- “Something
Different”
- A Cool Summer Cake
- BY DANA JACOBI
AMERICAN INSTITUTE FOR CANCER RESEARCH
As the finale at a back-yard
picnic or cook-out, platters of fresh fruit or slices of icy
watermelon taste as good as they look. But anyone with a real
sweet tooth wants more.
I usually get into trouble
at this point, especially when a health-conscious hostess serves
fat-free meringue kisses or sorbet. Calories count, even the
fat-free ones. But it’s the fat that truly satisfies, more
than the sugar. Thwarted dessert lovers tend to overindulge,
stuffing themselves with too many fat-free goodies, when a couple
of good cookies, a properly fudgy brownie, or a thin slice of
the right type of cake could do the trick. The “right”
type of cake is made with a modest amount of fat - whether from
egg yolks, butter, oil, yogurt, buttermilk, or sour cream - that
still offers the mouth feel and rich taste we crave.
A bit of fat does more than
simply satisfy. It improves the texture of baked goods noticeably,
helping to create a moist texture rather than the rubbery and
dry quality of most baked goods made with egg whites, applesauce
or pureéd fruit.
A cake and cookie monster,
I continually watch for promising recipes and tinker with those
I like. Recently, I decided to focus on cakes suitable for casual
entertaining, especially out-doors and for a crowd. This one
caught my eye because it looks nice made in a big tube pan, feeds
up to 16 people, goes well served with berries and is best when
made ahead. It keeps excellently for three days or more and also
travels well, a definite plus if you are headed to the beach
or a potluck dinner.
Glazing is much easier than
frosting a cake, since there is no need to worry about applying
it evenly or getting crumbs on top of the icing. The lime flavor
in this cake is a nice surprise. More tart and bolder-tasting
than lemon, it is particularly refreshing during the summer,
and goes splendidly with iced tea.
A Cool Summer Cake:
Lime and Banana Cake
- Canola oil cooking spray
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated (table) sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- Zest of 2 limes, divided in
half
- 1 large ripe banana
- 1 cup low-fat plain yogurt
- 1 large egg, separated
- 1 large egg white
- 1 cup confectioners’
sugar
- Zest and juice of 1 medium
lime
- 2 cups fresh berries for garnish
Set rack in center of oven.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat an 8-cup plain tube pan with
cooking spray. Flour pan and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine flour,
sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and 1/2 of the zest.
In a separate bowl, mash banana
well. Whisk in yogurt and egg yolk. Mix into dry ingredients
to make a dense batter.
In another bowl, whisk egg whites to soft peaks. Fold into batter
just until combined, leaving some white streaks.
Transfer batter to pan. Rap pan on counter to eliminate air bubbles
and level batter.
Bake 35 minutes or until knife
inserted into center comes out clean. Cool cake in pan 20 minutes.
Unmold and set on wire rack to cool completely.
Mix together confectioners’
sugar, remaining zest and juice. Spoon over cake, letting it
drip down sides. When set, about 30 minutes, cover cake with
plastic wrap. Let cake sit 6 to 24 hours before serving. Use
serrated knife to slice and serve garnished with berries. (Cake
is low-fat and gets dryer on second and third day. More glaze
as a topping, will give a moister taste.)
Makes 12 servings.
Per serving: 212 calories,
1 g. total fat (0 g. saturated fat), 47 g. carbohydrate, 4 g.
protein, 1 g. dietary fiber, 235 mg. sodium.
____________________________________________
“Something Different”
is written for the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR)
by Dana Jacobi, author of The Joy of Soy, and recipe creator
for AICR’s Stopping Cancer Before It Starts.
# # #
AICR offers a Nutrition Hotline (1-800-843-8114) 9 a.m. to 5
p.m. ET Monday-Friday. This free service allows you to ask a
registered dietitian questions about diet, nutrition and cancer.
AICR is the only major cancer charity focused exclusively on
the link between diet, nutrition and cancer. It provides a range
of education programs that help Americans learn to make changes
for lower cancer risk. AICR also supports innovative research
in cancer prevention and treatment at universities, hospitals
and research centers across the U.S. It has provided more than
$62 million in funding for research in diet, nutrition and cancer.
AICR's Web address is www.aicr.org.
AICR is a member of the World Cancer Research Fund International.
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