Apple Walnut Cake

From our friends at the American Heart Association

Image Courtesy of the American Heart Association

Servings: 16 | Serving size: 1 slice

Image Courtesy of the American Heart Association

Enjoy the flavors and spices in this no-sugar-added dessert. Baking with applesauce helps keep the saturated fat out and the moistness in.

Ingredients

Cooking spray

2 cups unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup trans-fat-free tub margarine

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon stevia sweetener OR 8 stevia sweetener packets

3 large eggs

3 cups whole-grain flour, sifted, plus extra for dusting

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

3 cups chopped apples, such as Granny Smith or Honeycrisp

1 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup unsweetened, dried cranberries

2 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut flakes, optional

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Lightly spray a 10-inch Bundt pan with cooking spray and lightly dust it with flour.
Using an electric mixer on medium speed, in a medium bowl, beat the applesauce, margarine, and stevia sweetener until well blended. Add the eggs, beating after each one.
In a large bowl, sift the flour, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, and nutmeg. Add the flour mixture to the applesauce mixture, beating on medium speed just until no flour is visible. Stir in the vanilla. Gently fold in the apples, walnuts, and cranberries. Pour the batter into the pan.
Bake for 1 hour, or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack. Let the cake cool completely. To help remove the cake from the pan, slide a butter knife along the outer edges of the pan and along the inner tube to release the cake.
Invert the cake. Transfer to a serving plate. Sprinkle with the coconut flakes.

Per serving (serves 16)

Calories	200
Total Fat	10.0 g (1.5 g saturated fat, 0.0 g trans fat, 4.5 g polyunsaturated fat, 2.5 g monounsaturated fat)
Cholesterol	35 mg
Sodium	182 mg
Total Carbohydrate	25 g (4 g dietary fiber, 6 g sugars, 0 g added sugars)
Protein	5 g
Dietary Exchanges	1 starch, 1/2 fruit, 2 fat