Pruning Fat From Chocolate

You can have your cake and eat it too with this flavorful, moist, low-fat chocolate cake.

Its secret? Plum puree baby food, which takes the place of a traditional fat, such as oil.

I like the cake served slightly warm and sprinkled with cocoa and instant espresso powder. They take the place of frosting-another way to cut calories.

Sprinkle a few fresh raspberries over the top just before serving and you have a quick Valentine’s Day dessert. Be sure not to overmix the cake or it will come out tough; blend the dry ingredients with the liquids just until they are moistened. And you don’t have to drag out your mixer for this cake, which is a holiday treat for the cook as well.

Chocolate Valentine’s Cake

Active Work Time: 15 minutes - Total Preparation Time: 45 minutes

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1 cup flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 (4-ounce) jar pureed plums with apples baby food

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup egg substitute (equivalent to 1 egg)

1/2 cup nonfat milk

1 tablespoon instant espresso coffee powder

1/2 cup boiling water

Cocoa powder, instant espresso coffee powder and raspberries, for garnish

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* Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-inch round cake pan with butter and line it with parchment paper.

* Sift together the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl. Stir until the ingredients are blended.

* Combine the baby food puree, vanilla, egg substitute and milk. Stir it into the dry ingredients until they’re almost blended.

* Combine the espresso powder and boiling water and stir the liquid into the batter just until the ingredients are blended.

* Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake the cake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan 10 minutes.

* Invert it onto a wire rack to cool a little more, then place the warm cake on a serving plate. Sprinkle the top of the cake with some cocoa powder and instant coffee. Cut the cake into slices and serve each piece with a few raspberries.

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8 servings. Each serving: 162 calories; 255 mg sodium; 1 mg cholesterol; 1 gram fat; 36 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams protein; 2.21 grams fiber.