Fat Free Chocolate Cake!

Being that I had a baby not quite 4 months ago, I am currently trying very hard to lose weight.  I have a lot of it to lose  - and that means getting very serious about my diet.  The working out thing, I can do (or I used to be able to do before my abdominal muscles were shredded and then sliced open) - but following a strict diet is difficult because I LOVE food - eating and preparing it.  Its very trendy right now to go the way of Michael Pollan and say just eat real foods and if you want dessert make it from scratch, right?

Um, wrong - cause I already do all that.  I don't eat convenience foods and unfortunately I really have fallen in love with baking.  Telling me to make my own desserts will not help me lose the weight I gained during pregnancy - quite the opposite.  I have to go the much harder route - if I want to lose I have to find a way to eat a lower calorie diet at home.   Which means what I really have to do is find a way to make 'diet' food something I actually enjoy making and eating.  Cooking is much easier (and more fun) when you aren't concerned with the amount of butter you are using.

And of course, when my birthday rolled around a few weeks ago and I really wanted to make a chocolate cake, that meant I needed to find something that wouldn't undo all my hard work.  I immediately thought of Angel Food cake, which is one of my favorite things anyway.  I had always wanted to try a chocolate one and I found this recipe filed under 'healthy' on Epicurious and I thought I would give it a try.  You know what, its really good.  Its slightly more dense than traditional Angel Food cake and could easily be used to substitute any chocolate cake if needed.  Its not too sweet, very chocolatey and only has 185 calories a slice (less if you are making more than 8 slices - which we did).  Its the perfect indulgence for those on a restricted diet and its tastes great even if you aren't.  We had it with just a dollop of Greek yogurt that I stirred some vanilla bean into, and we loved it! 

Diet Friendly Chocolate Cake
from  Chef Albaladejo at Four Seasons Aviara
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/4 tsp salt
12 egg whites
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 163 C / 325 F

Sift 1 cup of the sugar, flour, cocoa and salt together in a small bowl.

In a (very) large mixing bowl beat egg whites, lemon juice and vanilla on medium-high until peaks form.  Add sugar and beat on high until semi-stiff peaks form (don't overbeat they will break down). 

With a rubber spatula slowly and gently fold in dry ingredients until all incorporated.  Spoon into a tube pan and cook for 45-55 minutes or until the top springs back when you touch it (I found it to be on the lower end of that time frame). 

Remove from oven and invert onto a wire cooling rack to cool (if you don't invert the cake will sink!).   Gently remove cake from pan after it has completely cooled and serve.  Its great with yogurt or cream or marscapone, dusted in powdered sugar, with a light glaze, with fruit...you name it, the possibilities are endless!

Spring!

 Let me tell you, as much as I love it...cooking loses all of its fun when you are swollen up like the Michelin Man and your joints are aching at the end of pregnancy.   Its been six weeks since we brought the little bugger home, and I finally feel like I'm starting to be a human being again.  I can't wait to post some new stuff on here cause for some reason I love taking photos of the random things I cook and posting them on the internet (what?  we all need hobbies).  In the meantime though...here are few of my springtime-y favorites:

 Angel Food Cake with Lemon Whipped Cream Frosting

Lemon Curd

 Steamed Artichokes with Garlic-Lemon Butter

 Asparagus Soup

Strawberry-Lemon Cake

Classic Banana Bread

I used to hate baking.  When it came to time spent in the kitchen, I would usually much rather spend it over a pot of soup or a sizzling skillet.  That is, until I got pregnant.  I have officially fallen in love with baking - really, its more like I have become obsessed with it.   This is partly because all I want to eat is baked goods.  Real food?  Blech.  Cake?  Yes please (and could you make that slice a little bigger?).

Mostly, though, its because I have very little energy for doing things like cooking (and even less for taking photos and blogging about it, sorry 'bout that).  I have had a rough third trimester, with a risk of pre-term labor, and so when I do feel up to doing anything other than laying in bed watching past seasons of Top Chef, I find myself wanting to spend the precious time making something more exciting than dinner (thats what my husband is for).

Due to my pregnancy-enhanced obsession with bananas - I also frequently find myself with an ample supply of ripe bananas just begging to be made into some kind of sweet treat.   Strangely, I had never made banana bread in my life until last month, and I haven't been able to stop making it since, determined to get it perfect.  Its super moist with the occasional crunch from the walnuts and with just the right amount of sweetness.  Its just so simple and so delicious and so perfect with a cup of coffee on a boring Sunday afternoon in January.   And it will make your whole house smell like childhood.   Perfect.

