
Naturally Sweetened Chocolate Bundt Cake
My sister Katherine’s baby shower was last weekend in Calgary, and it was a great time.
It was super nice to meet some of her friends, who I have never met being that we live in different cities. I had emailed them back and forth a little bit while organizing the shower, so it was great to put faces to their names. Also, her mother-in-law from Saskatchewan was able to make it out as well, so she had a mother and a mother-in-law, and a sister and a sister-in-law in attendance. Good times :).
Her sister-in-law helped with a lot of the decor and the table looked amazing! She made place cards for everyone featuring baby photos of the mom- and dad-to-be. The plate in the centre I picked up at Michael’s – it came with a pen for everyone to sign a message and the parents can keep it on display in the nursery if they like. A nice memory for the baby of everyone who loves him/her!
As the shower was brunch at Thomsons Restaurant in the Hyatt Regency Calgary, there wasn’t a lot of prep to be done. The food was all taken care of! But of course that didn’t stop me :).
I made a cake that would be in keeping with the requirements of the day:
- indulgent (it was, after all, a celebration)
- yet naturally sweetened (my sister is trying to avoid sugar throughout her pregnancy)
- and fairly low-fat, as my sister has problems with high-fat foods and we all want our treats to be that bit healthier!
And although it wasn’t my intention to make a low-calorie cake, this one is less than 200 cals a slice!
Having said that, that is before frosting, and the frosting was made with butter (use Earth Balance butter sticks if you’re vegan – I’ve used those before and they’re fabulous!), so it wasn’t all that healthy ;).
I also used Chocolate-Covered Katie’s 3-Ingredient Chocolate recipe to make favours for the guests – chocolate pops they could take home with them (I couldn’t work out how to get them to stand up so I sliced up naval oranges and, voila! a brunch-appropriate pops stand).
I poured Katie’s chocolate into greased ice cube trays, and when set I moulded it with my hands into ball shapes and then rolled them in either shredded coconut, crushed almonds or cocoa powder. Delicious, but I have to say – a fail for an event like this. I designed them to be take-home favours, but most were getting pretty soft by the time it came time to leave. I underestimated how warm it would be in Calgary and the coconut oil couldn’t stand up to it! So perhaps don’t make these unless you are going to give them to people right out of the fridge before they go!
Here’s me with the guest of honour (thanks to Katherine’s mother-in-law for the pic!):
Here’s the bundt cake in question –Β for frosting, I doubledΒ this recipe:
Anna’s Naturally Sweetened Decadent Chocolate Bundt Cake
INGREDIENTSΒ (serves lots! We got 14 slices out of it):
1 1/3 cup flour of choice
1 cup cocoa powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup coconut sugar
1/2 cup agave nectar
4 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup lowfat ricotta cheese
3 medium eggs
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup unsweetened almond milk (or milk of choice)
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
2. In another, smaller bowl, mix coconut sugar, agave nectar, applesauce, melted coconut oil and lowfat ricotta cheese.
3. Whisk the eggs into the smaller bowl with the sweeteners and fat.
4. Add in the almond milk and vanilla extract.
5. Pour liquid mixture into dry, stirring until just combined.
6. Pour into a greased bundt cake tin. Bake until springy to the touch – this will vary depending on your oven. Mine did it in just over 30 minutes but it could take longer for your oven.
7. When cooked, remove from the oven and cool completely. Once cooled, you can make the frosting recipe linked above and ice liberally.
8. Serve and enjoy!
Nutritional information (for cake only) is per slice if cake serves 14:
QUESTION:
- You may or may not have remembered it’s a small thing called Mother’s Day this Sunday…this cake would make as perfect a treat for Mom as it was for my sister, the mother-to-be! But what are you doing this weekend? If your mother is nearby, do you celebrate together?
May 11, 2012
Clare
Looks like you all had a fabulous time, the cake sounds divine! My Mum is coming to join me for a hot yoga class this weekend, as are my two brothers! That’s our gift to Mum, we’ll enjoy a nice brunch after as well, although I’m sure this cake would go down VERY well too π Thanks for sharing! It’s just after dinner time here and I’m tempted to go make a slightly smaller version of this.. mmmm π
May 11, 2012
Anna @ The Guiltless Life
Aw thanks Clare! Your Mother’s Day weekend sounds just perfect. And I think I have your single-serve banana cake on reserve for my night snack tonight! Looks amaaaaazing π
May 11, 2012
Sara @my less serious life
so pretty. and thoughtful!
