{Tasty Tuesday: Pumpkin Cranberry Nutella Cake with a Few Twists}

Okay, dieters and healthy lifestyle eaters -- hear me out before you click to the next

page in an effort to resist this delicious cake goodness.

Cake doesn't fall under the good-for-scale category. I'll give it to ya that it's not the

nutritional equivalent of steamed broccoli. But this one is not as offensive as most.

Really! I did things to it -- good things -- that make it act nicely to your triglyceride

levels but still keep it moist, decadent and so, so yummy.

First, I'll share my tricks:

1) Sub half of the called for unbleached white flour with whole wheat flour

2) Sub all of the called for Canola oil with unsweetened, organic applesauce

3) Use Dark Choco Dream instead of Nutella

4) Use Xyla instead of regular sugar



Xyla is really Xylital (pronounced Zy-li-tall).

And what's that, you ask?

It looks and tastes just like sugar, but it's an FDA approved, all natural sugarless

sweetener that's extracted from USA hardwood birch trees, and it's produced in

Colorado. It has 40% fewer calories than sugar and 75% less carbs. The name might

sound like a chemical, but it's not. It doesn't contain artificial Sucralose or Aspartame.

It actually has some pretty cool health benefits, too:

* It prevents cavities. It reduces decay-causing bacteria in saliva and it doesn't turn

into an acid in your mouth like sugar does.

* It claims to be good for diabetics, scoring a seven on the glycemic index (sugar is 100).

* It's even thought to be helpful for children who suffer from regular ear infections.

I like that it makes good cake better because there's less guilt in every bite.

Get your own Xyla here, and use coupon code: FIRST to save 10% on your order.

Now, onto the recipe. I got this one from On and Off My Plate, another new foodie

blog that I love. I modified it just a bit, all of which is noted below.

INGREDIENTS:
2 1/2 cups Xyla (or sugar)
1 cup unsweetened apple sauce (or canola oil)
3 eggs
3 cups whole wheat flour (or all-purpose flour)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 can (15 ounces) organic pumpkin
1/4 cup dried cranberries (I'll use a 1/2 cup next time)

WHAT TO DO WITH THEM:
In a large bowl, combine Xyla (or sugar), applesauce (if substituting for oil) until blended.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and cloves; add to egg mixture alternately with pumpkin, beating well after each addition.

Transfer to a bundt cake pan. (Grease it, if desired. The Pampered Chef one I used didn't

need it.) Bake at 350° for 60-66 minutes or until knife inserted near the center comes

out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack. Remove pan and cool completely.

See more Tasty Tuesday ideas here ...