Nutrition experts, chefs and “foodies” collaborated on recipes —including this gingerbread — for “The New American Plate Cookbook,” published by the American Institute for Cancer Research.

This recipe uses whole-wheat pastry flour instead of white flour, which adds fiber, vitamins and phytochemicals and makes for a lighter version of traditional gingerbread. It‘s moist and flavorful, thanks to naturally sweet molasses and aromatic spices, and it goes well with fresh fruit or a cup of tea.

Prep time is an hour, and baking time is 35 minutes. This makes 9 servings.

Ingredients

Canola oil spray

1¾ cups whole-wheat pastry flour

¼ cup packed light brown sugar

1¼ tablespoons ground ginger

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

1¼ teaspoons baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ cup dark unsulfured molasses

¼ cup unsweetened applesauce

6 tablespoons canola oil

1 large egg

¼ cup boiling water

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat 9-inch square pan with canola oil spray. In medium bowl, sift together flour, sugar, spices, baking soda and salt.

In separate, large bowl, whisk together molasses, applesauce, canola oil and egg until well blended. Add dry ingredients and stir until well combined. Whisk in boiling water and pour batter into prepared baking pan.

Bake for about 35 minutes, until the cake begins to pull away from the pan and a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 30 minutes. Invert cake onto platter and cool for about 15 minutes before serving.

Cut into 9 squares and serve warm. For storage, wrap tightly in foil and keep in refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Nutritional information

per serving:

245 calories

10 grams total fat (1 gram saturated)

37 grams carbohydrate

3 grams fiber

357 milligrams sodium

4 grams protein

Source: AICR.org/health-e-recipes

This article appears in the winter 2019 issue of Cancer Care magazine.