This chocolate chip cake has an amazing moist, dense texture and a healthy profile with egg whites, buttermilk, canola oil and whole-wheat pastry flour. Plenty of chocolate chips give it rich flavor.

Ingredients
Cake
4 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
1 1/4 cups whole-wheat pastry flour (see Ingredient Note)
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups nonfat buttermilk (see Tip)
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Chocolate Drizzle
1/3 cup mini chocolate chips
2 tablespoons low-fat milk

Directions
1. To prepare cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 12-cup Bundt pan with cooking spray.

2. Beat egg whites in a large bowl with an electric mixer on low speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar, increase speed to medium-high and beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add 1/2 cup sugar, beating until stiff but not dry (this can take up to 5 minutes).

3. Combine the remaining 1 cup sugar, whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in another large bowl. With the mixer on medium speed, beat in buttermilk, oil, vanilla and a heaping spoonful of whites. Fold in the remaining whites and 1/2 cup chocolate chips with a whisk. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

4. Bake the cake until a skewer inserted into it comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Invert onto the rack and let cool completely.

5. To prepare chocolate drizzle: Combine 1/3 cup chocolate chips and milk in a small saucepan. Heat over low heat, stirring, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Drizzle over the cooled cake. Serve immediately or let stand until the chocolate is set, about 45 minutes.
Ingredient Note: Whole-wheat pastry flour, lower in protein than regular whole-wheat flour, has less gluten-forming potential, making it a better choice for tender baked goods. You can find it in the natural-foods section of large super markets and natural-foods stores. Store in the freezer.
Tip: No buttermilk? You can use buttermilk powder prepared according to package directions. Or make “sour milk”: mix 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup milk.

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Serves 8-10

500g fresh guavas
1 Tbs honey
1 vanilla bean
1/2 cup dessert wine
2 tsp butter

Cake
400g butter, softened
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
3 eggs
2 cups plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
2/3 cup cocoa powder
200g dark chocolate
3/4 cup milk

Ganache
150g dark chocolate
1/2 cup cream plus extra to serve

1 Preheat the oven to 200C. Put the guavas into a baking dish and drizzle over the honey.

2 Split the vanilla bean and scrape the seeds over the guavas. Add the dessert wine and butter then roast for 15 minutes or until they begin to soften. Let cool.

3 Reduce the oven temperature to 160C. Beat the butter and sugar until pale. Beat in each egg one at a time.

4 Sift the flour with the baking powder and cocoa.


5 Chop the chocolate and melt gently either in a small bowl over simmering water or in the microwave.

6 Fold the dry ingredients through the egg mixture with the melted chocolate and the milk.

7 Spoon into a lined 22cm springform tin and bake for approximately 1 hour - test with a skewer, it may take a further 10 minutes depending on your oven.

8 To make the ganache; chop the chocolate and place in a small saucepan. Pour in the cream and melt together gently while stirring until smooth. Pour the ganache over the cake, then pile on the guavas. Serve with cream or creme fraiche.

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If you listened to last week's podcast you maybe heard tell of a certain cake. This is that cake. It's a chocolate fudge cake layer, topped with a chocolate chip cookie dough layer, topped with a bittersweet chocolate layer, topped with a chocolate buttercream. I'll be honest, it took about 5 hours and a cycling of springform pans, but Jeremy, Theo and I enjoyed every last bite of this piece of heaven, after after the buttercream had turned to buttercream soup from being banged around on the back of my bike. Oh, and it's 100% gluten-free and dairy-free.

It's very, very far from sugar-free or fat-free, though, which is why it tastes so good. You can also make this recipe with regular old all-purpose flour, milk, and butter instead of soy-free earth balance, cane sugar, icing sugar, tapioca flour, and white rice flour, but for those of us who are lactose-intolerant and gluten-intolerant, this is probably one of the most amazing cakes you'll ever eat. I do not write that lightly.

I really don't suggest making this unless you have a fair bit of time. You can make it over the course of two days (or one very long day) if you only have one springform pan. The trick with gluten-free flour is to sieve it to lighten it, and whisk it when combining. Stir it as little as possible. Think of it as egg whites (soufflé, mousse, meringue) that you don't want to lose their volume. You don't want that dense, gluten-free flour taste.

