Baking and Snackes.com recently featured an article that reported prune puree can “replace as much as 30 per cent of the fat by weight in chocolate cupcakes, and could be used to reduce saturated fat levels in baked goods”, according to researchers at New York’s Hunter College. The Hunter College group is slated to present their findings during the ADA Food & Nutrition Conference and Expo in Boston this November.

The biggest issue to date is that researchers must find a way to develop “fat replacers” for low-fat and low calorie products without compromising texture, flavor and appearance.

The authors cited previous research indicating successful results for other fruit based purees as alternatives for fat. They said their investigation revealed the “effectiveness of prune puree at 0 (control), 15, 30, and 60 per cent levels on the physical, textural and sensory properties of chocolate cupcakes.”

Tiffany D. Wiese and Melani W. Duffrin, authors of Effects of Substituting Pawpaw Fruit Puree for Fat on the Senory Properties of a Plain Shortened Cake also discovered that a smaller amount of pawpaw substitution (25%) provided an acceptable product; however use of more of the pawpaw altered color, texture and tenderness of the overall product; and although this is a great start it is evident that more research is needed.

Oftentimes fat-reduced cupcakes are denser, and had higher water activity levels. It will be interesting to follow these research efforts and see where they will take us as we move to reduce fat and maintain flavor, texture and overall quality.

Several years ago Chef Paul Prudomme offered up syrup recipes that could be used to add extra flavor to sauces and breads. These simply syrups were made from juice concentrates and featured in his cookbook Fork in the Road: A different direction in cooking from America’s Favorite chef. The syrup is by not means a replacement for fat, but it is an enhancement for flavor. It will be interested to see where the use of concentrated products takes us in the future. This may be a far better alternative to artificial flavors, and products that only stand to mask the authentic goodness of food. Is getting back to the basics truly a thing of the past?

Prune Cake

2 cups sifted flour
3 eggs
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 cup Canola oil
1 teaspoon soda
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon allspice
1 cup cooked stewed prunes, chopped fine (mixture will be thick)
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon salt

1. Mix all dry ingredients in large bowl
2. In a medium mixing bowl beat eggs, oil, buttermilk
3. Add to dry ingredients
4. Add vanilla and prunes
5. Stir in pecans

Pour batter in 9×12-inch baking pan, that has been greased and floured
Bake at 325 for 40 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean
Serve plain or your favorite butter-cream frosting recipe.
If served plain, this is a wonderful breakfast cake to accompany that cup of Joe!