Sweet Sundays: Bittersweet Chocolate Cake with Cranberry Walnut Drizzle

 

There is nothing sweeter than a Sunday.  Especially a healthy one.  I have made a New Year’s resolution.  I will finally lose all of the pounds that I have gained and lost and gained and lost over the last 14 years.  I want to call it baby weight that I never lost, but my baby is now 6, and I don’t think that counts.  I know what you are thinking, if I would stop eating chocolate cake I’d probably lose those pounds.  You are right I would.  But this chocolate cake is like no other chocolate cake on earth.  This chocolate cake weighs in at 110 calories a slice.  Read that sentence again.  Yep that’s not a typo.  110 calories a slice!!!!!  Are you interested in how you can make this magical cake?  Well, read on my friend!

 

So it started with a new cookbook.  I had to get a new cookbook to put on my new bookshelf.  I found the Better Homes and Gardens “the ultimate low-calorie book”.  This cookbook is amazing!  It has over 400 recipes for breakfast, brunch, lunch, snunch, dinner, snacks and dessert!  Snunch is the meal between dinner and lunch.  There is a beautiful picture of each recipe and I have already marked at least 20 recipes that I want to make.  It is a soft cover book and it’s on the smaller side so I can sneak it in my purse.  All the recipes have the nutritional information listed so I can easily figure out Alex’s insulin dosage and the calorie count for me. 

You guys have to try this recipe!  It is delicious!  My family ranked it 4 out of 5 stars.  It really satisfies the chocolate craving and if you are really ravenous you probably could have two pieces.  Just a note on the topping.  I took a few tablespoons of homemade cranberry walnut jam and melted it in the microwave to give the cake some color.  You could add whipped cream or fresh berries if you’d like!

Thanks for coming back and enjoy!

Serves 12

Calories: 110 per slice

Carbohydrates: 24 grams per slice

Fat: 5 grams (3grams saturated)

Fiber: 2 grams

Protein: 4 grams

 

 

Bittersweet Chocolate Cake

Nonstick cooking spray

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 water

1 tablespoon instant espresso powder

3 ounces bittersweet chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 unsweetened cocoa powder

1/3 all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

5 egg whites

 

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9-inch springform pan with the nonstick spray.

2.  In a medium saucepan mix together the sugar, espresso and water.  Cook over medium heat until the sugar and espresso are dissolved.  Add the chocolate chips and mix until melted.  Bring this mixture almost to a boil.

3.  Place the 2 egg yolks in a small bowl and whisk to break them up.  Slowly pour the espresso mixture into the eggs while whisking.  Add the vanilla.  The mixture will be grainy.

4.  In a large bowl stir together the 1/2 cup cocoa powder, flour and baking powder.

5.  Stir in chocolate-egg mixture into flour mixture until smooth.

6.  In a large bowl beat the 5 egg whites into stiff peaks.  I used my stand mixer, but you can use an electric beater or good old elbow grease.

7.  Take a large spoonful of the egg whites and mix it in the chocolate mixture.  This will loosen the mix up and make it easier to fold into the egg whites.

8  Pour the chocolate mixture into the egg whites and gently fold them together.  Please use a light hand on this.  You don’t wan to deflate all of the air you whipped into the egg whites.

9.  Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes.  The cake should be done when you press softly on the top and it springs back.

10.  Cool on cooling rack for 10 minutes before removing the pan and let it continue to cool.  Cut the cake into 12 pieces and serve with sauce of your choice.