Pear and Almond Yogurt Cake (Low-Fat Cake)
Posted by Mansi Desai on Just Baking
As we herald spring in most parts of the country, seasonal fruits and vegetables can be seen in all their glory, and a trip to the farmer’s market can turn out to be a visually delectable experience! Oranges, pears, and strawberries are flooding the markets in California, and what better way to binge on the goodness of these fruits than to bake them in a cake!
Juicy and sweet, with a soft, buttery yet somewhat grainy texture, the whitish-green as well as the red pears were once referred to as “the gift of the gods.” I combined my pears with almonds and whole-wheat flour to make an almost fat-free and healthy yogurt cake that can be used as a snack any time of the day!
After binging on my Sour-cream Raspberry Brownies and Chewy Chocolate-Chip Cookies, I needed to bake something healthier, and these cakes are just the perfect alternative! This cake is essentially low-fat, hence I did not use any butter. The all-purpose flour was replaced by the whole-grain one; the recipe uses only 1 egg and some oil; the yogurt provides texture to the cake, but as there is no butter, this cake will not be as soft and moist as the others. If you are not looking for a healthy version, feel free to modify the ingredients to use 3/4 cup butter instead of yogurt and add 2 eggs instead of one with all-purpose flour.
Ingredients
1 3/4 cups whole-grain pastry flour
1 1/2 tspn baking powder
1/2 tspn baking soda
3/4 tspn ground nutmeg (optional)
1/2 tspn salt
1 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
3 tbsp vegetable oil
3/4 cup fat-free plain yogurt
2 tspn vanilla extract
2 ripe medium pears -peeled and cut into 1/2″ chunks
2-3 tbsp slivered almonds
Method
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 9″ x 9″ baking pan with cooking spray. Instead, you can also use individual ramekins like I did.
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk the sugar, egg, and oil until smooth. Whisk in the yogurt and the vanilla essence. Finally, stir in the cubed pears.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir just until blended. Scrape into the prepared pan or the ramekins. Sprinkle the slivered almonds on the top.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes (about 25 mins if you are using the ramekins), until the cake is springy to the touch, shrinks from the sides, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. This cake will not be too dark on the top, so if you like more color, change oven setting to BROIL and bake for another 40 seconds, not more. Let cool for 20-30 minutes on a wire rack, then slice and serve!
Tip: Roasting the almonds a little can add more flavor to the cake. If your pears are not too sweet, increase the sugar in the recipe as this cake tends to be a little less sweet compared to others.
Original Recipe and Photo published at Fun and Food