**As I am expecting the imminent arrival of my son - I don't anticipate any posts for the next few weeks.  See you soon!!**

Classic Banana Bread
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (German type 550)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs, at room temp
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 (113 g) butter, softened/at room temp
1 cup sugar
1 heaping cup mashed ripe banana (about 2 or 3 very ripe bananas)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, lightly toasted

Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt and set aside.  Whisk together the eggs and vanilla and set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the sugar and butter together until light and fluffy.  Pour in the eggs while mixing, then the bananas.  The batter will seem kinda curdled at this point, that's ok.

Gently fold in the flour mixture until just combined, then stir in the walnuts.   Pour into a lightly buttered loaf pan and bake at 180 C / 350 F for 40 to 55 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.  Cool in pan for 10 minutes on a rack then gently turn it out of the pan and cool completely on a wire rack.  Store wrapped in plastic wrap.  Like a lot of quick breads - this one tastes great right away but is even more amazing the next day.  I like it plain or spread with a bit of cream cheese.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies

When it comes to desserts - I'm not sure there is anything more popular than brownies and cheesecake.  They make the menu at nearly every restaurant  - and not just in the US either.  They seem to have near universal popularity.  So naturally, combining the two is just magical.  Giving it an awesome Fall pumpkin-spice twist is even more magical.

Really, I need to like seriously ease up on the sweets,  but on a boring rainy Sunday afternoon who doesn't make brownies?  Am I right?  I always wish I did more entertaining so I have excuses to make more things like this (without eating it all myself) - but I figure at this time of year all of you have parties and school events to make treats for so it will be useful to you even if it induces gestational diabetes for me (I kid, I kid).  In fact, if all goes according to plan (ha! when does that happen?) there will be even more awesome pumpkin sweetness coming up later this week. 

I came up with this recipe simply after doing an inventory of what I had laying around the house - its basically just your basic brownies topped with your basic cheesecake (pumpkin flavored!).  The pumpkin cheesecake is pretty spicy, cause thats the way I like it, but you can definitely leave out some of the cinnamon/cloves/nutmeg if you prefer it less so.   These ended up being just about the most addicting treat I have ever made - its like pumpkin cheesecake with a brownie crust.  Amazing.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies
Brownies:
113g Butter
140g Bittersweet Chocolate (I used Ghiradelli bittersweet chocolate chips)
2 Tbs Cocoa
1 cup Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
3 Eggs
3/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt

Cheesecake:
300g Cream Cheese
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup Sugar
2 Tbs flour

Preheat oven to 180 C / 350 F
In a large bowl, combine all the cheesecake ingredients with an electric mixer until well blended.   Set aside.

Make the brownie mix.  In a double broiler (or a bowl over a pan of water) on medium heat, melt the bittersweet chocolate and the butter - stirring constantly.  When fully melted, remove from heat.

Stir in  sugar and cocoa powder.   Whisk in vanilla.  Whisk in eggs, one at a time, fully incorporating each egg before adding the next.  Stir in flour and salt until smooth and silky. 

Butter and flour a 2 L (2.2 qt) baking pan or Pyrex dish.  Spread 3/4 of the brownie batter in the bottom.   Pour the Pumpkin Cheesecake mixture over that.  Dollop the rest of the brownie batter across the top, then drag a knife through it to make it all swirly and pretty (mine wasn't that pretty of a swirl, but hey it still works). 

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.   Allow to cool at least 5 or 10 minutes before cutting.  They taste great the next day (keep chilled), but I thought they were best a little warm :)

Pumpkin Spice Cake

We have been having the most amazing Fall.  It has been cool, crisp air, blue skies, and colorful leaves.  Just plain dreamy*.  I don't really need much prodding to get in the Autumnal spirit - but the storybook Fall weather has had me obsessing even more than usual over all things Pumpkin.  I love it savory or sweet - but Pumpkin as dessert seems to be less common in Germany.  I will never forget when I served Pumpkin Pie to one of my German friends at Thanksgiving last year and watched him nearly gag - it was just not what he was expecting.

I love Pumpkin sweets though - especially this year the pregnancy sweet tooth has really gotten the better of me.   I have no less than 10 pumpkin desserts I am determined to make before the season is over.  But for years - years - I have been trying to make the perfect Pumpkin cake.  Cake that has all the autumnal-awesomeness of Pumpkin spice Lattes in the package of a perfectly super-moist and fluffy cake.

