Hot Chocolate Fudge Cakes

Hot Chocolate Fudge Cakes

Adapted from Cooking Light

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INGREDIENTS

• 3.4 ounces white whole wheat flour (about 3/4 cup)
• 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 5 teaspoons instant espresso powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup fat-free organic plain yogurt
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup egg substitute
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 (2.6-ounce) bar dark (71% cocoa) chocolate (such as Valrhona Le Noir Amer), finely chopped

DIRECTIONS

1. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Sift together flour, cocoa, espresso powder, baking powder, and salt.
2. Place yogurt in a large bowl. Add granulated and brown sugars, beating until well blended (about 5 minutes). Add egg substitute and vanilla, beating until well blended. Fold flour mixture into sugar mixture; fold in chocolate. Divide batter evenly among 10 (4-ounce) ramekins; arrange ramekins on a jelly-roll pan. Cover and refrigerate 4 hours or up to 2 days. (I skipped this step.)
3. Preheat oven to 350°.
4. Let ramekins stand at room temperature 10 minutes. Uncover and bake at 350° for 21 minutes or until cakes are puffy and slightly crusty on top.
5. Serve immediately.

DB Caramel Cake with Browned Butter Frosting

Caramel Cake with Browned Butter Frosting

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After burning my initial batch of caramel and setting the stovetop on fire, I finally nailed the caramel recipe! My advice is to use about a medium saucepan, so that there is a thinner layer of sugar water and more space between the top of the pan and the mixture. That way, the caramel forms more quickly and is less likely to boil over when you add the last cup of water.

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This cake came at a perfect time, as I needed to make a cake for a birthday. I made a simple ganache by melting a handful or two of semisweet chocolate chips with some soy milk and let the cooled chocolate ooze over the edges of the cake. That way I did not have to worry about my frosting job being quite so pretty! I also added some toasted sliced almonds for contrast and to give the cake more of a candy bar theme.

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Changes: Rather than using cream in the frosting, I used plain, unsweetened soy milk. I also used soy milk in the cake and used egg replacement rather than the 2 eggs required.

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Overall, the cake was good, but I am not a big fan of caramel or very sweet desserts, so I felt that the slightly bitter chocolate helped to balance it. I did enjoy the fat-free caramel syrup and will use it in the future when caramel sauce is required for a healthier version.

Coconut Cake with Mango Curd

At last! The long awaited for coconut cake with mango curd and cream cheese frosting!

Well, ok. Long awaited by me, at least. Can you blame me? Look at this little gem. Granted, not so little. And not so innocent. Make no mistake; this is no angel food cake. These mini bundt cakes flirt with devilry, but are restrained by a few choice substitutes (ah, yes, that inevitable word). Nevertheless, delicious.

Oh, and if you think I was content with the topping portions shown above, you are wrong. That's enough to at least give you the idea, but I was moving past the idea. I was getting the big picture. In other words, I smeared on additional curd and frosting with each bite. So, yeah... now you get the whole "not so innocent" thing. These babies are tricky that way.

So you know how I was also going to make a tiered cake and even doubled my mango curd recipe so that I would have enough for layers? Yeah, so that didn't happen. I'm lazy; what can I say? But the good news that comes with me being an overachiever is that I have more mango curd to play with! Which means vegan mango-saffron creme brulees and chocolate tofu mousse swirled with mango curd and fresh berries. Forgive me? Thought so.

So here are the four components of the mini bundt cakes (or, if you just have to be an overachiever, a layer cake! ;) )

1. Coconut Milk Cake
Adapted from this recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 2 1/4 cups cake flour
• 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 1/4 cups Splenda
• 1/3 cup Smart Balance Light, softened
• 1/2 cup egg substitute
• 1 14oz can light coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Coat one mini bundt pan (makes six) with cooking spray and spread until lightly coated with a paper towel, absorbing the excess.
3. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl.
4. Place sugar, Splenda, and Smart Balance in a large bowl and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (for about 5 minutes).
5. Add egg substitute, in two rounds, beating well after each addition.
6. Add flour mixture and milk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with the flour.
7. Stir in the vanilla.
8. Pour batter into prepared molds, filling above the core/center-piece of each cake mold.
9. Sharply tap the pans once on the countertop to remove air bubbles.
10. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
11. Cool in pans ten minutes and remove cakes from pan onto a wire rack.
12. Cool completely.
13. Slather with cream cheese frosting, a dollop of mango curd, and a sprinkling of toasted coconut.

2. Cream Cheese Frosting
Adapted from this recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 1 8oz package reduced-fat cream cheese
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

1. Pop ingredients in an electric mixer with a whisk attachment and beat at medium-high speed until fluffy. It really is that easy.

3. Mango Curd

4. Toasted Coconut

INGREDIENTS

• 1/3 cup desiccated, sweetened, shredded coconut
• 1/4 cup desiccated, unsweetened, shredded coconut

DIRECTIONS

1. Place coconut shavings in a dry skillet over medium-high heat and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until golden brown.
2. Warning! This will smell delicious.