May 11, 2012
Anna @ The Guiltless Life
Thank you Sara! It was so much fun π
May 11, 2012
Annie @ Naturally Sweet Recipes
What a sweet cake!! It looks absolutely delicious! I’m so embarrassed to admit that I don’t have a bunt cake pan- I need one! When I get one, this will have to be the first thing I make! YUM!
May 11, 2012
Anna @ The Guiltless Life
Ooh you need one! There’s no real reason except that I just always think bundt cakes look so darn pretty haha! I know you guys would go to town with one π
May 11, 2012
Chocolate-Covered Katie
Aw congratulations to your sister! That cake looks fabulous!! π
May 11, 2012
Anna @ The Guiltless Life
Thank you Katie! Your chocolate was a hit! Super good… π
May 11, 2012
Kristine Fretwell
Yum, looks so good!!! Great table setting ideas!
May 11, 2012
Anna @ The Guiltless Life
Thanks Kristine! It was a great time π
May 11, 2012
paulinechandler
I love the picture of the two of you together! Both gorgeous girls! xx
May 11, 2012
Anna @ The Guiltless Life
Aw thanks Aunty P! x
May 11, 2012
Sam @ Fit for my Fork
What a lovely cake and very thoughtful favours too, Anna! The baby shower sounds like it was a lot of fun. My mom is pretty far away from me, but I have sent her a card with a cute little dog on it (UK mother’s day, as you probably know, is in March, so no mother’s day cards to be found here now!) and I’ll give her a call on the weekend. I am looking forward to being home next year to make her a nice meal or cake or something, since I’m pretty sure my brother doesn’t make much of an effort. Have a nice weekend Anna! π
May 11, 2012
Anna @ The Guiltless Life
Ah yes, the disparate Mother’s Days! Ah well, I would find a card with a puppy on it just as precious as a Mother’s Day card if it was me, because I’d realize how much more creative you had to be to get it ;). I bet you are super excited about next year! So sooooon! π
May 11, 2012
thehealthyfitdiva
It is mother’s day and my mom’s birthday the very next day too! You bet I’ll be baking a chocolate cake π
May 11, 2012
Anna @ The Guiltless Life
Awesome – it’s a must!
May 11, 2012
Amber with Slim Pickin's Kitchen
Awwww! I love baby showers (and it’s not just b/c I’m secretly wishing it was me who was preggers), they are always so much fun! I also love chocolate anything! I discovered an all natural “ice cream” today that tastes like a fudgesicle and is only 150 calories FOR AN ENTIRE PINT!!!!!! Arctic Zero. Check it out and put a scoop on top of that cake!!
!
May 11, 2012
Anna @ The Guiltless Life
Ooh thanks for the heads up! That stuff sounds amazing! Keeping my fingers crossed that it’s available in Canada π
May 11, 2012
Meg
i have been craving chocolate all day. sigh. this isnt helping.
May 11, 2012
Anna @ The Guiltless Life
Oh no! I’m sorry :(. Go eat a square and forget you saw this π
May 13, 2012
Pingback: A Very Special Mother’s Day | simple.savvy.strong
May 13, 2012
Char Star (@chars_kitchen)
awwww such a beautiful cake for a beautiful occasion! Love the party favours, too π
May 13, 2012
Anna @ The Guiltless Life
Thanks Char!!
May 13, 2012
Fuel My Family
Never heard of coconute sugar! I had gestational diabetes while pregnant the second time so I was always looking for lower sugar sweets!
May 13, 2012
Anna @ The Guiltless Life
Coconut sugar is so fabulous – taken from the sap of coconut trees it is barely processed at all! You should be able to find it in any health section of a major supermarket, or of course somewhere like Whole Foods. It’s sometimes called palm sugar too, or coconut sap. Enjoy! xx
May 13, 2012
Sara @ Nourish and Flourish
You put together an absolutely beautiful shower, Clare! I love every little touch–from the plate (such a cute idea!), to they chocolate pops, to the decadent-looking cake, everything was thoughtful and personal! I’m completely impressed with your baking prowess too; this is proof that healthy treats truly CAN be delicious! <3
May 14, 2012
Anna @ The Guiltless Life
Thank you Sara, you are so sweet! I really enjoyed planning the shower, it was super fun π
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