This is our favourite celebration cake – diet or no diet – it’s light and airy, just the right amount of sweetness, soft chocolate crumb with gorgeous real whipped cream in the middle, topped with a skim of buttercream icing, and more whipped cream and maltesers on top. All this for just 200 calories a slice!! And they’re decent slices too, no slivers in this house!

You could, of course go even lower on the calorie count by omitting the malteser decoration, using fake cream, etc. But this is a “celebration” cake, and there’s a time and a place to allow yourself to celebrate – this version helps because it has fewer calories than regular chocolate cake, yet is still a delicious treat.  Go on, spoil yourself!

This recipe is so so so easy!!  It was inspired by The Great British Bake Off Andrew’s Grans chocolate cake that he used for a showstopper. It got Paul Hollywood’s approval, so I knew it had to be a good place to start. My version makes some changes but doesn’t sacrifice on taste or texture, it doesn’t taste like it’s reduced calorie at all.

Start by preparing the cake tins… you’ll need two 7″ tins. Spray each with 2-3 pumps of a neutral tasting spray oil, focusing on the sides of the tin. Then line the bases with baking parchment.  

Preheat the oven to 180°C /  350°F / Gas 4

Into a large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, cocoa powder, regular sugar and sugar substitute.  Add the light margarine and egg.

Using an electric whisk or stand mixer, start by smushing the ingredients together a little to wet the powders so they don’t fly everywhere when you switch the power on!

Then beat for 10 seconds (yes, “seconds”… that’s not a typo!) till just combined. Add the milk and beat for another 10 – 15 seconds or till smooth and creamy.

And that’s it LOL!!!  

Divide between the two tins, gently smooth the tops, and bake for 15-20mins or until the top springs back when gently pressed, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and leave in the tin for 5 minutes. You’ll see that the cake pulls away from the side of the tin as it cools. Run a narrow knife around the edge of the tin and turn the cakes out onto a cooling rack to get completely cold before decorating.

Meanwhile, make a little buttercream icing by beating together sifted icing sugar (powdered sugar) and softened butter, adding a teaspoon or two of skimmed milk (one teaspoon at a time) to help the blending. Beat till smooth, light and creamy.  

Next whip up ½ cup of whipping cream till it almost looks lumpy and holds its shape well. In the bowl, roughly divide it into ⅓ and ⅔. Once the cakes are cold, put ⅔ of the cream into a circle on the center of the bottom cake.

Put the second cake layer on top of the cream, and using a flat hand, press down and rotate the top layer so that it squeezes the cream outwards towards the edge. Put the rest of the cream in a piping bag fitted with a large star nozzle.

Now apply a very thin layer of buttercream icing over the top and sides of the cake – you’re going for the “naked cake” look, so don’t make the icing too thick – it’ll be too sweet if you do, and it’s not necessary. Tip: dip your pallet knife into some tap-hot water to make spreading the icing easier.

Finally pipe 12 rosettes of cream around the cake – using a clock-face as your template (start with the “12” and the “6”, then add the “3” and the “9”, then fill in two rosettes in each gap) – this helps with portion control too; each rosette makes one decent-sized portion. Use the last of the cream in the bag to pipe a larger rosette in the centre of the cake. Then crush 5 maltesers and sprinkle them on the top of the cake, with one malteser in the centre.  Refrigerate for a few minutes to set the icing and the cream.

Recipe: Celebration Chocolate Cake 201 cals

Serves 12.  You will need two 7 inch cake tins lined on the bottom with parchment paper, and a piping bag with a large star nozzle. An electric hand whisk or stand mixer will make this much easier to make.

Ingredients:

• 175g Self Raising flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 14g cocoa powder
• 50g regular white granulated sugar
• 110g substitute white sugar sweetener (such as Lakanto Classic, Swerve Granulated or Canderel Sugarly)
• 2 medium eggs
• 170g light margarine
• 1 ⅓ tablespoons skimmed milk
• ½ cup (120ml / 4fl oz) whipping cream
• 30g (1oz) butter, at room temperature
• 60g (2oz) icing sugar
• 2 teaspoons skimmed milk
• 6 maltesers

Method:

• Pre-heat the oven to 180°C /  350°F / Gas 4
• Spray two 7inch cake tins with a little spray oil (focusing on the sides) and line the bases with parchment / baking paper.
• Sift the flour, baking powder, cocoa powder, and both sugars into a large bowl, or the bowl of your stand mixer.
• Add the eggs and light margarine to the bowl.
• Smush the ingredients together using the beaters just to combine and prevent the dry ingredients flying around when you turn the power on
• Beat for 10-15 seconds till just combined.
• Add the 1.3 tablespoons of milk
• Beat again for another 10-15 seconds
• Divide the batter between the two cake tins and lightly smooth it out to the edges.
• Bake in the centre of the oven for 15-20 minutes till the tops spring back when lightly pressed, and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
• Remove from the oven and leave in the tins to cool for 5 minutes – you’ll notice the cake separating from the side of the tin as it cools.
• After 5 minutes, run a knife between the edge of the cake and the side of the tin, and invert the cakes onto a wire rack to cool. Peel off the parchment and turn them right-side-up again so that their tops are facing up. Leave them to cool completely.
• When the cakes are cool, make the buttercream icing by blending or whisking together the room temperature butter and icing sugar. Add the milk a teaspoon at a time then beat till light, creamy and fluffy.
• Whisk the cream till it’s thick, holds its shape well and almost looks lumpy.
• Place one of the cakes onto your serving plate and put two-thirds of the cream onto its centre in a rough circle.
• Place the other cake on top and using the flat of your hand, gently press and twist the top cake down onto the cream so that it pushes the cream out towards the edge.
• Now apply a thin layer of buttercream icing all over the cake. You’re going for a “naked-cake” look, so don’t make the icing too thick or it’ll be far too sweet.
• Once iced, place the remaining whipped cream into a piping bag fitted with a large star nozzle (so that one squeeze of the bag gives you a fancy-looking rosette!).
• Squeeze 12 rosettes of cream around the edge of the top of the cake (like the numbers on a clock-face; start with the “12” and “6”, add the “3” and “9” then fill in two rosettes in each gap). This will help you portion the slices.
• Use the remaining cream in the bag to pipe a larger rosette in the centre
• Place one malteser on the centre rosette, then crush the rest and sprinkle them around the top of the cake.
• Refrigerate for 5-10 minutes to set the buttercream icing, then slice and enjoy!