Ingredients

Bottom Chocolate Layer:
1/2 cup tapioca flour (not starch)
1/2 cup white rice flour (not glutinous rice flour)
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup cane sugar
1/2 cup organic unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 vanilla bean, split open lengthwise and seeds scraped out with a spoon* (or 1/2 tsp vanilla extract)
1/3 cup sunflower oil or canola oil
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 cup cold water

Middle Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Layer:
1 1/2 cups tapioca flour (not tapioca starch)
1 1/2 cups white rice flour (not glutinous rice flour)
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
2 cups cane sugar
1 tsp molasses
1 cup earth balance
1 vanilla bean, split open lengthwise and seeds scraped out with a spoon (or 1 1/4 tsp vanilla extract)
1/2 cup dairy-free chocolate chips
5-6 tbsp almond milk

Top Chocolate Layer:
1 oz. bittersweet, dairy-free chocolate (either weigh it or calculate it out. From my bar of my dark Green & Black's Organics, it was about 1/3 of the bar)
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp unsweetened dark cocoa powder
1/2 cup hot coffee or water
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 tbsp almond milk
1/4 tsp lemon juice
1 vanilla bean, split open lengthwise and seeds scraped out with a spoon (1 tsp vanilla extract)
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup white rice flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup cane sugar, tightly packed
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup earth balance at room temperature

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
1 1/2 cups earth balance
4 cups powdered sugar
1 vanilla bean, split open lengthwise and seeds scraped out with a spoon (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
2 tbsp molasses
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt

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Younger folk can try their hand at the decadent white chocolate blondies, while more confident cooks can bake the gorgeous orange and poppyseed chiffon. A pot of tea - or better still, a glass of bubbles - completes the tradition. - Sophia Young, MasterChef Magazine.

ORANGE & POPPYSEED CHIFFON CAKE

Serves 8-10

Preparation time: 35 minutes

Cooking time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Skills required: Intermediate

400ml orange juice

7 eggs, separated

1 1/2 cups caster sugar

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 orange, zested

1/4 cup poppyseeds

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

2 cups self-raising flour, sifted

1 3/4 cups thickened cream
350g jar lemon curd*, chilled

Candied orange zest* (optional), to serve

EQUIPMENT

Angel food cake pan

Adjust oven shelf to lowest position, place an oven tray on shelf, then preheat to 190C.

Place orange juice in a small saucepan, bring to the boil over medium-high heat, then cook for 10 minutes or until reduced by half. Cool.

Using an electric mixer, whisk egg yolks and 3/4 cup sugar for 3 minutes or until thick and pale.

Combine 3/4 cup orange juice, oil, zest and poppyseeds in a jug. Gradually add to egg yolk mixture and whisk until just combined. Transfer to a large bowl.

Using an electric mixer, whisk egg whites in a clean bowl until foamy, add cream of tartar, then whisk to soft peaks. Gradually add remaining sugar and whisk until stiff and glossy.

Add flour to egg yolk mixture and, using a wire whisk, whisk to just incorporate. Using a large metal spoon, gently fold meringue into batter, in 2 batches, until just combined.

Spoon batter into ungreased angel food cake pan, level with a spoon, then bake for 10 minutes. Reduce temperature to 170C and bake for a further 50 minutes (Loosely cover top with foil after 30 minutes to prevent over-browning).

Immediately invert cake pan and place central tube over an upturned funnel or full wine bottle (some pans have feet to keep pan elevated). Leave cake inverted to cool completely.

Turn cake pan right-way up, then run a flexible knife or spatula around inside of pan. Lift out cake, run knife between cake and pan base, then invert cake onto a chopping board. Using a serrated knife, cut in half horizontally.

With electric mixer, whisk cream and 2/3 cup lemon curd to stiff peaks. Place cake base on a platter, then spread with slightly more than half the lemon cream. Replace top, spread with remaining lemon cream.

Dollop over remaining lemon curd, then swirl into cream. Top with candied orange zest.

