Lose weight with chocolate cake!

National Chocolate Cake Day Monday 27 January 2014

Nobody needs an excuse to eat more cake, but National Chocolate Cake day falls on 27th January 2014 and Contemporary Cakes think it’s the perfect one. Recent research also suggests that you could help burn those unwanted Christmas calories (Yes, really) by eating chocolate cake.

Results from a 32 week study published in the journal Steroids showed that participants who added dessert to their breakfast lost more weight than participants who ate a healthy breakfast. Not only this, they kept off the pounds longer as the high sugar breakfast provides energy for the day and kick’s starts the body’s metabolism, making it crucial for weight loss and maintenance.

Forget the dreaded January diet that looms after Christmas’s overindulgence and make the most out of National Chocolate Cake Day. After all, it is scientifically proven that it can help you lose weight so there is no need to feel guilty!

Contemporary Cake Designs owners, Bee and Xavier have made cakes for the stars including Madonna, Paul McCartney and Pierce Brosnan as well as working in Harrods and the Ivy. They say “We absolutely love Chocolate cake and National Chocolate Cake Day is a great excuse to enjoy one of our mouth watering chocolate cakes. (not that you need one) We make ours with the finest Belgian chocolate and use them to give a modern twist to any event.”

Contemporary Cake Designs’ Chocolate Brownie Cake can be enjoyed at home this National chocolate cake day; simply follow this recipe:

Ingredients

  • 175g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
  • 225g dark chocolate, broken into pieces
  • 200g caster sugar
  • 3 medium eggs, separated
  • 65g plain flour
  • 50g chopped pecan nuts

Method

  1. Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Butter a 20-25cm cake tin and line with greaseproof paper.
  2. Place 175g/6oz of the chocolate, plus the butter and sugar in a heavy-based pan and heat gently until melted, stirring occasionally. Leave to cool.
  3. Whisk the egg yolks into the chocolate mixture, add the flour, nuts and the remaining chocolate.
  4. Whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks, gently, but thoroughly, fold into the chocolate mixture.
  5. Pour into the prepared tin and bake in the centre of the oven for about 35-40 mins until crusty on top. Leave to cool, then run a knife around the sides and remove from the tin.

 

Happy baking!