Holiday Fruits, Vegetables,
and Cake?

(Family Features) Despite the government, media, and academia stressing the importance of eating enough fruits and vegetables, more than two-thirds of us aren’t getting the desired daily number of servings, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If the growing waistlines of consumers are any indication, they are getting enough sweets. 

What if you could have both?  Try dressing up your holiday table with this Carrot Spice Cake with Apricot Curd, one of several recipes from chef and cookbook author Andrew Schloss that can help you sneak in up to a half cup of fruits or vegetables per serving. They use prepared cake mixes, but replace the traditional fat-laden oils with canned fruits and vegetables. You can explore these concoctions, dubbed CANfidential Creations, at www.mealtime.org.

Carrot Spice Cake with Apricot Curd

Ingredients:

Nonstick baking spray
1 can (14.5 ounces) no-salt-added sliced carrots, not drained
1/4 cup canned no-salt-added tomato paste
1/4 cup 2% milk
1 box (18.25 ounces) spice cake mix
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
1 cup raisins
3 large eggs

Apricot Curd
2 cans (15 ounces each) apricot halves in juice or extra-light syrup, not drained
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Spray a 10-inch Bundt pan with baking spray; set aside.  Purée carrots with their liquid, tomato paste, and milk in a blender until smooth.

Mix cake mix, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and raisins in the large bowl of an electric mixer.  Add puréed carrot mixture and eggs and  beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then on high for 2 minutes, until the batter is thick and smooth.

Pour and scrape batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes, until a tester inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it.  Cool in the pan on rack for 20 to 30 minutes, until cool enough to touch.  Remove cake from pan and cool on rack until room temperature.

While the cake is baking, prepare the apricot curd.  Drain 1 can apricots.  Purée both the drained and undrained apricots and cornstarch in a blender until smooth.  Pour into a large saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until boiling and thick, about 5 minutes.  Stir in cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and remaining cinnamon until smooth; cool completely.  Cut in 12 wedges and serve wedges of cake with sauce.

Servings:  12

Serving size:  1/12 cake, 1/3 cup sauce

Nutrition Information Per Serving:  Calories 330; Total fat 9g; Saturated fat 3.5g; Cholesterol 55mg; Sodium 350mg; Carbohydrate 59g; Fiber 4g; Protein 6g; Sugars 37g; Vitamin A 100%DV*; Vitamin C 10%DV; Calcium 8%DV; Iron 15%DV

*Daily Value