1 c Pitted dried dates 1 ts Vanilla extract
6 tb Margarine, softened 1/2 c Finely choped almonds
1/3 c Unsweetened cocoa powder 3 Eggs, separated
1 tb + 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch 8 ts Sugar
2 ts Instant espresso powder 1 pt Fresh raspberries (garnish)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8 inch round cake pan with wax paper
or foil.
In a small saucepan, place dates and cover with water. Bring to a boil,
lower heat and simmer for 3 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water.
Remove and discard skins.
Puree dates, margarine, cocoa, cornstarch, espresso and vanilla in a food
processor until thick and smooth, scaping sides of bowl once or twice. Add
almonds and egg yolks. Process a few seconds, just until blended. Transfer
to a bowl.
With an electric mixer, beat egg whites until stiff but not dry.
Stir a large spoonful of whites into the chocolate mixture. Fold chocolate
mixture back into remaining whites until smooth. Scrape into prepared cake
pan. Place cake pan into a larger pan and fill to halfway up the sides with
hot water.
Bake for 30 minutes until puffed and cake begins to pull away from the
sides of the pan. Remove from water bath and cool on a rack to room
temperature. Refrigerate for at least one hour. To unmold cake, carefully
invert on a plate and peel off wax paper or foil. Decorate top of cake
with fresh raspberries and serve on a poolof berry sauce if desired. Serves
8-10.
Per serving: 212 calories, 22 grams carbohydrate, 4 grams protein, 12 grams
fat, 82 milligrams cholesterol., 78 milligrams sodium; exchanges: 1/2
starch, 1 fruit, 2 fat.
Yields
1 cake