This is that cake.  Its very simple, very easy and really - just the perfect pumpkin cake that I have been trying for all this time.  Its very sweet and pumpkin-y, but with just the right amount of spice to even it out.  The applesauce makes it very moist without being overly rich.  Watch out, because its easy to eat a lot (ahem not that I know from experience or anything ).  And it makes a lot - you can make a large sheet cake, a bundt cake or a whole lot of cupcakes with this recipe (though for the latter two cooking times would need to be adjusted).   I enjoyed it topped with some Maple-Cranberry Compote which made it just an insane overload of Fall goodness - but it was just as delicious plain.  I imagine it would be delightful with a frosting, glaze, or whipped cream as well.  Oh - and ice cream.  I definitely recommend it with ice cream.  

Pumpkin Spice Cake
2 cups all-purpose flour (Germany: type 550)
3 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp Salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
approx. 1/2 tsp fresh grated nutmeg
 2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cups extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup applesauce
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups pumpkin puree
4 eggs


Butter and flour a large sheet-cake pan (9x13 inch or thereabouts - mine is a bit larger than this but not a full half sheet) and preheat oven to 180 C / 350 F

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.  Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together sugar, oil and applesauce.  Blend in vanilla and pumpkin (be warned - its pretty soupy at this point and gets pretty splatter-y when using an electric mixer).   Beat in eggs one at a time.

Gently stir in flour in batches until all well combined and smooth.    Spread batter into pan.

Bake for 30 minutes or until tester comes out clean.  I found it most delightful when served still slightly warm :)


*Until this week...sigh....I think fall is leaving and winter is arriving and its very very sad.

Angel Food Cake with Lemon Whipped Cream Frosting

I always want to make pretty cakes that inspire oohs and ahhs when you serve them.  Except that I'm really not much of a baker, and I especially am not good at making anything I cook 'pretty'.  Usually I don't mind too much, because we all know that what really matters is how it tastes right?  Half the time those gorgeous cakes are dry and flavorless anyway (see: my wedding cake.).  

But then there was Angel Food Cake.  I'm not sure there is anything prettier, fluffier, or sweeter.  I absolutely love the stuff.  I think everyone has a favorite kind of cake (no? just me?  really?)  and my favorite has always been Angel Food. 

I was a bit surprised when I moved to Germany and realized (by doing an informal poll of my international group of friends) that Angel Food cake is pretty much an American thing.   I knew I had to make some for my friends so they experience the sweet fluffy goodness , but - there being no angel food cake here and all - an angel food cake pan was impossible to find.

Luckily my mom was awesome enough to send me one for my birthday and I promptly got to separating eggs, whipping eggs whites and sifting flour and sugar.  I had made this before in the states, and I found this recipe to produce a far superior Angel Food cake to anything I had tried before. The first cake I made was a complete disaster though.  See - I forgot the very important step of inverting the cake to cool and the cake lovingly became known as "crater cake."    Sure it tasted good...but it wasn't pretty.

Luckily eggs aren't too expensive (even organic, free range ones 'round here) and I didn't give up.  And in the meantime I found myself with a very large number of egg yolks to put to good use in what has become my very favoritist frosting ever - Lemon Whipped Cream. 

Its really simple:  take 500g Whipped Cream (Schlag Sahne) and a scant amount of sugar and beat it with an electric mixer until its very stiff (careful....you go too long it will turn to butter).  Then fold in a half cup to a cup of Lemon Curd (just to taste).  I got this fantastic idea from Alice Waters in the Art of Simple Food, and this tart and not-too-sweet frosting just pairs magically with Angel Food Cake.

I had never iced an Angel Food Cake before - I had always eaten it fairly plain, maybe with some berries or fruit compote and some whipped cream at the most.   Iced, with some fresh raspberries and blueberries in the center for decoration,  it was just amazing.  The lemon and berries together with the sweet but low-fat cake seemed so summer-y - it was the ultimate dessert to enjoy after a backyard BBQ and I think would make an adorable take-along to a Fourth of July celebration. 

Angel Food Cake 
with Lemon Whipped Cream Frosting
recipe from Gourmet November 2001

• 1 1/2 cups egg whites (11 to 12 large eggs)
• 1 1/2 cups (150 g) sifted confectioners sugar (sift before measuring)
• 1 cup (100 g) sifted cake flour (not self-rising; sift before measuring)(type 405 in Germany)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• Special equipment: a 10-inch tube pan (about 4 inches deep) with a removable bottom

Let egg whites stand in large wide bowl at room temperature about 1 hour before making cake. (They should be about 60°F, slightly below room temperature.) 

