The secret to this recipe lies in the ingredients. Cocoa powder delivers rich chocolate flavor without adding too many calories and nonfat buttermilk keeps it moist without adding tons of fat. (See recipe below.)
Another perk: it takes only 25 minutes to prepare (a fairly
quick dessert for such fabulous flavor) and it
bakes for just half an hour. That leaves plenty of time to clean
the one bowl you use to mix it in and to take care of other
last-minute tasks before the guests arrive. Now that’s what I call
“Died and Went to Heaven.”
Like Died and Went to Heaven Chocolate Cake? Try these other lightened-up chocolate dessert recipes:
French Silk Pie: Bittersweet chocolate and Dutch-process cocoa meld with a shot of fresh brewed coffee to give an ultra-rich flavor to this creamy French silk pie. A frothy meringue is the secret to lightening the brown sugar-sweetened filling.
Glazed Chocolate-Pumpkin Bundt Cake: You don't
have to have pumpkin pie to still enjoy pumpkin and spice in a
Thanksgiving dessert. This tender, moist cake uses pureed pumpkin
to replace much of the fat and is delicately seasoned with classic
Thanksgiving flavors.
Died and Went to Heaven Chocolate Cake
This easy-to-make chocolate cake is dark, moist, rich—and only
dirties one bowl! Not quite as easy as boxed cake mixes, but those
often contain trans fats. Our simple “from scratch” recipe gives
you a home-baked cake with healthful canola oil and whole-wheat
flour.
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole-wheat pastry flour (see
Ingredient Note)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup nonfat buttermilk (see Tip)
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup hot strong black coffee
Confectioners’ sugar for dusting
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-inch round cake pan with
cooking spray. Line the pan with a circle of wax paper.
2. Whisk flour, granulated sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda
and salt in a large bowl. Add buttermilk, brown sugar, egg, oil and
vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes.
Add hot coffee and beat to blend. (The batter will be quite thin.)
Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
3. Bake the cake until a skewer inserted in the center comes out
clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10
minutes; remove from the pan, peel off the wax paper and let cool
completely. Dust the top with confectioners’ sugar before
slicing.
Makes 12 servings.
Per serving: 139 calories; 3 g fat (1 g sat, 2 g mono); 18 mg cholesterol; 26 g carbohydrate; 2 g protein; 2 g fiber; 212 mg sodium; 60 mg potassium.
Ingredient Note: Whole-wheat pastry flour, lower in protein than regular whole-wheat flour, has less gluten-forming potential, making it a better choice for tender baked goods. You can find it in the natural-foods section of large super markets and natural-foods stores. Store in the freezer.
Tip: No buttermilk? You can use buttermilk powder prepared according to package directions. Or make “sour milk”: mix 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup milk.
By Hilary Meyer
EatingWell assistant editor Hilary Meyer spends much of her time in the EatingWell Test Kitchen, testing and developing healthy recipes. She is a graduate of New England Culinary Institute.
Related Links from EatingWell:
- Get healthy recipes, health tips, food news and more at EatingWell.com.
- Find more than 100 delicious seasonally-inspired recipes in our newest book, EatingWell in Season: The Farmers’ Market Cookbook.
- Sign up for EatingWell's free weekly newsletters and get healthy recipes, diet tips and nutrition news delivered right to your inbox.
- Get a free trial issue when you subscribe to EatingWell Magazine.
