Peach Butter Cake

This recipe, taken from "Company's Coming Baking: Simple to Sensational" only needed a little adapting. (Splenda instead of sugar, and 1/4 cup extra milk) A really nice, light cake, delicious served with a little low-fat, sugar-reduced whipped topping or low fat ice cream/frozen yogurt.

3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup Splenda artificial sweetener
2 tsp. finely grated orange zest
3 large eggs
1 2/3 all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup milk
14 oz. (398 ml) can of sliced peaches in fruit juice, drained and chopped

APRICOT TOPPING:

1 tsp. unflavoured gelatin
2 Tbsp. water
3 Tbsp. no sugar added apricot jam/fruit spread

Beat butter, and orange zest in medium bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, alternately with the Splenda, beating well after each addition.

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in small bowl. Add to butter mixture, alternately with the milk. Beat well. Line bottom of greased 9 inch springform pan with waxed paper. Pour batter into pan. Spread evenly.

Sprinkle peaches over top. Bake at 350*f oven for about 50 minutes, until top is lightly browned and wooden pick inserted in centre comes out clean. Let stand in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes.

Apricot Topping: Sprinkle gelatin over water in small saucepan. Let stand for 1 minute. Heat and stir on medium - low heat until gelatin is dissolved.

Add jam. Stir will. Makes 1/4 cup topping. Brush warm mixture onto warm cake. Let stand in pan on wire rack until cooled completely. Run knife around inside edge of pan to loosen cake. Remove to serving plate, discarding waxed paper from bottom of cake. Cuts into 8 wedges.

NOTES:

-I don't have a 9 inch springform pan, so I used my 10 inch. It baked a little quicker. If using a larger pan than called for, keep an eye on the cake as it will bake faster. If your pan is smaller, you may need to turn the oven temperature down for the last 15 - 25 minutes of baking to cook the center without burning the bottom and sides.

-I made this once using the waxed paper method outlined above, and once using tinfoil. I lined the pan with foil, then sprayed it with baking spray. With the foil it was easier to transfer the cake to a serving plate, although it would be just as well served directly from the bottom of the springform pan to dessert plates.

-Try experimenting with different fruit and jam/ fruit spreads. Peach with apricot jam was very good. I've also used fruit cocktail with orange (marmalade type) fruit spread. How about pineapple chunks with the orange spread topping!

-Although I haven't tried it yet, I think that fresh berries would work well. Try fresh strawberries (whole or in chunks) with strawberry jam, or fresh blueberries with a mixed berry jam topping.