You can have your cake and eat healthy, too

I fall hard for full-page, color food pictures, especially those featuring anything chocolate. That's why a recent Gourmet magazine picturing a single-layer, devil's food cake topped with billows of marshmallow frosting, dusted with cocoa (can you see it?) grabbed my attention.

I wanted a slice of that cake.

As fast as my fingers could turn the pages I found the recipe. I quickly scanned the ingredient list and found unsweetened cocoa. That's good news, since cocoa's big on flavor but low in fat and calories. And, the recipe called for water, not milk or sour cream; more good news.

Then I ran into a super-sized roadblock: butter. This 8-inch-square cake that generously served six used an unbelievable two sticks. Drat! My dream cake and its Valentine's Day potential began evaporating.

Running the nutrition numbers on the cake (without frosting) through my calculator showed exactly with what I was dealing. A slice delivered more than 600 calories (51 percent from fat) and 34.5 fat grams. That's slightly less fat than 3 tablespoons of oil.

I figured I could do away with at least half the butter by substituting drained, unsweetened applesauce. And, for the remaining butter, use a trans-fat-free margarine to further cut saturated fat and cholesterol.

One ingredient, brown sugar, distinguishes a devil's food cake from a regular chocolate cake. Gourmet's recipe required dark brown sugar, which naturally intensified this cake's flavor. I rolled by my supermarket for sugar as well as fresh baking soda and baking powder. Older baking soda and powder lose their oomph over time, and I wanted to make sure I gave this cake every opportunity to succeed.

While at the supermarket I also spied organic, unbleached all-purpose flour. I snagged a bag, as well as organic, omega-3-enriched eggs. If I could rein-in butter's excessive fat and calories, this would be one dandy cake.

Back home, I brought my trans-fat free margarine up to 65 degrees (the right temperature for beating in the most air) while I drained the applesauce. Using applesauce for shortening requires adding baking powder to balance applesauce's slight acidity.

To make certain I got the lightest texture possible, I beat the margarine and sugar together for a full two minutes before adding the drained applesauce and beating it all for three more minutes; these are ingredients you cannot over-mix.

After that, I followed the recipe's instructions to the letter and then, finally, baked my cake. My kitchen filled with the aroma of chocolate, which made waiting for a sample that much harder.

I cooled my cake on a wire rack for an hour and then slipped a slice off the end. The dense, moist cake screamed chocolate. Success was mine!

Not wanting to add too many more calories, or raise this cake's hassle-factor, instead of making the marshmallow frosting, I whisked together some confectioner's sugar and cocoa powder and heavily dusted the top. This bumped-up the chocolate flavor and added few calories. Perfect. I can't wait to show my cake off at the end of my Valentine's Day dinner.

Valentine's Day Chocolate Cake

¾ cup unsweetened applesauce

2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour

¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-processed)

1½ teaspoons baking soda

¾ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon baking powder

½ cup trans fat-free margarine (such as Smart Balance), at 65 degrees (use an instant-read digital thermometer)

1½ cups packed dark brown sugar

1 large egg, at room temperature

1 large egg white, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1½ cups water, preferably bottled spring water

Topping

1½ tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1½ tablespoons confectioner's sugar

Place oven rack in middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat an 8-inch square, 2-inch deep baking pan with vegetable oil and flour spray (like Baker's Joy). Set aside.

Place a wire mesh strainer in a bowl deep enough to keep the bottom of the strainer from touching the bowl's bottom and add the applesauce. Set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt and baking powder together until combined. Set aside.

Using an electric stand mixer, beat margarine and sugar at medium-high speed for 2 minutes, then measure out and add ½ cup drained applesauce to the mixing bowl. Beat on medium-high speed for 3 minutes, or until light, scraping down the mixing bowl periodically. (When you stop the mixer, the mixture will not hold together.)

Add egg and egg white one at a time, mixing well, and then add in vanilla. Add the flour mixture in thirds alternating with the water and beginning and ending with the flour mixture. After each addition, mix at medium speed until just combined taking care not to over-mix.

Pour batter into prepared pan, level the surface and bake 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake's center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for one hour. Transfer cake to a large dinner or serving plate.

For the topping: In a small bowl whisk confectioner's sugar and cocoa until combined. Transfer cocoa mixture to a small wire mesh strainer and, just prior to serving, dust the cake's top heavily with the mixture.

Serves 12.

Nutrition values per serving: 226 calories (30 percent from fat), 7.6 g fat (2.4 g saturated), 38.2 g carbohydrates, 2.5 g fiber, 3.8 g protein, 18 mg cholesterol, 164 mg sodium.