Black Forest Chocolate Fudge Cake

Photo: flickr user norwichnuts

Ingredients

1 cup Prune Puree (recipe below)

2 cups Cake flour

1 cup Unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon Baking powder

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1 1/2 cups Brown sugar

2 Eggs

1 Egg white

3/4 cup Nonfat milk

4 teaspoons Vanilla

1 cup Boiling water

2 tablespoons Instnt espresso powder

2 teaspoons Baking soda

2 cups Frozen pitted unsweetened

Dark sweet

Cherries, coarsely chopped,

Thawed and well Drained

1/2 cup Chopped toasted walnuts

Preparation

A rich, decadent dessert may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of prunes; however the following recipe, chocolate fudge cake is made with prune puree in place of butter and oil. The cake is rich and moist and contains only 4 grams of fat per serving. A unique combination of pectin, malic acid and sorbitol found in prunes allows a simple mixture of prunes and water to simulate a full-fat texture and taste. When used as an ingredient in baked goods, prune puree reduces fat in cookies, brownies, quick breads, muffins and cakes.

Black forest chocolate fudge cake is topped with fresh, red sweet cherries during the summer or frozen cherries year around. The recipe

Powdered sugar for dusting (optional) Fresh cherries or additional frozen cherries, for garnish

Prepare prune puree. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 3 to 4 quart bundt or other tube pan with vegetable cooking spray; set aside. Into a large bowl shift together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In another bowl, whisk eggs with the prune puree, milk and vanilla; set aside. Pour boiling water in measuring cup; stir in espresso powder and baking soda. Stir egg and water mixtures into flour mixture; mix just until blended. Pour half the batter into prepared pan; sprinkle cherries and walnuts evenly over batter. Evenly pour in remaining batter. Bake in a 350 degree oven about 45 minutes until pick inserted into cake comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 15 minutes; inverting onto rack, remove from pan an

Dust with powdered sugar; place on serving plate. Fill cake center with additional cherries.

Makes 16 servings.

Prune Puree: 2 2/3 cups (1 pound) pitted prunes 3/4 cup water

Combine prunes and water in container of food processor. Process about 1 minutes until pureed. Puree may be covered and refrigerated up to 2 months.

Makes 2 cups.