Sally Bee - Have Your Cake and Eat it Too

So, although most people will find a diet that consists exclusively of fruit and nuts a little extreme, it shows that they contain much of what we need to live a healthy, happy life. Fruits are packed full of vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids and proteins, and don’t contain all the bad nutrition that can contribute to obesity, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and cancer. So why not take a look at your eating habits over the space of a week and add the odd healthy dessert along with extra fruit. It won’t just make you feel better; it could save your life.

Pistachio & Yogurt Cake

This fabulous recipe uses light olive oil and low-fat yogurt instead of butter, so keeping the fat content healthy and low. Very simple to make, this cake is beautiful served with a side order of fruit and a dollop or topping of low-fat crème fraîche or Greek yogurt.

SERVES 10

light olive oil or low-fat spread, for oiling or greasing

140g (5oz) shelled, unsalted pistachio nuts

4 eggs

175g (6oz) caster sugar

150g (5½oz) plain low- fat yogurt

75ml (3fl oz) light olive oil

115g (4oz) self-raising flour

1 Preheat the oven to 160°C/315°F/Gas mark 2–3.

2 Oil a 23cm (9in) springform cake tin with a little light olive oil or use some low-fat spread.

3 Start by finely grinding the pistachios in a food processor, then set aside.

4 Using a free-standing electric mixer, beat the eggs and the sugar together until very pale and thick. This will take about 5 minutes, so be patient with it!

5 Next, gently mix in the yogurt and olive oil.

6 Now, sift in the flour and fold in using a spatula, then add the ground pistachios.

7 Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

Angel Food Cake with Lemon Icing

A fat-free cake that looks seriously impressive! Serve on the day it is made with lots of sweet and colourful fruit. This recipe makes one large cake, so it is ideal for when you have a house full of guests. You will need a 25cm (10in) non-stick Bundt tin for this cake, which is available from good kitchen shops.

SERVES 12-16

12 egg whites

1¼ tsp cream of tartar

½ tsp lemon juice

grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon

1 tsp vanilla extract

190g (6¾oz) icing sugar

135g (4¾oz) plain flour

For the icing

juice of ½ lemon

3 tbsp clear, runny honey

8 tbsp icing sugar

To decorate

grated lemon zest

fresh mint sprigs

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4.

2 Using a free-standing electric mixer, whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar together until the mixture is frothy but not too stiff.

3 Next, add the lemon juice, grated lemon zest and vanilla extract, and continue to whisk while adding the icing sugar, a bit at a time. Carry on until stiff peaks form and the egg whites are nicely glossy.

4 Now, the flour needs to be sifted and added to the egg white mixture. Try to add a little height while sifting the flour over the mixture, as this will make your cake lighter. Use a spatula or large metal spoon to carefully and quickly fold in the flour until incorporated. Do not beat or overmix. Limit yourself to 16 turns of the spoon!

5 Pour the mixture into a 25cm (10in) non-stick Bundt cake tin and bake for 30–40 minutes until the top is brown and a skewer inserted halfway between the inner and outer wall of the tin comes out clean.

6 Don’t turn the cake out, simply turn the tin upside down on top of a wire rack and leave the cake to cool inside the tin for about an hour.

7 Now, carefully use a plastic spatula to loosen the cake around the sides and middle, then release the cake and place on a serving plate.

8 For the icing, simply mix the lemon juice, honey and icing sugar together and pour over the cake just before serving. Decorate with lemon zest and mint sprigs.

Low-fat Ginger Cake

If it’s holiday time, make this to fill your house with festive smells. If it’s not holiday time, make it anyway! This cake is easy to make, delicious and low in fat – enjoy a delicious piece of this ginger cake guilt-free any time.

SERVES 9

light cooking spray, for coating

200g (7oz) dark muscovado sugar

1 egg

60ml (2fl oz) light olive oil

125ml (4fl oz) low-fat buttermilk

200g (7oz) plain flour

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp baking powder

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4.

2 Spray a 20cm (8in) square cake tin with light cooking spray and line the base with baking parchment.

3 In a large bowl, mix the sugar, egg and olive oil together until smooth. Now, add the buttermilk and combine well.

4 Next, sift the flour, ground ginger, cinnamon and baking powder into the wet ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon. Don’t overmix.

5 Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 25–30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool. Once cold, cut into squares to serve.

TIP

Feel free to dust the top of the cake with a little mixture of icing sugar and cocoa powder.

Fruity Fruit Cake

Now don’t expect a very sweet and heavy traditional fruit cake with this recipe. Made with low-fat spread and only a tiny amount of sugar, this cake is wonderfully light and naturally sweetened by the dried fruit.

SERVES 10

low-fat spread, for greasing

150g (5½oz) mixed dried fruit

20g (¾oz) pecan nuts, hazelnuts or walnuts, chopped

100g (3½oz) self-raising flour

100g (3½oz) low-fat, heart-healthy spread

50g (1¾oz) dark muscovado sugar

2 eggs

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4.

2 Grease a 20cm (8in) loose-bottomed cake tin with low-fat spread.

3 In a bowl, combine the dried fruit and chopped nuts along with 1 tablespoon of the flour. Set aside.

4 In another bowl, beat the low-fat spread and the sugar together. You might need to squash the clumps of sugar with the back of a fork.

5 Now, add the eggs and beat into the sugar mixture. Using a wooden spoon is fine.

6 Next, add the remaining flour and mix well.

7 Finally, add the flour-coated fruit and nuts and stir to combine.

8 Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 18–20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

Mint, Caraway & Lemon Roulade

This is an impressive-looking, delicious and light roulade that contains only half the fat compared to one made with butter and full-fat cream cheese filling. This roulade is best eaten on the day it is made.

SERVES 8

6 eggs

175g (6oz) golden caster sugar

175g (6oz) self-raising flour

grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon

1 tsp caraway seeds, lightly crushed

55g (2oz) low-fat heart-healthy spread, melted

icing sugar, for sprinkling

1 fresh mint sprig, to decorate

For the filling