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Ingredients
1/2 cup almond flour
1/3 cup chickpea flour
3 Tbsp coconut flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch sea salt
1/4 cup coconut sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup coconut oil, organic butter or ghee melted
1/4 cup dark chocolate chip cookies

Instructions
Preheat oven to 375.
Mix together the dry ingredients (almond flour, chickpea flour, coconut flour, baking powder, sea salt, and coconut sugar).
Mix in the egg and melted coconut oil, butter or ghee.
Lightly oil a baking sheet. Place spoonfuls of batter on the baking sheet.
Bake for 12-15 minutes, until firm.

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A bit of heat and a lot of sweet make this mango-topped chocolate honey cake a fine choice for celebrating Cinco de Mayo.

Bake the cake in any style Bundt pan you like. A more conventional tube pan also would work. You even could divide the batter between mini Bundt cake pans for individual servings.

After it cools, the cake is topped with an easy coffee glaze made by whisking together instant coffee, vanilla and powdered sugar. You can substitute cooled coffee for the 3 tablespoons of water in the glaze, but you still need to use the instant coffee, which adds considerable flavor.

Once topped with mango, leftovers need to be refrigerated. As an alternative, glaze the entire cake, cut servings from it, then top each serving with mango.

Mexican Chocolate Honey Cake

Makes 8 servings

1/3 cup cocoa powder, plus extra for dusting

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup honey

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

2 eggs

3 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon instant coffee

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Fresh mango, to serve

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a tube or Bundt pan with cooking spray, then sprinkle it with cocoa powder, turning all around to coat the inner surfaces of the pan. Tap out any excess.

2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, 1/3 cup of cocoa powder, baking powder, cinnamon, cayenne and salt. Set aside.

3. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, melt together the honey and butter. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on medium-high until cooled to room temperature, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating between each.

4. Add a third at a time, beat in the dry ingredients, scraping down the sides of the bowl between additions. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted at the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

5. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the water, instant coffee and vanilla until the coffee granules are completely dissolved. Whisk in the powdered sugar until smooth. Drizzle the mixture over the cake and serve topped with fresh mango.

Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 520 calories; 220 calories from fat (42 percent of total calories); 25 g fat (15 g saturated; 0.5 g trans fats); 105 mg cholesterol; 75 g carbohydrate; 5 g protein; 2 g fiber; 180 mg sodium.

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A few items qualify as food porn fodder: steamy close-ups of prosciutto asparagus grilled cheese. A sweeping wide shot of seasoned, oven-roasted dungeness crab. Camera pans of the juicy red interior of a tender, rare sirloin. But nothing satiates the cravings of the food voyeurs like a little cookie on cookie action.

This hot little number combines the best qualities of a commercial favorite with a homestyle treat-next-door for a baked good that will blow your mind. The Oreo’s cream-filled center housed in a crunchy chocolate exterior packs extra punch when cushioned between the gooey butter-batter of homemade chocolate chip cookies, and the contrast between the two cookie textures promises taste-buds double the pleasure. First a recipe passed around by bloggers in the early 2011s, Oreo-Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies gained quick traction in the foodie community, with copycats replicating recipes and adventure-seekers attempting re-concoctions by adding their own twists.

But just because these morsels have been around cyberspace a few times doesn’t mean they’re old news. This is the type of food porn that should be consulted over and over, the kind where marvel grows at the impossibility of their perfection when no flaws are evident, the kind that must be passed down from generation to generation. (Read: there’s no such thing as sloppy seconds).

This particular recipe, provided first by Jenny of Picky Palate and later re-blogged by Becky of Becky Bakes, calls for one package of Oreos (Jenny recommends Double-Stuff) and a 10 oz bag of chocolate chips, along with the typical host of sugar, flour, and butter, to re-create the magic. Gratification is quick–the cookies only need 9 to 13 minutes before they’re finished.

The best part of the food counterpart to the racy industry from which food porn derived its nickname?

There’s no look-but-don’t-touch policy. These Oreo-Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies can be devoured as soon as they cool.

Now that’s hard core.

