Today I’ll show you how to make the fat-free apple cake with egg whites, as suggested in my Facebook group by my dear reader Martina Fanni, whom I thank very much. By the way, Martina also came up with the cute nickname for all the members, the “puntine” (little pins), since we count Weight Watchers points, but that’s another story. Let’s talk about this light, indulgent and truly surprising cake.
Why a fit cake? From what I understand it’s because it has lots of protein, little sugar and no fat, which makes it perfect for a protein-rich breakfast. And it’s tasty too! The Dutchman, who is always super skeptical about my dessert experiments, devoured it piece after piece and I had to re-make it the same day. When he behaves like that I’m sure everyone will like it.
During the making of this apple cake with egg whites I also had a little mishap: I used carton egg whites which for me did not whip up. It’s not the first time nor the second: I tried whipping them cold and at room temperature but to no avail. Yet the cake turned out well anyway, soft and tall. Well, enough chatter, here’s how I did it…
Here are some other ideas with apples:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Budget
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 10 or 12 slices
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Healthy
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 1 cup egg whites (from carton or obtained from about 7 eggs)
- 7/8 cup flour
- 6 tbsp + 1 tsp sugar (I used coconut sugar)
- 1 packet baking powder
- 3 apples (I used organic Golden Delicious)
- 1 lemon (unwaxed) (juice and grated zest)
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon (optional)
- Total points = 20 WW points
- Points per serving if divided into 10 slices = 2 WW points
- Points per serving if divided into 12 slices = 1.7 WW points
Tools
- Deiss PRO cheese grater and lemon zester: Parmesan, Lemon, Ginger, Chocolate, Vegetables, Fruit – finely sharpened stainless steel blade, wide and dishwasher safe
- Kenwood stand mixer
- Cake cooling rack
Preparation
Grate the lemon zest and squeeze it to obtain the juice. If you use organic apples you can leave the peel on; in any case remove the core and slice them as in the photo, then immediately put them in a bowl with the lemon juice so they don’t brown.
Mix the sifted flour and baking powder, 40 g of the sugar and the grated lemon zest. If you like you can also add 2 teaspoons of cinnamon.
Whip the egg whites with 40 g sugar and a pinch of salt. If, as happened to me, they don’t form stiff peaks but just become foamy, that’s fine too.
Fold the flour, sugar and lemon zest mixture into the egg whites either with the stand mixer using the paddle attachment or gently by hand. My batter turned quite dark because I used coconut sugar.
Line a square pan about 7 1/8 inches on a side with parchment paper. I usually cut two strips, place them in the pan crossing each other and hold them in place with clips as in the photo: this way the paper won’t move when you pour in the batter.
Pour the batter into the pan and level it so it’s evenly distributed, especially at the sides and in the corners of the pan.
Arrange the apple slices with the skin facing up forming three rows, as in the photo. Remove the clips (careful!) and trim the excess parchment paper.
Bake in the oven at 356°F for about 30 minutes: the cake should be golden on top. Turn off the oven and leave the cake inside for another 5 minutes with the door slightly open, then remove and wait a bit to cool.
Remove the parchment paper and let cool completely on a cooling rack.
Here is our apple cake with egg whites ready! It’s soft and fragrant, moist just the right amount — in short: it’s really good!
As I already said this fit cake was a hit at my house. The Dutchman left only a tiny piece for my son who also liked it very much; I managed to eat a couple of slices and had to make it again right away.
In fact, writing the recipe made me want to bake it again! I’m waiting for your photos in the Eat Without Belly Club…
Enjoy!
by Giovanna Buono
