Coffee cake substitutions

[Colleen]

Hello all, I have a quick question for you. I have just made a yogurt-pecan coffee cake and it turned out VERY well. My question is that it calls for 1/2 cup golden raisins. Do you think that I could substitute chopped apples for that? I like raisins, but I LOVE apples in coffee cake. What do you think?
thanks for any input,
colleen

[Leonard]

I don't think I would. Apples have a high water content. I'm sure the flavor would be great, but you might be adding more liquid to the cake than you want. FYI: I just discovered a great book. It's called the Cake Mix Doctor. Anne Byrn is the author. She makes delicious layer cakes, bar style cookies, cheesecake bars and coffee cakes using boxed cake mixes. She "doctors" them up and presto, you have a great cake with that homemade taste. They are not lowfat, but I make cakes often for friends parties, etc. What a fabulous book.

[Linda in MO]

I would say go for it, especially if it's only 1/2 cup. I'm sure I've done this before. This is just my opinion though. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif
Oh, and another thumbs up for the Cake Mix Doctor. I love that book!

[Colleen]

Hmmm....so one yes and one no on the apples question. If I did try it, do you think that I should lower the amount of liquid? Really, there isn't much liquid in the recipe (yogurt, eggs, and that's about it.

Thanks for the suggestion on the book. I'll look into it.

[Grace]

I would say go ahead, too. Raisins do have moisture in them (like prune puree as a fat replacer), and apples, while they have some moisture, and not really, really wet say like blueberries are, and they go in muffins and coffeecakes all the time. I would definitely try it.

Let us know how it turns out if you do!

[Natasha]

Colleen,

Would you please post your yogurt-pecan coffee cake recipe? If it s from a back issue of CL, you can just direct me to which issue it is in, because I might already have it - though it doesn t sound familiar. Thanks in advance!

Natasha

[ellielk]

Colleen, you might try dried apples instead of fresh.

Originally posted by Colleen:
Hello all, I have a quick question for you. I have just made a yogurt-pecan coffee cake and it turned out VERY well. My question is that it calls for 1/2 cup golden raisins. Do you think that I could substitute chopped apples for that? I like raisins, but I LOVE apples in coffee cake. What do you think?
thanks for any input,
colleen

[Colleen]

Natasha,
No this recipe isn't from cooking light. In fact I really don't know how it adds up calorie-wise. But, here it is if you still want it.

Yogurt-Pecan Coffee Cake

Pecan Topping:
Prepare topping first then set aside.

3/4 cup firmly packed Brown Sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup pecans

Mix together b. sugar, flour and cinnamon. Cut in bitter until mixture has the consistency of corn meal. Finally, mix in chopped pecans.

Cake batter:

1/2 cup butter
1 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup yogurt
1/2 cup golden raisens (or apples?????)

cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix flour thouroughly with baking powder, soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with yogurt, making about 3 equal additions of each and blending. Sprinkle raisins over the top and stir in.

Spread mixture in a greased baking pan (9-by-13-by-2 inches). Sprinkle with pecan topping. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes. Cut in to squares and serve hot or cold.

Serves 12-18.

Variations: walnuts or hazelnuts can be substituted for pecand. Sour cream can be substituted for yogurt.

Enjoy!
Colleen

[Natasha]

Colleen,
Wow. Wish I could make this right now. Maybe tonight! (Wishful thinking?) Thanks again. Let us know how it turns out with the apples.
Natasha

[Marcie]

I've never found coffeecake to be so fussy that a little extra moisture would spell disaster. I'd use apples instead of raisins and not even think twice.