Recipe Rehab: Chocolate Cake

Posted on Jul 8th 2010 1:00PM by Tanya Zuckerbrot

Filed Under: Recipe Rehab with Tanya Zuckerbrot, Nutrition & Supplements

Francis Hammond, Getty Images

Anne, from Long Island, N.Y., sent along a recipe for Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake that has been in her family for generations. She loves to make this cake for her friends, but realizes that many of them are health-conscious and she would like to make a healthier version that they can enjoy guilt-free. She has already started to alter the recipe by using one cup of whole wheat flour to replace some of the refined white flour. Go Anne! This is a great start to add fiber to your recipe.

However, the original version still calls for high amounts of sugar and fats. This is what makes most desserts a disaster. Large amounts of simple sugars may cause blood glucose spikes in people with diabetes and are often a source of extra calories with little to no nutritional value. Overdosing on fats for the day can also mean extra unneeded calories, which are disastrous for those trying to watch their weight or cholesterol levels.

I will try to reduce the impact of this favorite dessert by reducing the calories and fat content of Anne's recipe. For starters, I'm going to reduce the amount of sugar in the recipe from two cups to one cup. For those watching their carbohydrate intake, feel free to substitute Splenda to reduce the carbs even further. Since this also reduces the overall weight of the cake, large amounts of the leavening agent are not necessary, so I will also reduce the baking soda. To reduce the fat content, I will replace the sour milk and shortening with fat-free butter milk and a small amount of canola oil, and I will replace the chocolate squares with cocoa powder mixed with pureed prunes (you can use the baby food version).

The original recipe calls for a dusting of sugar on the top which does add additional calories, but typical frosting toppings would double the calories of the cake! For a healthier twist and a protein boost, I will replace the sugar dusting with crushed walnuts.

With only 230 calories and 7 grams of fat, this recipe is perfect for an occasional indulgence.

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar (or ½ cup Splenda)
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup egg substitute, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup pureed prunes
1/2 cup fat-free buttermilk
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup boiling water
2 tablespoons walnuts, crushed to a powder

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a tube pan with non-stick cooking spray and coat with flour, shaking of any excess flour.
2. Cream together the sugar and oil. Add the egg substitute, vanilla, prunes and buttermilk, and continue to mix.
3. In a separate bowl sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Slowly add the boiling water.
4. Beat in the liquid mixture with an electric mixer until smooth
5. Pour into tube pan and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle powdered walnuts over the top. Bake for another 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
6. Cool on wire racks.

Serves: 12

Nutrition Content (per serving):

230 calories, 7 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 40 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber, 6 g protein, 230 mg sodium
Note: Using Splenda instead of sugar will reduce the calories to 169 and the carbohydrates to 24 g.

Love cake, but not in the mood for chocolate? Try my Recipe Rehab: Carrot Cake.

Readers, I would love to hear from you! Please send me your most favorite fattening recipes that need a RECIPE REHAB! Everything from your mom's meatloaf to your kid's favorite dessert -- let me lighten it up.

Celebrity dietitian and motivational life coach Tanya Zuckerbrot, author of www.ffactordiet.com and founder of www.skinnyandthecity.com and www.theskinnyondietitians.com, has helped thousands of people lose weight and keep it off with her program. Her philosophy? Tanya believes you should never sacrifice taste, even when you're eating healthy foods. Have a recipe in need of rehab? Send us your recipe!

46 Comment

Tags: cake, chocolate, chocolate cake, dessert, diabetes, tanya-zuckerbrot

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)

Ina 7-11-2010 @ 2:15PM

That sounds... absolutely dreadful! If someone makes this, please let us know how it tastes. Because I can't imagine it would be palatable, much less anything like real chocolate cake.

Messa 7-11-2010 @ 4:56PM

I couldn't agree more. It sounds perfectly revolting.

Elene 7-11-2010 @ 7:13PM

I don't think the prunes would be bad, as they'd be integrated with the texture of the cake, but Splenda isn't healthy. People trying to cut calories by eating artificial crap that the body was not designed to handle are deluding themselves. Someone who has the designation "dietitian," as this author does, shouldn't be telling people to eat unhealthy, processed non-foods. That's just sad.

Same for the egg substitute. Eggs are a healthy food, people, especially if you get eggs from hens that have been properly fed and cared for. If you lose the yolk you are forgoing a lot of nutrition.

And replacing a small dusting of sugar with crushed walnuts-- actually higher in calories, and dry to boot-- would add nutrition but wouldn't lighten the calorie load of the cake overall.

anne riff 7-11-2010 @ 9:46PM

Good call. I made it this afternoon, thinking it might be a good substitute dessert for my parents, who are diabetics. It was horrible. It is not sweet at all, even with the recommended amount of Splenda; you can barely taste the chocolate, but you can (unfortunately) taste the prunes! Skip it.

Bill 7-11-2010 @ 2:23PM

I am constantly amazed at how weak minded most Americans are...You
try so hard to please and be liked by everyone; God forbid that you
drop the PC load from your psyche.
How many times have we seen or heard the word "GUILT" associated with
a food?
Imagine having a stupid piece of chocolate cake or a Big Mac and then
feeling guilty about it? The only thing you should feel guilty about
is if you EAT MY SHARE!

