Today is the first day of my new nutrition plan as I officially start training for my first bikini competition. That means when I made this week’s MMAZ recipe, I was NOT on the plan. Which is a very good thing, since it took me three attempts to make a recipe I wanted to share with you! That’s a lot of taste testing!
They say the third time’s the charm and it definitely applies in this case. As full as I was by the time this dessert was ready, I was excited to have a bite…just before Kirk finished my piece! I think that means it passed the test.
With the addition of espresso, I wonder if this counts as coffee cake?
- +For the cake
- 2 cups white whole wheat flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cups unsweetened applesauce
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso heaping teaspoon
- 1 cup water boiling – mixed with espresso to a total volume of 1 cup
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- +For the glaze
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso
- 1 tablespoon hot water
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Fill a teapot with water and bring to a boil. In a prep bowl or coffee cup, combine a heaping teaspoon of instant espresso with hot water. Stir until espresso granules are dissolved. Add additional water (if necessary) to reach 1 cup of espresso.
- In a medium bowl, mix together flour through salt. In a small bowl, mix together the prepared espresso & remaining cake ingredients.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until completely mixed.
- Pour mix into a bundt pan coated with cooking spray and bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove and allow to cool completely. Flip over onto cake stand or plate for serving.
- When cake is almost cooled, combine another heaping teaspoon of instant espresso with hot water & stir until espresso granules are dissolved. Add the maple syrup mix until fully integrated. The glaze will be a little thin while hot, so allow it to cool and stir again if needed.
- Drizzle over the cake and serve immediately!
Can’t you just see yourself sitting on a patio enjoying a slice of this cake, with a steaming cup of coffee, and a good book? That’s exactly what I wish I was doing right now!
[Tweet “A healthier #chocolate cake #recipe – make this now! “]
If you like this cake, you might also want to check out my Chocolate Spice Cake, which was the starting point for this recipe.
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Questions for you:
- What’s your favorite coffee drink?
- What was your last recipe fail?