Chef Stephen Richards' Low Cal Chocolate Cake & Chocolate Icing Recipe |
Love chocolate cake but not the calories that come with it? Chef Stephen Richards, the recipe’s creator, struggles with his weight, and has a family history of diabetes. But he loves to eat, cook and live, and he didn’t like denying himself a delicious dessert to keep his diet healthy. After all, there’s no better way to celebrate life than with great tasting food.
A couple of years ago, Stephen was introduced to agave nectar and began to research it. He flew to Mexico where it is grown and spent time with the growers and processors, learning about the product and its benefits. He engaged medical doctors to study the claims being made and explored hundreds of recipes on his own. After several years, he developed Xagave, a natural and organic blend from several agave plants that incorporates the best of taste, texture and health benefits that this wonderful plant has to offer.
Three simple ingredients are the primary culprits when it comes to unhealthy weight gain: sugar, high fructose corn syrup and white flour. All of those ingredients are highly caloric foods, with a high Glycemic Index and no nutritional value. Xagave is sweeter than sugar, so you use less and save calories, and it is a low GI food with inulin, a fiber, that moderates blood sugar levels and leaves you feeling more satisfied. You eat less and feel more satisfied. By using Xagave, Stephen has created this sweet indulgence that won’t hurt your waistline.
Here’s what Chef Stephen has to say about his recipe:
If you love dark chocolate, you will love the taste and texture of this Chocolate Cake and Chocolate Icing. The traditional recipe calls for 2 cups of sugar for the cake. This recipe calls for 11/3 cups of Xagave. The traditional icing calls for 3 cups of powdered sugar and our recipe uses 2/3 cup of Xagave. You save 1,200 calories over the traditional sugar recipe, and the Xagave recipe tastes better and has a better texture.
Ingredients
Chocolate Icing:
• 2/3 Cup Xagave
• 1 Stick butter (1/2 cup)
• 1/3 Cup cream, milk or hot water (use cream for more of a milk chocolate flavor)
• 2/3 Cup cocoa
Cake:
Dry Ingredients
• 1 3/4 Cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 3/4 Cup cocoa (Hershey’s or another brand)
• 1 1/2 Teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 Teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 Teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
• 1 1/3 Cup of Xagave
• 2 Eggs
• 1 Cup milk
• 1/2 Cup vegetable oil (or canola)
• 2 Teaspoon vanilla
• 1 Cup water (boiling)
Preparation
Preparation of Cake
1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. Combine dry ingredients. Mix wet ingredients - mixing the hot water in last. Beat with hand mixer for 2 minutes. Batter will be thin.
3. Pour batter into either two 9 inch rounds or one 9x13 inch pan (or you can make cupcakes – filling each about 2/3 full).
4. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. Let cool for 30 minutes before icing
Preparation of Icing
1. Mix cream and cocoa with hand mixer or in a blender until smooth and creamy.
2. Add butter and Xagave and blend with hand mixer (or in a blender) for another minute or two until smooth.
3. Refrigerate icing while cake is cooking and cooling. Spread icing on cake after cake has cooled.
Tips and Notes:
For the icing, we recommend blending the cocoa, cream, butter and Xagave in a blender until creamy smooth. In the icing, if you use water or milk in lieu of cream, the icing will be a da rk chocolate flavor. I prefer the dark chocolate – as will most adults, but children prefer the milk chocolate flavor. Both are delicious.
Stephen & Corrie Richards
To learn more about Xagave and the book Chef Stephen Richards has authored, Delicious Meets Nutritious, the company’s web site: BetterBody Foods & Nutrition
To view all the recipes on the American Feast web site just scroll down after you go to: American Feast's Recipe Collection
To follow American Feast on Facebook go to: American Feast on Facebook
To follow American Feast's Founder on Twitter go to: Jeff Deasy on Twitter
For information related to the purchase of advertising space and editorial coverage on the American Feast web site call Jeff Deasy toll free at 877-332-7875 or email him at jdeasy@americanfeast.com
