Recipe:
This decadent cake has a vegetable hidden inside! Shredded zucchini goes completely unnoticed in this cake except for adding moisture without the need for any added oil. A typical chocolate cake can contain over 350 calories in one slice, while this recipe contains almost 200 calories fewer with the help of the zucchini. The cake is so moist, fudgy, and chocolatey that it will remind you of a cross between a chocolate cake and a brownie.This recipes uses white whole wheat flour, which has the same nutritional advantages as traditional whole wheat, but with lighter color and milder taste. The cake also delivers a delicious dose of dark chocolate– one of my top ten beauty foods, as it contains antioxidants that may protect skin from wrinkles. Each slice also contains 4 grams of fiber, which keeps you satiated.
Ingredients:
1 1⁄2 cups white whole wheat flour
1⁄3 cup dark cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1⁄4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1⁄4 cup almond butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3⁄4 cup granulated sugar
1 1⁄2 cups shredded zucchini
1⁄4 cup dark chocolate chunks (or chips)
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt until combined. In a large bowl, mix almond milk and apple cider vinegar and let sit for 5 minutes to curdle. Add applesauce, almond butter, vanilla, and sugar and whisk until smooth and combined. Stir in zucchini.
Stir flour mixture into the wet mixture until combined but do not overmix. Grease a medium-sized baking pan well and pour in cake batter. Smooth out the top and top with dark chocolate chunks. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the center of the cake is firm to the touch. Let cool for at least 30 minutes and then slice into 12 squares.
Yields: 12 servings
Per serving: 167 calories, 4.22 g protein, 30.24 g carbohydrates, 4 g fiber, 15.32 g sugars, 5.28 g fat, 1.35 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 142 mg sodium, 132.6 mg calcium, 0.01 g omega-3 fats, 42 IU vitamin A, 2.83 mg vitamin C, 0.87 mg vitamin E, 2.4 mg iron, 0.05 mg zinc
Lisa Drayer, M.A., R.D.,
is the author of THE BEAUTY DIET and STRONG, SLIM, and 30! For more of Lisa’s Beauty Bites, visit www.lisadrayer.com.