Oreo-Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies from Becky Bakes and Picky Palate

Ingredients
2 sticks (1 cup) softened butter
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla
3 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
10 oz bag chocolate chips
1 pkg. Oreo cookies

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cream butter and sugars together with a mixer until well combined.  Beat in eggs and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, mix the flour, salt, and baking soda.  Slowly add to wet ingredients along with chocolate chips until just combined.  Using a cookie scoop, take one scoop of cookie dough and place on top of an Oreo Cookie.  Take another scoop of dough and place on bottom of Oreo cookie.  Seal edges together by pressing and cupping in hand until Oreo cookie is enclosed with dough.  Place onto a parchment or silpat-lined baking sheet and bake cookies 9-13 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

NOTE: Some bakers have had some trouble with their dough spreading too much during baking. If that becomes a problem, throw the dough balls into the fridge for a quick chill before baking. That should solve the dilemma beautifully:-)

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When you are a follower of a club like Chelsea FC, you don’t come across many reasons to celebrate. However, this week in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final at Camp Nou, Chelsea against all odds beat the Spanish giants Barcelona to the final.

Overjoyed by the victory of my club, I instantaneously decided to celebrate and came up with this interesting version of a chocolate cake. You can call it an imitation of chocolate fudge cake because of the exclusion of butter and sour cream, which have been replaced by corn oil and buttermilk, respectively. This recipe is light and guilt-free – to a certain extent.

Astonishingly, the absence of butter does not compromise on the softness. The cake still comes out moist and supple. I also kept the quantity of sugar less to compensate for the sugary icing.

Here is the recipe of this extremely delightful chocolate dessert. Do treat yourself to the comforting texture and well balanced flavours that will melt in your mouth for sure!

Ingredients for the cake

2 cups of flour

¾ to 1 cup of sugar

3  eggs

¾ cup of oil (corn oil or vegetable oil)

2/3 cup of buttermilk (normal milk with juice of half a lemon)

2-3 tablespoons of baking cocoa

1 teaspoon of baking powder

½ teaspoon of baking soda

1 teaspoon of vanilla essence

1 teaspoon of chocolate essence (optional)

Ingredients for the icing:

½ to ¾  cups of icing sugar

1 teaspoon of butter

¼ cup of water

A few drops of liquid blue colour

Directions to bake the cake

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Sift flour, baking powder and baking soda and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl beat oil with sugar (grind the sugar in a coffee grinder if it is not fine). Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. This way the batter will get fluffy . Now add the vanilla and chocolate essence followed by cocoa powder.
After this, gradually add the flour, baking powder and baking soda mix to the batter along with the buttermilk. The batter will get thick as you add the dry ingredients, but keep adding the milk till the mixture reaches a smooth consistency.
Line your baking tin with wax paper, grease the sides and  pour in the batter.
Bake for 30-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Directions for the icing

Dissolve the blue colour in water.
In a bowl mix the butter with icing sugar and slowly add the blue water, teaspoon by teaspoon, to this mixture. Keep mixing until you get a fluffy icing.
Spread over the cooled cake with a flat knife or the back of a spoon. Decorate as you desire and celebrate with friends and family!

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Just saying the words "Festival of Chocolate" can make a sweet lover's cheeks tingle. And that is just what's on tap this weekend at the UCF Arena: A three-day extravaganza dedicated to the velvety, decadent bliss that creates an unforgettable ganache, a thick robe for plump strawberries and a rich base for endless confections.

Now in its fifth year — and its first at UCF — the Festival of Chocolate has grown into a multifaceted event with a cake competition, cocoa couture fashion show, life-size chocolate sculptures of musicians, dessert wine pairings, demonstrations with award-winning pastry chefs and, of course, a few scrumptious treats tossed in for good measure.

Local culinary stars participating include Rosen Shingle Creek Resort's David Ramirez, Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress' Steven Rujak, Grand National Wedding Cake Competition winner and Bake Me A Cake co-owner Mercedes Strachwsky, master chocolatier and founder of Schakolad Chocolate Factory Baruch "Bernie" Schaked and NichollNotter of Orlando's Notter School of Pastry Arts.

The pastry brush here paints a wide swath of chocolate possibilities with vendors showcasing chocolate cupcakes, crepes, cream puffs, truffles, barbecue sauce, chili, balsamic vinegars, martinis and more.

