Tuesday, May 10, 2011

{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).

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 ...

4 comments:

Ale said...

Great! Now, I am hungry and I want cake, so unfair! Great job Sam!

elizabeth said...

Looks yummy! I use pure xylitol to irrigate my nasal cavities. It's actually the only thing I've found that helps my sinus problems. :)

alissa {33shadesofgreen} said...

Yum - this looks delicious Samara! I've never heard of Xyla but not i am intrigued. Sounds interesting for sure.

Adri said...

This cake looks, and sounds delicious...I have to try your recipe. Now that I've been home I've been preparing a complete meal with dessert...the kids and I love it!! I still bake the coconut pineapple loaf that I tried at your house...and they love it. I will let you know what I think of this cake when I bake it...thank you for sharing with us Sam.