Low-Fat Chocolate Layer Cake
For sweeties riding the low-fat train, create a low-fat layer cake made with egg whites, fat-free sour cream and cocoa powder (the least-fatty fraction of the cacao bean) and frosted with Seven
Minute Frosting (which is fat-free until we add a little more cocoa powder). Adapted slightly from "1,001 Low-Fat Desserts," by Sue Spitler.
Ingredients
• 1 c. hot water
• 2/3 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 3/4 c. sugar
• 5 tbsp. butter, fully softened
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 3 egg whites
• 1/2 c. fat-free sour cream
• 1 3/4 c. cake flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
Seven-Minute Frosting:
• 2 egg whites
• 1 1/2 c. sugar
• 5 tbsp. cold water
• 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
• 1 1/2 tsp. light corn syrup
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/3 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-inch
round cake pans. In a medium bowl combine hot water and the
2/3 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder, stirring to dissolve the cocoa. Set aside.
In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the sugar
and butter until the mixture is fluffy. Beat in the vanilla, then
the 3 egg whites, one at a time, beating well after each. Add the
sour cream and beat at high speed for 1 minute.
Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add
half this dry mixture to the batter and beat at low speed to
combine; beat in half the cocoa mixture, scraping the bowl. Repeat.
Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake 25 to 30 minutes,
or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (or
with a few crumbs - better too moist than too dry). Cool 10
minutes, remove from pans, cool completely.
Prepare the frosting: Bring an inch of water to a rapid boil in
the bottom of a double boiler. Meanwhile, in the top of the
double boiler, combine the 2 egg whites, the 1 1/2 cups of sugar,
cold water, cream of tartar and corn syrup. Beat until well blended.
Place the egg-white mixture over the boiling water and beat at
high speed for 7 minutes, until the mixture holds stiff peaks.
Remove the frosting from the heat and add and gently but
thoroughly fold in the vanilla and the 1/3 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder.
(You'll lose some volume but there will be plenty.) Fill and frost
cake. Lick beaters. Yum.