I used my long offset spatula to run around the outside and bottom of the pan, and I thought the tip about using a wooden skewer to loosen the cake from the core was genius!
I entered the ingredients on the Weight Watchers recipe analyzer and found that 1/16 of the cake (still a generous serving) is 2 points, and for my Atkins friends I entered the details on calorie count to be able to say that one slice has 1.5g carbohydrate. (If you noticed the bellini in my photos, I’m wondering if I’ll have any credibility with all of this diet talk.)
I had to borrow a tube pan to make this cake (thanks, Sandi), but now that I enjoy angel food cake, I will need one of my own. This is one I will definitely make again, and next time, it will get the whipped cream treatment! My diet-minded family and friends had this to say about the Chocolate Tweed Angel Food Cake:
- Ed: I really love angel food cake, but the touch of chocolate made this a light and fluffy dream cake!
- Mike: Chocolaty and fluffy
- Kim: Yummy; it tastes way too sinful to be low-carb
- Sandi: It took angel food to a whole new place
- Jeanne: Like you, angel food cake is not my favorite kind (I’m partial to chocolate and gooey), but this one is the best that I’ve eaten. The grated chocolate not only gives it a more interesting flavor, but the texture is also better than the average angel food–don’t know if it’s a different technique or the addition of the grated chocolate, but it just has a better feel in the mouth. There aren’t many “guilt-free” desserts out there, but this one is almost health-food. I enjoyed it, and thought it was well worth the calories.
I’m happy to find out that Rose has published the recipe for Chocolate Tweed Angel Food Cake on NPR’s website, so I can make an exception to the HCB rules this time and share this recipe with you. I’ve copied and pasted it below. But if you’d like to have more than just this recipe, you can buy the book on Amazon like I did.
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Chocolate Tweed Angel Food Cake
- Yield: 14 - 16 1x
- Category: Dessert
Description
Finely grated baking chocolate makes this cake world class! Naturally low carb 1.5 g per slice and only 2 WW points!
Ingredients
- 1–1/2 cups, divided superfine sugar
- 3/4 cup cake flour, lightly spooned and leveled off (or 1 cup, sifted into the cup and leveled off)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 16 large egg whites, at room temperature, or 2 cups
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 ounces fine-quality unsweetened or 99% cacao chocolate, chilled, finely grated, refrigerated
- SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: One ungreased 10-inch (16 cups) two-piece metal tube pan or 1 long-necked glass wine or soda bottle, or a large inverted metal funnel that will fit into the opening at the top of the pan. (Have this ready before baking and weight it by filling it with sugar or marbles to keep it from tipping.)
Instructions
- PREHEAT THE OVEN: Twenty minutes or more before baking, set an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C.
- PREPARE THE SUGAR, FLOUR, AND SALT: In a small bowl, whisk together half the sugar, the flour, and salt until evenly combined. Sift the remaining sugar onto a piece of wax paper.
- BEAT THE EGG WHITES INTO A STIFF MERINGUE: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk beater, beat the egg whites on medium speed until foamy. With the mixer off, add the cream of tartar. Raise the speed to medium-high and beat until soft peaks form when the beater is raised. Gradually beat in the sifted sugar and continue beating on medium-high speed until very stiff peaks form when the beater is raised slowly. Beat in the vanilla until combined.
- MAKE THE BATTER: Dust (lightly sprinkle) the flour mixture over the beaten whites, 1/4 cup at a time (if using cake flour, sift it over the whites). With a large balloon whisk, slotted skimmer, or large silicone spatula, fold in the flour mixture quickly but gently. It is not necessary to incorporate every speck until the last addition. Fold in the grated chocolate until evenly incorporated. Using a long narrow spatula or silicone spatula, spread a thin layer of batter onto the sides of the prepared pan to ensure smooth sides. Empty the rest of the batter into the pan. In a 16-cup pan, it will be 1/2-inch from the top of the rim. Run a small metal spatula or knife through the batter to prevent air pockets and smooth the surface evenly.
- BAKE THE CAKE: Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown, a wire cake tester inserted between the tube and the side comes out clean, and the cake springs back when lightly pressed in the center. (A wooden toothpick will still have a few moist crumbs clinging to it.) During baking, the center will rise about 2 inches above the pan, but it will sink to almost level with the pan when done. The surface will have deep cracks, like a souffle.
- COOL AND UNMOLD THE CAKE: Invert the pan immediately, placing the tube opening over the neck of the bottle to suspend it well above the countertop. Cool completely in the pan, about 1-1/2 hours. Loosen the sides of the pan with a long narrow spatula and remove the center core of the pan. Dislodge the cake from the bottom and center core with a metal spatula or thin sharp knife. (A wire cake tester or wooden skewer works well around the core. To keep the sides attractive, press the spatula firmly against the sides of the pan, moving the spatula up and down as you go around it.) Invert the cake onto a flat plate covered with plastic wrap that has been coated lightly with nonstick cooking spray and reinvert it onto a serving plate. Allow the cake to sit for 1 hour, or until the top is no longer tacky. Then cover it with a cake dome or wrap it airtight. It keeps for 3 days at room temperature and for 10 days refrigerated. Freezing toughens the texture. The cake is also lovely decorated simply with a light sprinkling of cocoa or lacy drizzles of melted chocolate. Do not serve this cake with sauce as it would fall apart.
An accountant by trade and a food blogger since 2009, Lois Britton fell in love with Polish cuisine during the years she lived in Poznań, Poland. As the creator of PolishHousewife.com, she loves connecting readers with traditional Polish recipes. Lois has a graduate certificate in Food Writing and Photography from the University of South Florida. She is the author of The Polish Housewife Cookbook, available on Amazon and on her website.
Nicola
Your cake looks grand. I bet your husband is particularly chuffed that he will be having more of these in his future.
Love, love, love that you drink Bellini’s while baking. How glamorous!
Hanaâ
This is so cool. This recipe made you like Angel Food Cake. I’m happy for your hubby that you’re probably going to be baking more AFC in the future :o) Btw, unsweetened chocolate contains lots of anti-oxidants. I agree, this cake is a health-food :o) I can’t wait to try this one. Maybe this weekend instead of the pineapple cakes.
Vicki
It looks lovely. What a bonus for WW points.
You would probably get mobbed for a 2 point slice!
ButterYum
Sure looks good! Can’t believe it’s low carb.
🙂
ButterYum
faithy, the baker
Your cake looks great! I curious about the calorie and cab counter/machine. I’ve not seen those selling here before. I wonder how does it work? Told my daughter that it’s a diet cake since it’s only eggwhites and no oil and little flour, so she has been eating the cake without any worries since she’s watching her weight. 🙂
Mendy
ב”ה
Looks great!
Lois B
Nicola – I love that you’re thinking of me as glamorous in the kitchen. 😉 If you had any thoughts about me just using up holiday leftovers, kindly disregard.
Hanaâ – I’m delighted to hear about the antioxidiant qualities. I hope you enjoy this cake!
Vicki – So true! It sure beats any 2 point dessert from a box.
ButterYm – Thanks! I would have loved to see how you would have decorated this one. Your cakes are always beautiful!
Faithy – Thanks, if you go to the calorie count website (there’s a link in my post) they have a recipe analyzer. You enter the ingredients with amounts and it gives you the nutritional analysis. I think I did have to divide by the number of servings. I made the mistake of doing this when I made Paula Deen’s Coconut Cake a few years ago; the results were not so encouraging. 🙂
Mendy – Thank you!
K Hamilton
I love angel food cake, this looks SO good! I have an award for you on my blog here http://www.thegeekygourmet.net/2010/01/my-first-award-honest-scrap.html