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Title: Chocolate-Pecan-Bourbon Cake
Categories: Cake Dessert
Yield: 1 Cake
| INGREDIENTS | ||
| Vegetable oil cooking spray | ||
| 1/4 | c | Pecans (1 oz.) |
| 3 | tb | All-purpose flour |
| 3 | oz | Bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (chopped fine) |
| 1/2 | c | Unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder |
| 1 | c | Sugar |
| 1/2 | c | Boiling water |
| 2 | Egg yolks | |
| 1 | tb | Bourbon |
| 4 | Egg whites, room temperature | |
| 1/4 | ts | Cream of tartar |
| 3 | ts | Powdered sugar |
| INTRODUCTION | ||
No one wants to watch fat calories this season. So we asked Alice Medrich to create a guilt-free cake exclusively for American Health. Chocolate is Americans' No. 1 dessert choice, even though we know the dangers of high-fat foods.
So what's a chocoholic to do? Learn to bake healthier with a lesson from dessert diva Alice Medrich. "This is one of the quickest, richest-tasting lowfat chocolate desserts," says Medrich of the Chocolate-Pecan- Bourbon Cake she created for American Health. "The texture changes subtly depending on whether it's served warm, room temperature or cold, but it's excellent all three ways."
Medrich, author of the award-winning Chocolate and the Art of Lowfat Desserts, doesn't use artificial sweetener or fake fats. She takes advantage of the volume and lightness of egg whites and rich-flavored cocoa powder. This ingenious cake contains fewer than 200 calories and less than 7 grams of fat per slice. Now that's cause for celebration!
Step 1: Position oven rack in the bottom third of the oven and preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray the bottom and sides of an 8 x 2-1/2-in. springform pan lightly with vegetable oil spray.
Step 2: In a food processor or blender, pulverize pecans and flour until the mixture has the texture of fine meal. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine chocolate, cocoa powder, and 3/4 cup sugar. Add boiling water; whisk until chocolate is melted. Whisk in egg yolks and bourbon. Set aside.
Step 3: Combine egg whites with cream of tartar in a medium-size bowl. Beat at medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually sprinkle in remaining sugar and beat at high speed until the mixture is stiff but not dry. Whisk flour and pecans into chocolate mixture. Fold 1/4 of egg whites into chocolate mixture to lighten it, then fold in remaining egg whites. Scrape batter into prepared pan.
Step 4: Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Cool in the pan on a wire rack. It will sink like a soufflé, and the top crust may be broken. Cake may be stored at room temperature for one day before serving.
Step 5: To unmold and serve: Detach cake from the pan by sliding a small knife around the perimeter. Release the spring; remove the pan sides. Leave cake on the bottom of the pan and transfer it to a serving dish. Sieve powdered sugar very lightly over the top. Susan Costner-Kenward and American Health
Nutritional Information 1 serving: Calories 179 Carbohydrate 30g Fat 6g Protein 4g Cholesterol 42mg
MM format by Fred Ball
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