Tea and Sicily

The flavors of Sicily--fennel seeds, golden raisins and pine nuts--combine to make this single-layer cake high in flavor and low in fat.

Because they are so flavorful, it only takes a couple of tablespoons of pine nuts to give the cake a nutty flavor. They also add a pleasant bit of crunch.

To lower the fat in the cake, 1/4 cup of nonfat egg substitute was used in place of one beaten egg. (When buying egg substitutes be sure to check the labels; some are completely fat-free, others aren’t.) The puree of one large plum (skin on) replaced the butter. A little butter does creep into the cake, however: We brushed the baking pan with butter instead of using a non-stick vegetable spray. Used sparingly, butter on the pan gives added flavor to the cake and a better texture to the crust.

The cake is not frosted but is spread with orange marmalade when the cake is still warm from the oven. The final touch is a garnish of fresh blackberries.

SICILIAN TEA CAKE

1 tablespoon butter

2/3 cup nonfat milk

1/2 cup golden raisins

1 tablespoon fennel seeds

1 large plum, pitted and pureed to measure 1/2 cup

1/4 cup thawed frozen nonfat egg substitute

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/3 cups cake flour

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts

1/3 cup orange marmalade or plum preserves

Blackberries

Butter 10-inch round baking pan. Line bottom with parchment paper.

Combine nonfat milk, raisins and fennel seeds. Stir in plum puree, egg substitute and vanilla. Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda into bowl. Stir fennel mixture into dry ingredients along with pine nuts just until blended. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake at 375 degrees 20 minutes or until top springs back or wood pick inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes. Remove to wire rack to cool. Spread marmalade over top of cake while cake is warm. Garnish with blackberries, if desired. Makes 12 servings.

Each serving contains about:

168 calories; 62 mg sodium; 3 mg cholesterol; 2 grams fat; 36 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams protein; 0.25 gram fiber.