Low Fat Vanilla Cake

The classic vanilla cake is one of the more nostalgic desserts, dating back centuries.  Creamy and rich, often with copious amounts  of butter in both the cake itself and its frosting.  In this recipe, I cut out all of the butter, but still left in all of the moisture and flavor.  In fact, my whole family did not notice, and they can be very picky.  I am still working on a healthier buttercream frosting, but for now, this is an almost perfect stand in (my goal is to make it with less butter).  If you have any suggestions, please share in the comment section below.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons tightly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup applesauce
1 egg
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup grapeseed oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Healthier Buttercream (recipe follows)

Preparation:

Combine the shortening and both sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on medium-high speed for 2 to 3 minutes, or until pebbles form.  Add applesauce and cream until smooth.  Add egg and yogurt and beat for 2 to 3 minutes, or until fluffy.

On low speed, stream in the buttermilk, oil and vanilla and quickly raise speed to medium-high.  Beat for 6 minutes to thoroughly combine.

In a small bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and salt with a whisk and then slowly pour into mixer, and beat on low speed until just combined.  DO NOT OVERMIX!  Scrape down sides of bowl and mix to fully incorporate for no more than 15 seconds.

Pour batter into two 9-inch circular baking pans lined with parchment paper and sprayed with Pam and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes, or until the sides spring back up when touched.  Cool completely in pans before removing.  Frost with buttercream.

Healthier Buttercream Recipe:

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 6 tablespoons of butter with 2 tablespoons of white bean puree (see low fat chocolate chip cookies recipe) and beat until smooth.  Add 3 3/4 cups of powdered sugar and beat until you get a thick paste.  Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of milk to create the right, spreadable consistency.