An Apple A Day Keeps The Pounds Away

black feathered tunic (romwe.com)

Apples are pretty amazing. They keep the dr. away, and are also natures toothbrush. But did you know they can also be used as oil, butter and sugar substitutes  in baking?

Today’s post is all about how you can make your cake, and eat it too.

It is very easy. For example, if you are using a boxed cake recipe all you would do is use the same amount of applesauce as it calls for oil.

If you are doing a recipe from scratch you can substitute the same amount of applesauce for the oil and ditch adding any sugar to the recipe.

If you are using apple sauce in your brownies or cookies from experience I recommend doing half and half. Half oil or butter and half applesauce. But for baking cakes, completely substitute.

Here is my favorite desert to make at home.

It’s called Apple Cake

• Cake

• 1⁄2cup  unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup  sugar
• **Instead of adding sugar and butter, just add 1/2 cup of butter**
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon  baking soda
• 1⁄4teaspoon  salt
• 1 teaspoon  cinnamon
• 1⁄2teaspoon  nutmeg
• 1 cup  flour
• 2 granny smith apples, peeled, chopped fine
• 1⁄2cup chopped pecans

• Caramel sauce

• 1⁄2cup  unsalted butter
• 1 cup minus 1 tbl. brown sugar
• **I use the butter and sugar for the sauce, I’ve never tried subbing it for the sauce**
• 1⁄2teaspoon  salt
• 1 teaspoon  vanilla
• 1⁄2cup whipping cream

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine applesauce and egg
2. Add rest of dry ingredients and beat til mixed
3. Fold in apples and pecans. Pour into greased and floured large round, deep cake pan
4. Bake at 350º for 35-40 minutes
5. Meanwhile, make caramel sauce
6. Caramel sauce: melt butter, brown sugar and salt in pan over low-med heat
7. stir for 2-3 minutes
8. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and cream
9. Drizzle lots of caramel sauce over cake
10. Sprinkle chopped pecans on top for added YUM!
11. Enjoy- à la mode!

*If you have any questions let me know