Recipe: Coffee-Frosted Cocoa Cake (with apricot variation)

COFFEE-FROSTED COCOA CAKE

A perfect cake to make for shared dinners and picnics.

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup margarine, softened
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup fat free milk
Coffee Frosting (recipe follows)

Combine sugar and margarine in large bowl; beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla.

Combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl. Mix dry ingredients into egg mixture alternately with milk, blending well. Spread batter in greased and floured 13x9-inch cake pan.

Bake cake at 350 degrees F for 25 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and cake begins to pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

When cool, frost with Coffee Frosting.

Makes 18 servings

Per Serving: Calories: 231, % Calories from fat: 26, Fat (gm): 6.7, Sat. fat (gm): 1.3, Cholesterol (mg): 23.9, Sodium (mg): 352, Protein (gm): 3.5, Carbohydrate (gm): 39.7

Exchanges: Milk: 0.0, Vegetable: 0.0, Fruit: 0.0, Bread: 2.5, Meat: 0.0, Fat: 1.0

COFFEE FROSTING
Makes about 1/2 cup

1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
1 tablespoon hot water
1 tablespoon margarine, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons fat-free milk

Dissolve coffee in hot water in medium bowl. Beat in margarine, powdered sugar, and enough milk for spreading consistency.

VARIATION:

APRICOT COCOA CAKE:
Make cake as above and cool on wire rack. Spread cake with 1 1/2 cups lite apricot preserves. Cut cake into squares; drizzle each serving with 1 tablespoon sugar-free chocolate topping.

Source: 1,001 Delicious Desserts for People With Diabetes by Sue Spitler, Linda R. Yoakam, Linda Eugene