Real chocolate’s a loving — and healthy — choice
By SARA MOULTON February 5, 2013 9:14AM
In this image taken on Jan. 21, 2013, warm double chocolate cakes with raspberry sauce are shown in Concord, N.H. (AP Photo/Matthew Mead)
Updated: March 7, 2013 6:10AM
Love is always sweeter when expressed with chocolate! Especially on Valentine’s Day.
Yes, chocolate. And the more ooey-gooey deeply chocolaty, the better. Still, there’s no sense overdoing it. I’ve always believed that when it comes to dessert, a little bit can go a long way. That’s why this chocolate dream of a recipe takes the form of small-ish individual cakes rather than a single, family-sized gut-buster.
It’s also why I’ve replaced the butter usually found in chocolate cakes with non-fat Greek yogurt. And trust me, not only won’t you miss the butter, but you won’t taste the yogurt. It’s in the mix strictly as a lower-fat way of adding body to the finished product.
What you will taste is chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate, specifically dark chocolate. It’s built into the cake batter, of course, but it also reappears as a melted surprise in the center of each cake.
I suggest using bittersweet chocolate that’s between 60 percent and 70 percent cacao. Once the percentage gets any higher, the chocolate begins to taste too bitter to me.
The eggs in this recipe (one of only five ingredients, by the way) ensure that the cakes will be light and spongy.
After the batter is made it needs to set up in the fridge for a little while before you put it in the oven.
I discovered when I was testing this recipe that you can keep the batter in the fridge for several days before baking without any damage to the recipe’s freshness. So this is the perfect make-ahead dessert for entertaining.
Once you’re gazing with admiration at the finished product, don’t be surprised if you end up giving this little Valentine’s Day gift to yourself.
AP
