I dreamed about eating a cake like this for years, both in my sleep and in rapid-fire thoughts during the day. I’m serious. I’m one of those “there’s no such thing as chocolate cake that’s too rich” types. I was dieting, but I would have to cheat with chocolate from time to time just to keep my sanity.

And then came this cake. It’s as rich as they come, and I love it more than any other flourless chocolate espresso cake I’ve had. Plus, it packs six grams of fiber, so it really is guilt free.

If you want to impress your friends, store some, unbaked, in the ramekins in an airtight container in your freezer. When you need a no-fuss dessert, pop them in the water bath and bake them 30 to 32 minutes.

Want to save time? Put all of the ingredients except the butter spray, powdered sugar, and raspberries in a blender at low speed and blend until just combined, being careful not to whip the egg whites.

Chocolate Not-Only-In-Your-Dreams Cake

A rich, molten-centered chocolate cake that tastes decadent but is made lighter with applesauce and egg whites.

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Servings: 4 cakes

Calories: 203

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

Butter-flavored cooking spray
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large egg whites
1 cup dark or light brown sugar not packed
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon very finely ground espresso beans
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon powdered sugar
4 raspberries optional

Equipment

4 3-1/2-inch-diameter ramekins

Method

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Generously mist four 3-1/2-inch-diameter ramekins with spray. Place them side by side in an 8 x 8-inch baking pan. Add water to the pan until it reaches halfway to the top of the ramekins.
Use a sturdy whisk or spatula to mix the applesauce, vanilla, egg whites, and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl until well combined. Add the cocoa powder, espresso, and salt. Stir until just combined and no lumps remain. Divide evenly among the ramekins (each ramekin will be about two-thirds full).
Bake for 21 to 24 minutes, until the tops look silky and puff slightly and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out a bit wet. Remove from the oven and carefully transfer the ramekins from the water bath to a cooling rack. Cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Then invert each ramekin onto a dessert plate. Let stand for 1 minute, and then slowly lift off the ramekin (the cakes should come out on their own, but if they don’t, run a knife around the edge to loosen them). Cool for another 5 to 10 minutes. Use a fine sieve to evenly dust each cake with a light sprinkling of powdered sugar. Place one raspberry on the center of each cake, if using. Serve immediately.

Notes

Makes 4 cakes (4 servings or 8 half-cake portions). No more than 20 minutes hands-on prep time.

Per serving (1 cake): 203 calories, 7g protein, 46g carbohydrates, 2g fat, 1g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 6g fiber, 364mg sodium.

Per portion (1/2 cake): 101 calories, 3g protein, 23g carbohydrates, 1g fat, less than 1g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 3g fiber, 182mg sodium.

Traditional recipe for comparison: 496 calories, 6g protein, 47g carbohydrates, 35g fat, 20g saturated fat, 195mg cholesterol, 3g fiber, 369mg sodium.

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