Apple Cinnamon Cake, a Scrapbook, and a Half Birthday

The Blizzard of 2013. With meteorologists predicting a major storm to rival that of the blizzard of ’78, schools were canceled for Friday and it looked like we were to be snowed in for the weekend. Like many New Englanders, I took the opportunity to hunker down and nest like crazy. There was cleaning, there was organizing, and, lawdy, was there cooking! I tried my hand at balsamic-glazed carrots (yuck), enjoyed  my fave healthy oven-fried haddock, whipped up a butternut squash soup (coming soon), and, yes, concocted a delish, yet lowfat, apple cinnamon cake.

But, first, the story.

You knew there’d be a story. I’ve pared it down as much as possible…but you’re still going to need to power up with some coffee and maybe a snack to get through it. There is cake at the end, I promise! 🙂

Blizzard Friday was also my son’s 13 and a half birthday. Yes, his half birthday. Now, before you cluck your tongue and judge me too harshly, I am not one of those parents who celebrates every non-milestone in a kid’s life. Honest! Sure, there are high fives all around for a really exceptional burp. And, yes, we’ll post videos to FB of their “amazing” entertainment efforts. But, as a rule, we don’t usually celebrate half birthdays. For sure, you did not see me whooping it up on January 16th, demanding presents, and Facebook-shouting “Woohoo! I’m 45 and a half!! ” I’m not sure I even acknowledged it to myself. It’s not as exciting when you know you’re that much closer to the age your parents were when you realized THEY were old.

Anyhow, here’s the scoop. I love to scrapbook. Thanks to some fine tutelage and encouragement by Dee and the Olympic-sized organizational efforts of Shirl, I’m alright at it and have plenty of opportunity to work on my craft with some of the best friends a girl could ask for. In addition to finishing my wedding bloops and blunders scrapbook and one for our Disney vacation, I was able to finish for each of my kids a book on their first six years of life. They were presented ceremoniously on each of their 6th birthdays, and were received with much anticipation, big smiles, and lots of laughing over naked baby pictures, goofy faces, and great memories.

{cake. cake. she promised us cake.}

I decided to do another round of books, this time for the lucky 13. Then Zach’s 13th birthday came and went, and I wasn’t even close to done.  I jokingly told him I’d have it ready by his half birthday. I tried, I really did. I just didn’t anticipate the sheer number of awesome pictures there were to chronicle, not to mention the fact that so much of my creative energy and free time is now dedicated to food blogging — which, ironically, is a lot like scrapbooking 😉

In early February, I realized I am still only half done. HALF.

[Lightbulb!] I’d give him his book, half done, on his half birthday!!! Brilliant, right? And then I’d finish it after that…

So, with the rest of the family in on the plan, we surprised Zach with a mock “party” including presents and a cake {did she say cake?} specifically chosen for his obsession of all things apple-flavored (applesauce, caramel apple pops, apple pie, apple crisp ice cream). In keeping with the “half” theme, I included a few half dollars in the half birthday card we fashioned for him.

I considered having the family flash him half a moon, butt…

Finally, I gave him that half-finished scrapbook, which I’d managed to keep from his prying eyes this entire time.

I think he likes it 🙂

And then — finally — there was cake for my boy. With 13.5 candles.

Amazing, moist, and spiced with apples and cinnamon.

Drizzled — a little too generously — with a simple cinnamon glaze.

Despite having no added fat, it turned out very moist and cake-like with loads of apple and cinnamon flavor. There was barely any left to photograph after six of us had at it (some of us twice!)

Ready for a close up?

Let’s get to the recipe. How is it lowfat? I used Greek yogurt and applesauce in place of any added fat. Any kind of yogurt would work, but cut back on the brown sugar a bit if you use sweetened yogurt. I limited whole eggs to just two, and used egg whites for the rest. Tart Granny Smith apples paired up nicely with the sweetness of the brown sugar and cinnamon.

Some keys to success when baking, to ensure a light and tender product, especially in those recipes with little added fat:

First, be sure to spoon the flour lightly into the measure cup, rather than scoop it hard and/or pack it in. Too much flour will make it dry and heavy.

Second, stir the dry ingredients into the wet only until everything is moistened. Do not use an electric mixer. About 30 to 40 strokes with the spoon is all it should take.

Third, while there is no added fat in the batter, I strongly recommend you grease the pan with stick butter or margarine. It only takes about 1 teaspoon altogether; well worth it to ensure the cake does not stick to the bottom of the pan. Spray oil just has not worked for me. I used a Bundt pan, but would bet this would bake up well in a 9×13, with a slightly shorter cooking time (try 35 minutes, and test for doneness).

Lowfat Apple Cinnamon Cake
Serves 12

Prep: 25 minutes     Bake: 50 minutes (Bundt pan)

2 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 whole eggs plus 1 egg white
1/2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
1/2 cup applesauce
1 and 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
3 Granny Smith apples, cored, peeled, and chopped into small bite-sized pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and flour a tube (Bundt) pan.

1) Spoon flour lightly into measuring cups, and transfer to small bowl. Add cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Stir to combine and set aside.

2) In a medium mixing bowl, combine the eggs and egg white and whisk well. Stir in the yogurt, applesauce, and brown sugar until well combined.

3) Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and stir only until moistened. Do not use an electric mixer. 30-40 strokes with a mixing spoon should be enough. Fold in the chopped apples.

4) Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 50 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean. Let cool on a rack for at least 20 minutes, then gently loosen the cake from the edges of the pan using a small spatula. To remove from pan, lay a plate over the top of the pan, face down. Hold on to the plate and pan together and invert the pan. The cake should drop out easily onto the plate.

5) Frost or glaze, if desired with below recipe for simple cinnamon glaze.

Simple Cinnamon Glaze:

1 cup confectioner’s sugar, sifted
1-2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine the sugar and cinnamon. Add one tablespoon of milk and stir until all dry ingredients are moistened. If you would like a slightly thinner glaze, add milk by 1/2 tablespoons until desired thickness is achieved. Drizzle over cake once it is cool.

DID YOU REALLY MAKE IT TO THE END? GOD BLESS YOU 🙂

CAKE TIME!