A sweet tooth can be a challenge when trying to eat healthier, but one home baker has found a solution with a weekly cake that uses tinned fruit to achieve moisture and sweetness without refined sugar.
A Healthier Sweet Treat
Millie Bull, Deputy Editor of Spare Time, shares her journey of reducing refined sugar intake by creating delicious cakes using tinned fruit in juice. She explains that refined sugar, commonly found in processed foods, is stripped of natural nutrients during processing. By replacing it with maple syrup, honey, and fruit, she has developed recipes that satisfy her sweet cravings.
The Secret Ingredient: Tinned Fruit
Starting with a refined sugar-free banana bread, Bull experimented with tinned pineapple and pears. She found that tinned fruit in juice adds both moisture and natural sweetness, eliminating the need for added sugar. Her latest creation is a pear upside-down cake made with tinned pear halves in juice, which has become a weekly staple.
Why Tinned Fruit Works
The tinned fruit provides a syrupy glaze and keeps the cake incredibly moist. Bull notes that the bananas in the base contribute sweetness without an overpowering banana taste, making the cake versatile for experimenting with other fruits like apples, peaches, or apricots.
Recipe: Tinned Pear Upside-Down Cake
Ingredients:
- One tin of pear halves in juice (do not discard the juice)
- Half a cup of yoghurt
- Half a cup of oil (olive oil recommended)
- Two ripe bananas
- Three eggs
- Half a teaspoon of vanilla extract
- Half a cup of maple syrup
- 1.5 cups of self-raising flour
- One teaspoon of baking powder
- Five extra tablespoons of maple syrup
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease and line a cake tin (9x9 inch square tin works well).
- Open the tinned pears, separate fruit from juice, and set the juice aside.
- Place pears cut-side down in the lined tin, evenly spaced. Add five tablespoons of maple syrup and half the pear juice, tilting the tin to spread the liquid.
- In a mixing bowl, mash the bananas until lumpy. Add yoghurt, oil, eggs, vanilla extract, maple syrup, and remaining pear juice. Mix well.
- Add flour and baking powder, mixing until a loose batter forms. If too runny, add a bit more flour.
- Pour the batter over the pears, ensuring they are fully submerged.
- Bake for 35-45 minutes, checking at 30 minutes. If browning too quickly, cover with foil. The cake is ready when golden on top and a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool for 10-20 minutes, then flip onto a plate and peel off baking paper. The pears should be visible with a syrupy glaze.
This cake is delicious on its own or served with crème fraîche or Greek yoghurt.
