Dark Chocolate Bundt Cake
We’ve always been big dessert fans in my family. Growing up there was a baked good for every occassion (and quite a few non-occassions for that matter). The tried and true classics never failed to make my day: Wheatie Cookies, Denver Sheet Cake, Scotcheroos, No Bake Cookies, Chocolate Chip Cake — the list goes on and on. Nothing was ever from a mix and you could taste the love in every bite. Every once in a while, though, Mom would stray on to that rocky road less travelled. What was for her, I’m sure, a way to keep things interesting and try something new, to me felt like cruelty. The one that I remember most clearly was a chocolate sauerkraut cake. Yes, that’s right. Sauerkraut. You don’t want that in cake, do you? If I’d known who to call, I would have reported her for crimes against chocolate.
Though I’m still a staunch protector of chocolate, I’d like to think I’ve matured beyond fake gagging at the mere mention of cabbage in any form. I have since gained a healthy appreciation for sauerkraut. Enthusiasm even. So when I discovered this Weight Watchers recipe for chocolate cake with sauerkraut, it felt like destiny. As it turns out, the flavor of sauerkraut is undetectable. The cake is moist and delicious and only 6 points per slice. Sorry, Mom. Don’t you ever get tired of being right?
Dark Chocolate Bundt Cake
Ingredients
- 1 spray cooking spray
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 ⅓ cups sugar
- 1 ½ tsp baking soda
- ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Hershey special dark)
- ½ cup butter melted
- 1 ½ cups hot water
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- I add a capful of almond extract as well
- 1 cup of sauerkraut rinsed, drained and pureed until smooth
- 1 tsp cocoa powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a Bundt pan with cooking spray.
In a large mixing bowl or in the bowl of an electric mixer, combine flour, sugar, baking soda and 2/3 cup of cocoa. Add melted butter, hot water and vanilla extract; mix well. Add sauerkraut and blend thoroughly.
Pour batter into prepared pan; bake in center of oven until a tester inserted in center of cake comes out clean, about 55 to 60 minutes. Cool cake in pan for about 20 minutes and then turn out onto a baking rack to cool completely. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of cocoa powder before slicing into 14 pieces. Yields 1 slice per serving.
umami | city 