Recipe: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Ring

A few years ago, I was working on an article for Cooking Light magazine. I liked the challenge of reducing the fat in baked goods, as it really tests my knowledge as a baker (it's hard as heck to do it right). Of course, I insist on using top-quality ingredients with ingredient lists that don't read like a science experiment!

I was stumped, however, as to how I could make a substitute for whipped cream. I tried whipping low-fat yogurt, whipped up low-fat sour cream…and yet nothing tasted quite right. So I went to my local bookseller and found a wonderful book, The Healthy Oven Baker, which practically jumped off the shelf at me: all the other low-fat baking books were, to be blunt, yucky. (I never did find a good substitute for whipped cream. You'll just have to eat less of the real thing!)

Anyhow, fast forward to a few months later when I attended my first culinary conference in Phoenix. There I was, sitting at a table, when this woman walked by. Me being a total dork and totally star-struck, I quickly ran over and introduced myself and we've been baking pals ever since.

Sarah just re-vamped her web site, which is now called Baking 911 (www.baking911.com). On the site, Sarah has recipes and answers baking quesitons. She graciously gave me this recipe for a Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Ring cake, which is perfect for the holidays season. Note that there is very little fat in the cake, so pay attention not to overbake the cake. And I think Sarah wouldn't mind if you added some dried currants or dried cranberries to the batter… and served it with a scoop of premium-quality vanilla frozen yogurt instead of whipped cream!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Ring
Makes 10 Servings

Dry Ingredients:

1-1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour (see note)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
1/3 cup mini-chocolate chips

Wet Ingredients:

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon canned pumpkin
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
grated zest of 1 orange
1/4 cup fresh orange juice or water
3 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat it to 350.

2. Mix together dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Set aside.

3. In another bowl, with a hand held mixer set at high, mix together wet ingredients until frothy, about 1 -2 minutes.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Using a spoon, stir until just moistened and add in chocolate chips. Stir until no wisps of flour remain, but DO NOT OVERMIX. Spread the batter in the pan using a gentle touch.

4. Bake until the top of the cake springs back when pressed gently in the center and the sides are beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 30 minutes. DO NOT OVERBAKE. Cool in the pan on a wire cake rack and invert. Cool completely. Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar.

Each serving: 124 calories, 3 grams protein, 23 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fat (less than 1 gram saturated), 21 milligrams cholesterol, 71 milligrams sodium

Variation: Apple Spice Walnut Ring

Instead of 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon pumpkin puree, Sarah uses 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened applesauce. Add in 1/2 cup chopped apples, and 1/4 to 1/2 cup toasted and chopped walnuts.

Note: Whole wheat pastry flour is available in supermarkets or in health food stores. It can be mail ordered from: Morgan's Mills, 800-373-2756)

Recipe from The Healthy Oven Baking Book, by Sarah Phillips,
(Doubleday, 1999)