Strawberry & Raspberry Cake

This recipe is from Food and Wine – I add more fruit and might add more next time. This cake is so easy to whip up, tastes amazing and looks impressive!

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (4 ounces), softened, plus more for greasing pan
• 1 cup all-purpose flour (about 4 1/4 ounces), plus more for dusting pan
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• 1 cup fresh raspberries (about 4 ounces)
• 6 small fresh strawberries (about 4 ounces), stemmed and quartered
• Powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 8” springform pan with butter, and dust with flour. Set aside. Combine sugar, butter, and salt in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla and lemon zest. Add flour; beat on low speed until smooth, about 30 seconds. Pour batter into prepared pan; spread to evenly cover bottom. Arrange raspberries and strawberries on top of batter.Step 2

Bake in preheated oven until a wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 34 to 38 minutes. Let cake cool in pan 10 minutes. Run a small offset spatula around edge of pan to loosen cake; remove from pan. Let cool completely on a wire rack, about 1 hour.

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Lemon Cake with Raspberries and Almonds

This recipe is inspired by Bon Appetit – I made a few minor changes, used coconut palm sugar, swapped almonds for pistachios and used a little whole wheat flour. Make sure the olive oil you use is fruity.

Ingredients:
1 c flour
3/4 c whole wheat flour
1½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
4 large eggs
3/4 c coconut palm sugar plus 2 TBSP sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 TBSP finely grated lemon zest
1 TBSP lemon juice
¾ c olive oil
1 c raspberries
3 TBSP slivered, almonds
Lemon Syrup
1/4 c lemon juice
1/4 c coconut palm sugar

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 9” diameter cake pan with nonstick spray.

Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl.

Using an electric mixer, beat eggs and 3/4 c sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With mixer running, add vanilla and 1 TBSP lemon juice, then gradually add oil, mixing just until combined. Fold in lemon zest and dry ingredients.

Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Scatter berries over cake, then almonds and 2 TBSP sugar.

Bake cake until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 45–55 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring remaining ¼ c sugar and remaining ¼ c lemon juice to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar; let lemon syrup cool.

Transfer hot cake (still in pan) to a wire rack and immediately brush with lemon syrup (use all of it). Let cake cool completely in pan.

Serves 8 – 10.

Lite Raspberry Cupcakes

These were inspired by valentine’s day and a recipe for strawberry cupcakes. They are wonderful and no one will know they are low fat! I doubled the recipe to make 36 since I love to have frozen cupcakes on hand for a quick dessert.

Ingredients:
8 oz raspberry fruit spread (sugar free)
1/2 c fresh raspberries
2 1/2 c flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 c sugar
1 c apple sauce (unsweetened)
6 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 c milk

Frosting:
12 oz lite cream cheese
2 oz raspberry fruit spread
1/2 c powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Line a muffin tin with papers.

Whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.

In a large bowl beat sugar and apple sauce with an electric mixer. Add egg whites, raspberries and vanilla beat until combined. Add 1/3 flour, 1/3 milk and beat on low until combined, repeat with remaining flour and milk.

Fill each muffin cup 1/2 way and bake for 15 – 18 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool 1 hour before frosting.

Combine cream cheese, powdered sugar and raspberry spread in a bowl, beat until combined. Frost cupcakes and top with a raspberry.

Makes 36.
2 WW PP per cupcake.