Il Cucinologo
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Light Chocolate Cake Without Butter

17/11/2023

Here’s a light version of the Chocolate Cake without butter for a healthier choice. This version uses oil instead of butter, resulting in a lighter but still delicious dessert.

Ingredients

  • 200 g of 00 flour
  • 200 g of brown sugar
  • 40 g of unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 100 ml of seed oil or coconut oil
  • 200 ml of partially skimmed milk or plant-based beverage of your choice (millet, soy, rice, etc.)
  • 3 eggs
  • 16 g of baking powder
  • A pinch of salt
  • (Optional) Vanilla flavoring or grated orange/lemon zest

Preparation

  1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C and butter and flour (or line with parchment paper) a cake pan.
  2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, and baking powder to avoid lumps.
  3. In another bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar until you get a light and frothy cream. You can add the vanilla flavoring or citrus zest here if you want an extra aroma.
  4. Incorporate the oil into the egg and sugar mixture, stirring gently to avoid deflating the mixture.
  5. At this point, add the dry ingredients mixture (flour, cocoa, baking powder) alternating with the milk or plant-based beverage, continuing to mix gently until you obtain a homogeneous mixture.
  6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and level the surface with a spatula.
  7. Bake for about 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
  8. Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely.

You can serve it as is, or dust it with powdered sugar or accompany it with a light chocolate sauce. Another option is to fill it with jam or light custard to make it more indulgent without weighing it down too much.

Fun Facts

The choice to use oil instead of butter in a cake can be due to both health and taste reasons. Oil gives the batter a particular moisture and can make the cake softer and lighter. Remember that seed oil tends to be more neutral in flavor compared to coconut oil, which instead will give a particular aroma to your cake.