Recipe: Chocolate Souffle Cake (no butter or flour)

CHOCOLATE SOUFFLE CAKE

"A rich cake based on a French-countryside recipe from restaurant consultant Rozanne Gold. Made without butter, and with cocoa powder instead of chocolate, the cake is like a souffle that rises, then sinks as it cools."

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
14 tbsp sugar, divided use
2/3 cup walnuts, toasted
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tbsp vegetable oil
8 large egg whites
1 pinch salt
Powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Line bottom of an (8 x 2 3/4-inch) springform pan with parchment paper. Spread pan and paper with vegetable oil spray. Sprinkle pan with 2 tablespoons sugar. Set aside.

Finely grind nuts with 2 tablespoons sugar in processor. Transfer nut mixture to large bowl. Mix in 10 tablespoons sugar and the cocoa powder, then the oil. Set aside.

Using electric mixer, beat egg whites and salt in large bowl until soft peaks form. Fold whites into cocoa mixture in 3 additions. Spoon batter into prepared pan; smooth top.

Bake until cake puffs and tester inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 30 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack about 30 minutes. (Cake may fall.)

Cut around pan sides to loosen cake. Remove sides of pan and cool cake completely. Sprinkle cake with powdered sugar.

Makes 8 servings

Per serving: calories, 220; fat 12 g; sodium, 74 mg; cholesterol, 0

Source: Bon Appetit magazine, May 1994