Set oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 350°F (180 C)

Sift together confectioners sugar, flour, and salt onto a sheet of wax paper using a fine sieve (I just sifted into a bowl). 

Beat whites in mixer until frothy. Add cream of tartar and beat at medium speed until they form soft peaks. Add granulated sugar gradually, beating, and continue beating just until whites are thickened and form soft, droopy peaks. Beat in vanilla. 

Sprinkle one fourth of sifted dry ingredients over whites and fold in with a rubber spatula gently but thoroughly. Fold in remaining dry ingredients, one third at a time. 

Gently pour batter evenly into ungreased tube pan and bake until top is light golden, cake retracts a bit from pan and springs back when touched lightly, and a tester comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Invert pan onto neck of an empty wine bottle or a large metal funnel and cool cake completely (mine didn't fit on either of those and I just set it inverted on a baking rack and that worked just fine).

To remove cake from pan, run tip of a long, narrow knife between outer edge of cake and pan. Tilt cake pan on its side and gently tap bottom edge against counter. Rotate pan, tapping and turning a few more times, until cake appears free. Cover pan with a metal rack or cardboard round (or dinner plate as I did) and invert, tapping pan firmly to loosen cake. Lift pan from cake. (It should come out beautifully, like a pillow taken out of a slipcover.) 

To frost, simply gently spread the icing in large heaping spoonfuls with a rubber spatula.  Since I used a thick coating of frosting I didn't see any need to do a crumb coat and the whole bit.  Frost around the whole cake including in the center hole.  I think this cake looks cute with the frosting kind of fluffy and 'rustic looking' but feel free to make yours all smooth and pretty with a cake spreader if that is your thing.   Keep the cake in the fridge until serving.  Fill the center with fresh berries - I used raspberries and blueberries - but I can't think of  a single berry that wouldn't taste great with this.  Strawberries are especially awesome. 

Blood Orange Yogurt Cake

Winter is tough. Its cold, dark, and food-wise can be especially long and dreary if you aren't really into root vegetables or greens, like me (I mean...they're ok...but nothing that gets me excited). The one bright spot in winter - the thing that really keeps me going - is citrus. Grapefruits, tangerines, satsumas, and for a few short weeks...blood oranges. I love them all.

You know what else I love? This cake. I have made this once before on this blog, with Grapefruit (as per the recipe I got it from), and I completely fell in love with it and knew it would be awesome with Blood Oranges as well. In fact, you can probably substitute just about any citrus fruit you like.

 
So, when I saw an abundance of blood oranges at the market last week I decided it was time to make this delicious cake again (and I might make a grapefruit one again as well because its just that good). If you use something like a Microplane that gets some good zest from your oranges (I got myself one for christmas, yay!) this will be an intensely strong flavored cake. The glaze forms a sweet and adorably pink crust on the outside that contrasts nicely with the orange/yellow cake inside (note - cooking mine for the recommend time in a convection oven the crust got a little more brown than I liked, but it still tasted great and didn't seem overdone). The yogurt makes it light, fluffy and moist and its a perfect mix of sweet and tart. I loved every last bite of it.

Blood Orange Yogurt Cake
adapted from Ina Garten via SmittenKitchen
1 1/2 cups flour (recommend is all-purpose but I used German type 405 which is more similar to cake flour and it was great)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 c plain yogurt (I used greek-style with 10% fat)
1 c plus 1 tablespoon sugar
3 eggs
1 or 2 tablespoons grated Blood Orange zest (honestly, this can really be to taste...the cake is very sweet and I find that more zest equals strong citrus-y tartness which contrasts nicely with the sugar)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup freshly squeezed blood orange juice

For the glaze:
1 c powdered sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed blood orange juice
Preheat the oven to 350f/180c. Grease a loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, orange zest, and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the olive oil into the batter, making sure it’s all incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a toothpick placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup blood orange juice and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.
When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan or plate. While the cake is still warm, pour the blood orange-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. Cool.
For the glaze, combine the powdered sugar and few tablespoons juice - it will make a delicious pinkish/reddish glaze - and pour over the cake.