But in my experience, the ChocoLand Chocolate Museum is a wonderful immersion for foodies. Participants will learn the rich history of chocolate and how the raw cacao bean transforms into a luxurious treat.

Show producer Aileen Mand stresses the "interactive and educational" nature of this event compared with other food festivals. "There are lots of chocolaty treats to buy, but there is so much more."Indeed this event hits on all the senses. Participants will hear and learn confectionary pop culture and nutrition facts at Chocolate Game Show Stage.

The Cocoa Couture Fashion Show will showcase the vision of more than 18 up-and-coming clothing designers who used candy-bar wrappers to create dresses that will be modeled on The Yumway today at 8 p.m. The one-of-a-kind dresses will be on display throughout the weekend so that guests can vote for their "Fan Favorite." (Check out my blog, OrlandoSentinel.com/thedish, for a sneak peek at Kissimmee's Veronica Manzano "M&M Madness" gown.)

The aromas of chocolate and wine will meld in an interactive class to help menu planners create over-the-top dessert courses and make restaurant wine lists less-daunting for diners. The touch of liquid indulgence is the focus of Spa Chocolate's soothing hand massages.

And guests can visit jetBlue's Chocolate Chill Lounge and watch chef Paul Joachim of Oviedo's Art Edibles demonstrate the skills that made him a "Food Network Challenge" winner in the episode "Extreme Alien Cakes." Joachim will create a life-size saxophone musician cake and onlookers can sample ganache shots.

And these activities are just a few morsels from this bag of chocolate chips. There's a lot more chocolate to experience and taste. Last year, about 10,000 cocoa fans visited the Festival of Chocolate at the Orlando Science Center. The move to UCF has allowed organizers to increase the amount of demonstrations and interactive elements to grow the festival even more.

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Spring is birthday season in my family. My mom's, mine, my big brother's, my son's and my husband's birthday all fall within April and May. This means there is lots of cake baking and eating going on. Which brings me to this particularly delicious cake.

I found this recipe in Maida Heatter's Book of Great Desserts, given to me by my mom who is too busy to do much baking these days.

It's the only chocolate cake I've made since I discovered it last year (and I have made it a number of times). I love the moistness, the amount of sweetness (not overpowering), and the fact that it is wonderfully chocolate-y without being at all overwhelming. I also like that I can turn leftover sour cream into something so yummy when it might otherwise just sprout green mold while languishing in the back of our fridge.

So I got out the cake flour, chocolate, sugar, eggs, butter, sour cream, vanilla and more one early morning to make one for my mom's birthday. I like this cake enough that I have a semi-reverent approach to it. Which means that I do not cut any of the baking corners I might normally cut. For example, I bought cake flour instead of just using all-purpose like I normally would, and I dug out my adorable flour sifter that I've loved since I was a child (another hand-me-down from my mom) to actually sift the flour – something I almost never do. And I actually made the cake release of butter and fine bread crumbs as Maida instructed (though I'm not actually convinced it works any better than butter and flour).

About an hour later, two pans of chocolate cake were cooling on the counter and the house was filled with the smell of sheer happiness.

After everything cooled, it was time to frost those suckers. Unfortunately, I failed to read Maida's excellent instructions before I began so I ended up having to flip one of the layers after I'd frosted it already (a sticky situation, you might say) but I had enough frosting to make it all come out okay in the end. And now I'm pretty sure I'll never forget to FLIP THE BOTTOM LAYER UPSIDE DOWN BEFORE FROSTING IT again. It's brilliant advice – no need to mess with cutting layers flat – the weight of the cake on top presses it nice and flat.

I decorated my brown beauty with a few of the lovely little violets growing in our yard. Then there was nothing left to do but light some candles, sing Happy Birthday to my dear maman and devour a big slice with some Ronnybrook Farm vanilla ice cream.

Chocolate Sour Cream Layer Cake (from Maida Heatter's Book of Great Desserts)
Makes one gorgeous cake
 
3 squares (3 ounces) unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup boiling water
2 cups sifted flour
1-1/2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cups butter (use organic)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
3 eggs (use organic, free range if you can get 'em)
1 cup sour cream (use organic)

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