How to Make a Healthy Pound Cake Dessert
Fruit Juice and Frozen Yogurt Enhance the Delicate Flavor
Feb 6, 2009
In order to avert the fat problem, a low-fat cake can be used if using a store-bought cake. Otherwise, a low-fat pound cake can be baked from scratch by using less sugar and substituting part of the sugar with a healthier sweetening agent, such as applesauce. It can also be made from a mix. Egg whites alone should be used when using eggs, since egg yolks are high in cholesterol while egg whites are high in protein. If a regular pound cake is used, other ingredients should be used sparingly in order to balance out the fat content.
According to Linda Stradley's 2004 article, "History of Pound Cake" published on the web site, What's Cooking America, the pound cake derived its name from the use of no more than one pound in the ingredients used: butter, sugar, eggs, and flour. Stradley adds that no leaveners were used other than the air whipped into the batter. The one-pound rule was meant to make remembering easier for bakers who were unable to read, she says. The pound cake is a British creation that dates back to the early 1700s, Stradley adds.
This original recipe uses store-bought cake, such as Entenmann's or Sara Lee, in order to take the work out of putting together this pound cake-based dessert. Bakers can also use a cake mix in order to give it a semi-homemade feel. The toppings are what make this cake guilt-free if the low-fat variety is not available: mango nectar that is not overly sweet, mango slices (in light syrup if canned fruit is used), low-fat vanilla frozen yogurt, light vanilla ice-cream, or low-fat whipped cream.
Ingredients & Baking Tips
- Store-bought pound cake can be used. If a light variety is available, that is ideal.
- Nectar or juice of any fruit flavor can be substituted for mango nectar or juice, according to taste.
- Any tropical or citrus fruit can be substituted for mango, according to taste.
- Fresh or frozen fruit can be used; make sure any seeds are removed from the fresh fruit, and make sure frozen fruit is thawed.
- If using canned fruit, drain the syrup. A little residual syrup is fine if it is low in sugar.
- Low-fat vanilla frozen yogurt or light whipped cream can be used as a topping. Light vanilla ice-cream with no added sugar can also be used, such as Edy's Slow Churned varieties.
- Low-fat plain yogurt is a good substitute for ice-cream, frozen yogurt, and whipped cream.
- Fruit sorbet works well with this cake, too, and can be substituted for the ice-cream, frozen yogurt, or whipped topping.
Juicy Pound Cake with Fruit and Ice-cream
Ingredients:
- 1 packet store-bought pound cake, such as Entenmann's or Sara Lee, or yellow cake mix, such as Betty Crocker or Duncan Hines
- 1/4 cup mango, guava, or peach nectar, or orange juice
- 1/2 cup mango or other tropical fruit slices, fresh, frozen, or canned
- 1/4 cup low-fat vanilla frozen yogurt, light vanilla ice-cream, light whipped cream, or low-fat plain yogurt
- 1/4 cup mango or other fruit sorbet if ice-cream, frozen yogurt, whipped cream, or plain yogurt is not used
- 1/3 cup berries (optional)
Directions:
- Assemble cake if using store-bought variety. Prepare cake according to directions if using cake mix.
- Pour juice on the cake, slowly and a little at a time, in order to allow cake to absorb flavor but not get soaked and therefore become mushy.
- Top with fruit.
- Top with frozen yogurt, ice-cream. whipped cream, or sorbet.
- Serve in a goblet, garnished with berries if desired.
This feel-good cake-and-fruit dessert yields 4 servings.
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