Happy Valentine’s Day! (Part Deux)
As mentioned in Part One, I like to use boxed cake mixes with nutritious oil substitutes rather than starting from scratch. My all-time favorite swaps involve using pureed pumpkin or sweet potatoes to replace most of the oil recommended in chocolate cake mixes. Both have significant health benefits, serving as very good sources of Vitamin A and several other vitamins and minerals.
If you have some on hand, winter squash such as Hubbard and butternut can be substituted for pumpkin and have similar nutritional values. (A brilliantly-colored orange Hubbard squash purchased in October was used in last night’s batch of cupcakes, below.)
Easy, Speedy Better-for-You Chocolate Cake (or Cupcakes)
Start with 1 box of chocolate cake mix.*
Follow the directions on the back of the box, replacing all but 1 tablespoon of the oil with pureed pumpkin, winter squash or sweet potatoes.
Bake as directed, using the upper end of the range for recommended bake times. If necessary, add a few minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool and frost as directed. (Like the candies on the brownies in my earlier post, frosting does nothing to reduce the fat and calorie content, but it is great for special occasions.)
* If you’re concerned about calories, be sure to read the label when selecting the mix. Some brands contain more sugar than anything else, as shown by its placement at the top of the ingredient list.
© Liesl K. Bohan | SavvyBaker.com
