Pureed canned pears keep this healthful coffee cake moist.

Makes 12 servings

ACTIVE TIME: 35 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 1 1/4 hours

EASE OF PREPARATION: Moderate

Streusel
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2/3 cup all-purpose or cake flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed
1 tablespoon canola oil

Cake
1 16-ounce can pears packed in light syrup, drained
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg white
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups unsifted cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup plain nonfat yogurt or nonfat sour cream
1 12-ounce package fresh cranberries (3 cups)

1. To make streusel: Stir together brown sugar, 2/3 cup flour and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Sprinkle in apple juice concentrate and oil and blend with a fork or your fingers until crumbly.
2. To make cake: Puree pears in a food processor or blender. Transfer to a wide saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring almost constantly, until reduced to 1/2 cup, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool completely.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
4. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, swirling the pan, until the butter turns a light nutty brown, about 1 minute. Whisk into the pear puree. Add sugar, egg, egg white, oil and vanilla, whisking until smooth.
5. Sift together 2 1/4 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to the pear mixture alternately with yogurt (or sour cream).
6. Spread half of the batter in the bottom of the prepared pan. Top with cranberries, then the remaining batter. Sprinkle the streusel over the top. Bake until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Serve warm.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 302 calories; 4 g fat (1 g sat, 2 g mono); 21 mg cholesterol; 62 g carbohydrate; 5 g protein; 2 g fiber; 274 mg sodium; 84 mg potassium.


Nutrition bonus: Folate (19% daily value), Iron & Vitamin C (15% dv).


4 Carbohydrate Servings

RELATED RECIPES: Cranberry-Apple Coffee Cake | Pineapple Coffee Cake | Cranberry-Walnut Quick Bread | Berry-Almond Quick Bread

Compared to the cranberry-apple coffee cake, this one involved a lot more work i feel. It took me almost 1/2 hour to reduce the pear puree to 1/2 a cup and a med-high heat is a definite no-no! The pureed pears scorch wayyyy too easily. Had to turn down heat to low all the way. Can i ask check how come my streusel topping turns into a dough like texture rather then "crumbly" texture as described in the recipe? Did i over stir it? But on the whole it was quite a lovely cake accompanied by a nice warm cup of chai milk tea. Oh and, the cake tastes best warm or at room temp.

Veron