Recipe: Healthy cakes - Low Fat Apple Cinnamon Cake and High Fiber Fruit Cake (eggless)

Healthy cakes could be ones that are low in fat, high in soluble and insoluble fibre, and low in refined sugar and flours.

Healthy products that are "good for you" need to taste good also. [I like eggless cakes]

LOW FAT APPLE CINNAMON CAKE

3/4 cup Flour
3 Eggs
1/2 cup Caster sugar
4 Apples*
1/2 cup Raisins
2 tsps Ground cinnamon
3 1/2 tbsps Honey
1 tbsp Water
1 cup Low fat soft cheese
4 tbsps Low fat fromage frais
2 teaspoons Lemon juice
3 tbsps Apricot glaze
* use other fruits such as peaches, pears, and oranges

Preheat oven to 180oC and lightly grease a cake tin.
Beat the eggs with sugar in a bowl until thick.
Sift the flour and cinnamon over the egg mixture, and mix in with a spoon. Add in to the prepared cake tin, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, peel and core the apples. Then cut 3 apples into thin slices. Put in a pot, and add 2 tablespoons of honey and 1 tablespoon of water. Cook on low heat for 10 minutes.

Add in the raisins and cinnamon, and mix well. Let it cool.
In a bowl, mix the soft cheese with remaining honey, fromage frais, and the lemon juice. Mix well.
When the cake is done, cut it in half horizontally so you have 2 round halves. Spread on 2/3 of the cheese mixture, and top off with the cooked apples and sauce. The place the other half on top.

Spread the leftover cheese mixture on top of the cake. Thinly slice the last apple, and lay it in a circular shape. Brush on the apricot glaze, and its ready to serve.

HIGH FIBRE FRUIT CAKE - eggless

First:
Rind of 1 lemon,
3 oz sultanas,
3 oz currants,
3 oz raisins,
3 oz glac cherries,
2 oz mixed peel,
2 oz toasted whole hazelnuts or almonds,
2 oz pumpkin or sunflower seeds,
1/2 c oil,
1/2 c milk
1 1/4 c apple or tropical fruit juice.
Second:
2 c wholemeal flour,
3 ts baking powder
2 ts mixed spice.

First: Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Cool thoroughly.
Stir in Second.
Spoon into a greaseproof paper lined 20 cm square tin. Smooth the top off with a wet palette knife.
Bake 160 C for 35 minutes. Reduce the heat to 150 C for 45 minutes.
Cool the cake and glaze with apricot glaze or ice as required.