Grow up Americans,stop acting like children and eat whatever you like...Just remember,Ocham's Razor: Everything in moderation..and stop with the childish guilt
trips.

LisaM 7-11-2010 @ 2:43PM

Thanks, that was a great post! This cake didn't sound so bad until they added "prunes", if I want prunes, I will eat them, but not in a cake made maybe for other people! If I get an urge for a pizza, great big In-&-Out burger, Lasagna w/ lots of cheese, Ice cream, I'm going to get it. Why should I/we/ anyone feel guilty? If I buy new shoes, that cost kinda a lot, should I feel quilty? If I go to a day spa, should I feel quilty? No! I'm old enough to be able to use my brain, w/out someone telling me, I should feel quilty.!

Donna 7-11-2010 @ 2:52PM

Wow, excellent post, Bill! You are absolutely correct.

Kate 7-11-2010 @ 4:09PM

Heh... I love the post, Bill...but occam's razor has nothing to do with moderation. Occam's razor is a way of saying that the most simple answer to a problem is likely the best answer. :P Nice try, though!

Jethrine 7-11-2010 @ 4:44PM

EXCELLENT comment, Bill! Thank you. :-)

Marshall 7-11-2010 @ 2:38PM

Sounds more like a prune cake recipe than a chocolate
cake one. Prunes in cakes dont agree with me at all.

Nancy Segrest 7-11-2010 @ 7:15PM

I have tried to print your recipes but it puts it in newspaper type (2 or 3 columns per page) and then I cannot get all of the recipe where I can use it. How can I print the recipe like it shows up on my screen when I am reading it?

Yuck! 7-11-2010 @ 2:47PM

Splenda? Are you kidding me? Gross! That stuff started out as ant killer. When it didn't work as well as they thought, they got it approved as a sweetener by the FDA. I wouldn't touch it with a 10 foot pole.

Jacque 7-11-2010 @ 4:37PM

I hate to burst your bubble but that was Aspertame that was used for a bug killer, Splenda does not have that in it and it is very safe for Diabetics.

Elene 7-11-2010 @ 7:13PM

There is no basis for saying that Splenda is "very safe."

Elene 7-11-2010 @ 7:13PM

In fact, it WAS sucralose that originated with research to find a new pesticide. Here are a few references:

'The FDA has no definition for “natural,” so please bear with us for a biochemistry moment: Splenda is the trade name for sucralose, a synthetic compound stumbled upon in 1976 by scientists in Britain seeking a new pesticide formulation. It is true that the Splenda molecule is comprised of sucrose (sugar) — except that three of the hydroxyl groups in the molecule have been replaced by three chlorine atoms.' www.womentowomen.com

'It's therefore no surprise that the originators of sucralose, chemists Hough and Phadnis, were attempting to design new insecticides when they discovered it! It wasn't until the young Phadnis accidentally tasted his new "insecticide" that he learned it was sweet. And because sugars are more profitable than insecticides, the whole insecticide idea got canned and a new sweetener called Splenda got packaged.'
www.thepeopleschemist.com

'  In fact, Splenda chemically resembles the controversial pesticide DDT (found to cause organ, genetic, and reproductive damage) more than it does sugar."In the coming months we can expect to see a river of media hype expounding the virtues of Splenda/sucralose... In terms of potential long-term human toxicity we should regard sucralose with its chemical cousin DDT, the insecticide now outlawed because of its horrendous long-term toxicities at even minute trace levels in human, avian, and mammalian tissues," writes Bowen.'
www.pureinsight.org 

RON 7-11-2010 @ 7:25PM

I concur Jacque. It was aspartane, not Splenda. Splenda has been approved by the FDA. I use it to reduce the sugar by at least half in every dessert and cookie I make, and in some, 100% such as cheese cakes, and the people that eat my desserts can't tell the difference. Here's a little tip for recipes that call for powdered/confectioners sugar. You can make POWDERED SPLENDA (yes! that's not a typing error) to replace the 'other' powdered stuff by mixing cornstarch with Splenda instead of sugar -- and it taste Great. I can give out the recipe if any one is interested.

Amy3e 7-11-2010 @ 2:48PM

Wow.. this is great. our family makes outrageous cake ball desserts.. its the family favorite.. but soooo loaded with calories and fat.. they are bite sized nuggets of cake and frosting dipped in melted chocolate.. so if you used this cake recipe we can still enjoy with half the guilt. the recipe for cake ball desserts is on Celebration Ideas Online.com they are great.

KatieCouric'sNemesis 7-11-2010 @ 2:51PM

By returning to whole wheat flour in her recipe on her own, Anne from Long Island, NY, has ALREADY taken her recipe back closer to what it was in her great-grandmother's day.

You can cut sugar in just about any recipe (except a bread recipe) and use whole wheat flour instead. THAT's what people did before Pillsbury and the other flour millers started refining all the nutritional value out of the flour and rice we eat today.

But of course, today's sweet young things need AOL's approval before they will use their own common sense.

Jane 7-11-2010 @ 3:11PM

I don't know if anyone else noticed it or not but the reason this is suppose to be non fattening is because of the 1/4 cup of pureed prunes. We all know what prunes do don't we? Ha Ha This cake won't have a chance to stay in your body long enough to make you fat because you will get rid of it pretty quick on the toilet seat. The prunes acts as a laxative.