Old-timey hot milk cake gets a reduced-fat makeover and a sweet berry topping

Sometimes the best desserts are the simple ones — like a moist sponge cake with sweet, seasonal berries. Hot milk cake is a Depression-era dessert that was popular in the South and New England. It's a yummy retro treat that merits a comeback.

Traditionally, hot milk cake contains lots of butter and oil, but we’ve updated the recipe for better health. This cake requires only two tablespoons of healthful canola oil. To help eliminate unnecessary saturated fat and increase moisture, we used heated milk with flavorful vanilla and orange zest.

We also replaced half of the all-purpose flour with white whole-wheat flour, which will boost the fiber content. If you want to replace all the all-purpose flour with white whole-wheat flour, be sure to add an extra tablespoon of milk because whole-wheat flour absorbs more liquid.

The subtle sweetness of this cake is a perfect match for the triple-berry topping. Berries are full of antioxidants like anthocyanins and resveratrol, which protect cells and reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease and other chronic illnesses. The berries also add fiber, vitamins C and K, and minerals like potassium and magnesium. In addition, berries contain prebiotics that promote good bacteria in the gut. When the berries are mixed with warm apricot preserves, the result is an elegant and colorful topping.

You can use this recipe to make cupcakes by placing paper cupcake liners in nine wells of a 12-muffin tin and evenly distributing the batter. Bake the cupcakes for only 17-20 minutes, and then cover the top of each cupcake with one-third of a cup of berry glaze.

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For folks who had moms or grandmoms who made simple and delicious meals with seasonal ingredients, this recipe may take you on a trip down memory lane while putting you on the road toward a more healthful diet.

Bethany Thayer is a registered dietitian nutritionist with Henry Ford Health. For more recipes and health information, visit henryford.com/blog. For questions about today's recipe, email HenryFordLiveWell@hfhs.org.

Triple Berry Hot Milk Sponge Cake

Serves: 9 / Prep time: 20 minutes / Total time: 1 hour

Vegetable oil cooking spray

2 large eggs

¾ cup sugar

½ cup white whole-wheat flour

½ cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ cup skim milk

2 tablespoons canola oil

2 teaspoons orange zest

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ cup apricot preserves

1 cup sliced strawberries

1 cup fresh blueberries

1 cup fresh blackberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9-inch round baking pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, beat eggs for four minutes with an electric mixer on medium speed. Gradually add sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy, about four to five minutes. In a separate bowl, combine whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, and baking powder. Add flour mixture to egg mixture and mix until just combined.

In a small saucepan, heat milk, oil, and orange zest over medium heat until hot, but not boiling. Remove from heat and add vanilla extract. Gradually add milk mixture to batter, mixing constantly.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 20-25 minutes. In a saucepan, melt apricot preserves over low heat. Remove from heat and add strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries; tossing to coat berries. To serve, top each piece of cake with about ⅓ cup glazed berries.

From Henry Ford LiveWell.

139 calories (29% from fat), 5 grams fat (0.5 grams sat. fat), 22 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams protein, 67 mg sodium, 48 mg cholesterol, 96 mg calcium, 2 grams fiber. Food exchanges: 1 carbohydrate, ½ fruit, 1 fat.

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