Apple Coffee Cake

Whether it’s a birthday party or a weekend family dinner, nothing makes an occasion more festive than a beautifully presented cake.

And while most cake recipes are less than healthy, the following recipe is so low in calories and fat that you can make your cake and eat it too.

This cake gets its moistness from the apples and raisins, so it requires little oil.

Ingredients

• 5 cups tart apples, cored, peeled, finely chopped

• 1 cup sugar

• 1 cup dark, plump raisins

• ½ cup pecans, chopped

• ¼ cup vegetable oil

• 2 tsp. vanilla

• 1 egg, beaten

• 2½ cups sifted, all-purpose flour

• 1½ tsp. baking soda

• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a 13-by-9-by-2-inch pan. In a large mixing bowl, combine apples with sugar, raisins, and pecans; mix well. Let stand 30 minutes. Stir in oil, vanilla, and egg. Sift together flour, soda, and cinnamon. Stir into apple mixture about one-third at a time. Turn mixture into pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Cool cake slightly before serving.

Makes 20 servings

Each 3½-by-2½-inch serving contains: 241calories, 5 g fat, 57 mg cholesterol, 273 mg sodium, 45 g carbohydrates