RECIPE DOCTOR
Like gingerbread cookies? We have a cake for you

By Elaine Magee

Q. I would love to make a lighter gingerbread cake during the holidays for my family. Can you make a recipe over?

A. I found a recipe from epicurious.com that calls for maple whipped cream. I opted for light lemon cream frosting.

The original recipe called for 3 cups of flour, so I used half whole-wheat and half unbleached white flour. I also replaced the 1 1/4 sticks of butter with 1/2 cup of low-trans margarine with 8 grams of fat per tablespoon (like Take Control or Land O' Lakes Buttery Spread) and a couple tablespoons of orange juice. To help bring calories down farther, I cut the brown sugar in half and added Splenda.

The original recipe also calls for 3 large eggs. I added 2 higher omega-3 eggs and 1/4 cup of egg substitute.

I made the frosting with a low-trans margarine and used half as much by using a 9 x 13 baking pan and just adding a thin layer of the high-flavor frosting.

Original recipe contains 490 calories, 27 g fat, 16 g saturated fat, and 128 mg cholesterol per serving.

GINGERBREAD CAKE WITH LIGHT LEMON FROSTING

• 1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
• 1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
• 2 tablespoons ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup low-trans margarine with 8 grams of fat per tablespoon (like Take Control or Land O' Lakes Buttery Spread)
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup Splenda
• 2 large eggs (higher omega-3 eggs, if available)
• 1/4 cup egg substitute
• 2/3 cup mild-flavored (light) molasses
• 1/3 cup light pancake syrup
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped orange zest or peel

Light Lemon Frosting

• 2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup low-trans margarine
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon fat-free half-and-half

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and position rack in center of oven. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with canola spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk flours, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and salt until well blended.

In large mixing bowl, beat margarine and orange juice on medium speed until fluffy. Add brown sugar and Splenda; beat until blended. Beat in eggs and egg substitute one at a time. Slowly beat in molasses and pancake syrup, then boiling water. Beat in orange peel.

On low speed, slowly beat in dry ingredients. Pour batter into prepared pan and even the top with a spoon or spatula. Bake until tester inserted in center of cake comes out clean (about 35 minutes). Let cool.

Add frosting ingredients to mixing bowl and beat on medium speed until blended and fluffy. Spread over cooled cake and serve.

Makes 15 servings.

Per serving: 277 calories, 4.5 g protein, 49 g carbohydrate, 7 g fat (1.5 g saturated fat, 1.9 g monounsaturated fat, 3 g polyunsaturated fat), 28 mg cholesterol, 2 g fiber, 305 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 23 percent. Omega-3 fatty acids 1 g. Omega-6 fatty acids 2 g. Weight Watchers points 6.

Elaine Magee is author of "The Recipe Doctor Cookbook." Reach her through www.recipedoctor.com. Distributed by Knight Ridder News Service.