"I Need Chocolate Now" Cake

Sometimes I will have some big plan for a post on here. Which usually means I have some big plan for dinner. Like for Teriyaki Salmon, or maybe Eggplant Parmesan. Then, life happens. I get tired, Cory works late.....or I start pms-ing and decide I want to eat cake instead of make dinner.

More to the point - chocolate cake. It happens. A lot. Usually I will make chocolate chip cookies because they are fast and I can just eat the dough when its like, a serious emergency. Which it sometimes is. What? I am not ashamed. Sometimes, I need sugar and chocolate and I need it NOW.

But this time, I needed chocolate. And more chocolate. And I kinda really wanted it in the form of a bread-shaped cake substance. I figured if I am craving something my body is just trying to tell me something right? Shouldn't I listen?

At any rate, this worked marvellously to make my day a whole lot better. Its simple and it freezes well and its packed with chocolate, just like I like it. It would be great for a tea time snack or a dessert. I am thinking Death by Chocolate - a slice of this topped with chocolate ice cream and covered in hot fudge. Whip cream is optional.


Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cake
1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 Tbs Cocoa Powder
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup milk
1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 F / 180 C. Butter all sides of a loaf pan.

Mix together butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Add the eggs one at a time, then mix in vanilla and cocoa powder.

Whisk together Flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Add half of this to the butter mixture and combine. Stir in the rest until well combined. (side note: I had the slightest inkling to just stop here and make some kind of cookie-ish creation with the dough at this point. I might still try it sometime)

Stir in the milk a little bit at a time, then mix with an electric mixer until smooth (I did it this way to prevent everything flying all over my kitchen when I turned the mixer on. Feel free to adjust as necessary)

Stir in the chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and cook in oven for 30 minutes to an hour (sorry for the crazy time window but it just depends on your oven. I cooked for 30 minutes in my convection oven and that was just about right. Use the toothpick method if needed)

Let cool for 20 minutes or so before removing from pan. I recommend an additional 20 minutes before slicing.

Upside Down Plum Cake

I have literally be wanting to make Upside Down cake for a year. It started sometime last fall when I came across this this recipe from David Lebovitz. So yesterday when I had some beautiful plums that were begging to be made into some kind of beautiful dessert I figured it was finally time.


Germany has a long tradition of Plum cake - every bakery is full of it this time of year - and all those cakes feature these Zwetsche plums, known as Italian Prune plums in the States. While this isn't a traditional German cake at all, I couldn't resist making these super ripe sweet plums into an upside down cake so that they would bake down in all the brown sugary goodness.

It is delicious - and pretty. You can eat it warm or at room temp - but if it you make it ahead of time don't flip it out of the pan. Refrigerate it in the pan, then rewarm in the oven and flip before serving.

You can of course use just about any fruit with this and it makes a great way to show off in-season goodies. I altered the recipe only slightly - I was using a smaller pan and found that I could use a lot less brown sugar and fruit. Oh - and thanks David for always including grams in your recipes!


Upside Down Plum Cake

For the fruit layer:
3 tablespoons butter (45g), salted or unsalted
1/2 cup packed (170g) light brown sugar
fruit: 5 plums sliced (I cut into eigths)

For the cake layer:

8 tablespoons (115g) unsalted butter
3/4 cup (150g) sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature.
1 1/2 cups (210g) flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (125ml) milk (David recommended whole but I used 1 percent and it was fine)

1. Melt the 3 tablespoons (45g) of butter in an 8-inch cake pan. Add the brown sugar and cook while stirring, until the sugar is melted and begins to bubble. Remove from heat and let cool.

2. Once cool, arrange the fruit in a pinwheel design, in the center of circle of fruit I put one diced plum, skin side down (so that it would look perty when flipped over). Set aside.

3. To make the cake, preheat the oven to 350F. (190C)

4. Beat the 8 tablespoons (115g) of butter and sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add the vanilla, then the eggs, one at a time, until smooth.

5. Whisk or sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

6. Stir in half of the flour mixture with a spoon, then the milk, then the remaining dry ingredients. Do not overmix: stir just until the flour is barely incorporated into the batter.

7. Spread the batter over the fruit, then bake for 30 to 45 minutes to one hour (depending on the size of the pan, and the thickness of the batter and whether you are using a conventional or convection oven) The cake is ready when it begins to pull away from the sides of the pan and the center feels just set.

8. Remove from oven, let cool about 20 minutes, then place a plate on top, and wearing oven mitts, flip the cake out on to the plate, taking care, as there may be some hot caramel that might escape.