Yaaay, St. Patrick's Day is coming. Maybe it's some of my Irish heritage or something to do with it being my Dad's birthday, but I really do enjoy St. Patrick's Day more than most. I can honestly say that it has absolutely nothing to do with green beer. Now, if they had green wine... that might be another story.

So every year I like to dive into Irish recipes leading up to St. Patrick's Day. I've made Corned Beef, Shepherd's Pie, Irish Soda Bread, Irish Cream Donuts, and so much more. This year though, I wanted to get in there and make another Irish sweet treat. So, Irish Apple Cake it is! It's a tender cake, similar to a coffee cake, that's loaded LOADED up with apples.

The cake is usually also served with some sort of sauce, but I found that the cake itself was amazing and deserved to stand alone in all of its glory. Besides, I don't want or need the extra calories or sugar to boot. Ya' dig?

Basically, to lighten this bad boy up I stuck to my usual trends; lowering the sugar, subbing in some sweetener, whole wheat flour, using a light butter, and of course a reduced-fat milk. In the end you get a cake that's slightly more wholesome and still just as tender and delicious!

I love this cake for either breakfast or dessert. As a breakfast, it can stand alone with some fresh fruit. And for a dessert, pair it warm with some ice cream and a drizzle of sauce if desired! No matter how you serve it, you're sure to enjoy it.

I plan to save some of mine to dip into an Irish cream fondue later this weekend!

Skinny Irish Apple Cake
TheSkinnyFork.com

The Skinny:
Servings: 12 • Size: 1 Slice • Calories: 287 • Fat: 9 g • Saturated Fat: 5 g • Carb: 45 g • Fiber: 3 g • Protein: 6 g • Sugar: 18 g • Sodium: 107 mg

Ingredients:
2 C. All-Purpose Flour
1 C. Whole Wheat White Flour
2 Tsp. Baking Powder
1/4 Tsp. Ground Cloves
1/4 Tsp. Ground Nutmeg
1/8 Tsp. Sea Salt
6 Oz. Cold Light Butter
1/2 C. Sugar
2 Tbsp. Natural Sweetener
4 Large Granny Smith Apples, Peeled & Chopped
2 Whole Large Eggs
3/4 C. Reduced Fat Milk
2 Tbsp. Sugar

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. and lightly coat an 8x8" or 9x9" springform pan with non-stick baking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl or the base of a stand mixer, sift together the 2 C. All-Purpose Flour, 1 C. Whole Wheat White Flour, 2 Tsp. Baking Powder, 1/4 Tsp. Ground Cloves, 1/4 Tsp. Ground Nutmeg, and 1/8 Tsp. Sea Salt.

Cut in the 6 Oz. Cold Light Butter until it forms a breadcrumb like texture.

I did this by using the whisk attachment on my stand mixer of a medium speed for a few minutes.

Stir in the 1/2 C. Sugar and 2 Tbsp. Natural Sweetener until well combined.

Toss the 4 Large Chopped Apples to coat them evenly in the flour mixture; set aside.

In another bowl, whisk together the 2 Whole Large Eggs and 3/4 C. Reduced Fat Milk.

Add the egg mixture to the apple/flour mixture and stir only until just combined.

NOTE: If you over stir the cake will not be as tender.

Transfer the batter to the prepared springform pan and sprinkle the 2 Tbsp. Sugar over the top.

Place the pan in the oven to bake for about 45-55 minutes or until the cake and edges golden brown.

Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool before removing from the springform.

Slice and serve right away or store in an airtight container for 3-5 days.

This cake may be stored in the fridge or on the countertop.

Nutritional Claims: Low Sodium, Kidney Friendly, Pescatarian, Peanut Free, Tree Nut Free, Soy Free, Fish Free, Shellfish Free, Pork Free, Red Meat Free, Crustacean Free, Celery Free, Mustard Free, Sesame Free, Lupine Free, Mollusk Free, Alcohol Free