Red Blush Cake With Creamy Vanilla Frosting

RED BLUSH CAKE
2 1/2 c Whole-wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 ts Baking soda
1 1/2 ts Cream of tartar
8 oz Canned no-salt whole beets;
-drained OR 6-oz steamed
-fresh beets, washed and
-peeled
8 oz Crushed pineapple in juice;
-drained
3/4 c Chopped dates
1 1/4 c Honey
1/2 c Frozen orange juice
-concentrate; defrosted
2 ts Vanilla
1 tb Finely grated orange peel
2 Egg whites; unbeaten
2 Egg whites; lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking
soda and cream of tartar. Set aside. Puree drained beets, pineapple and
dates in blender or food processor, approximately 2 minutes. Transfer to
medium bowl; mix in honey, juice concentrate, vanilla, orange peel and the
2 unbeaten egg whites. Stir into flour mixture until just blended. Gently
stir in 2 lightly beaten egg whites. Do not overmix.

Spoon batter into two 9×1-1/2-inch nonstick round baking pans. Bake at 325
degrees for 35 to 40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes
out clean. Cool on wire rack for 20 to 30 minutes, then remove cakes from
pans.

(Nutrition facts per serving: 198 calories, 47 grams carbohydrate, 4 grams
protein, no fat, no cholesterol, 140 milligrams sodium, 3 grams dietary
fiber.)

Creamy Vanilla Frosting (Makes 1-1/2 cups) : A day before making cake,
drain a 16-ounce carton of plain, nonfat yogurt in a yogurt cheese funnel
to make approximately 1 cup yogurt cheese. (Note: You may also drain yogurt
by placing a coffee filter in a colander. Put the yogurt in the colander,
then place it in the refrigerator with a plate underneath to catch the
liquid that runs through.)

To make frosting: In medium bowl, with electric mixer, beat together yogurt
cheese, maple syrup, milk solids and vanilla until well-blended.

(Nutrition facts per serving: 34 calories, 7 grams carbohydrate, 1 gram
protein, no fat, no cholesterol, 20 milligrams sodium, no dietary fiber.)

ANN’s STORY: People use carrots in cakes – so why not use beets in a cake?
Perhaps because they are … well, they’re beets, for heaven’s sake.

Beets, as you might be guessing, are not among my favorite things. But this
cake certainly is – not just because of its great taste, but because it’s
fat-free without tasting that way.

Red Blush Cake is a red-velvet look-alike. The beets get credit for giving
the cake its lovely color.

CHEF’s NOTES: The cake calls for whole-wheat pastry flour, which is
basically whole-wheat bread flour. If you can’t find it at your grocery
store or at a health-food shop, you can use half whole-wheat flour and half
regular bread flour. –Chef Patti Curfman