No-Flour Dark Chocolate Cake

Make Valentine’s Day, or any day, extra special for your loved ones by serving a rich, moist gluten-free chocolate cake. Consumed in moderation, dark chocolate may help to improve health and lower the risk of heart disease.

Cocoa and dark chocolate contain powerful antioxidants and a fair amount of fiber and minerals including iron, magnesium, copper and manganese.

We cut down on the amount of fat and calories by substituting half the butter with unsweetened applesauce; and used raw or turbinado sugar as a healthier alternative to white processed granulated sugar.

This special fudgy sweet treat with chocolate glaze is about 300 calories per serving. For a lower calorie dessert (240 calories), simply sprinkle with cocoa powder.

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Baking time: 35 minutes
Total time: 55 minutes (does not include cooling time for cake)

INGREDIENTS

• 4 ounces (one large bar) fine-quality 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened, we used Ghirardelli chocolate)
• ¼ cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• ¾ cup raw (turbinado) cane sugar
• 3 large eggs, slightly beaten
• ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder (we used Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat an 8-inch round baking pan with cooking spray. Cut out a round piece of wax paper to line bottom of baking pan and coat with cooking spray as well.
2. Break chocolate bar into small pieces. In small saucepan over very low heat, slowly melt the chocolate and butter, stirring until smooth.
3. Remove from heat and pour chocolate mixture into a mixing bowl.
4. Whisk sugar into sauce.
5. Add eggs, applesauce and vanilla to mixture and stir or whisk until smooth.
6. Sift cocoa into mixture and stir until combined.
7. Pour batter into pan and bake in middle of oven for 35 minutes. To test doneness, pierce cake with wooden toothpick. Cake is done if toothpick comes out clean with no batter sticking to it.
8. Cool cake for about 10 minutes then run a sharp knife around edge of pan to loosen cake and flip over onto serving plate. Remove pan and wax paper.
9. Cool cake completely before glazing (recipe below) or dusting with additional cocoa powder or confectioners’ sugar.

For Glaze

• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 3-4 tablespoons milk or water
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

Sift sugar and cocoa powder into bowl, add vanilla, and then slowly stir in milk or water until the glaze can easily be spread over the cake.

Makes 8 servings.

Nutritional Information
Per slice with chocolate glaze: 312 calories (240 calories with no glaze); 14.7g total fat (8.3g saturated, 0.6g polyunsaturated, 2.7g monounsaturated); 29.4mg sodium; 85.3mg cholesterol; 46.6g carbohydrate; 3.8g fiber; 39.6g sugars; 5.0g protein; 159mg potassium.