While cake mixes may be the easiest option for a home-baked cake, they often contain hydrogenated fats. By making this simple “scratch” cake, you can use healthful canola oil, incorporate whole-wheat flour and opt for a no-calorie sweetener, if you like.

Makes 12 servings

ACTIVE TIME: 25 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 1 hour 5 minutes

EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole-wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup sugar or 1/4 cup Splenda Sugar Blend for Baking (see Ingredient notes)
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buttermilk or equivalent buttermilk powder (see Ingredient notes)
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar or 1/4 cup Splenda Sugar Blend for Baking (see Ingredient notes)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup hot strong black coffee
Confectioners' sugar for dusting

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-inch round cake pan with cooking spray. Line the pan with a circle of wax paper.
2. Whisk flour, granulated sugar (or Splenda), cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Add buttermilk, brown sugar (or Splenda), egg, oil and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add hot coffee and beat to blend. (The batter will be quite thin.) Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
3. Bake the cake until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes; remove from the pan, peel off the wax paper and let cool completely. Dust the top with confectioners' sugar before slicing.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 134 calories; 3 g fat (1 g sat, 2 g mono); 18 mg cholesterol; 25 g carbohydrate; 2 g protein; 2 g fiber; 211 mg sodium.

1 1/2 Carbohydrate Servings

Exchanges

1 1/2 other carbohydrate

Per serving with splenda

1 Carbohydrate Serving

112 calories, 17 g carbohydrate

TIP: Ingredient Notes: Substituting with Splenda: In the EatingWell Test Kitchen, sucralose is the only alternative sweetener we test with when we feel the option is appropriate. For nonbaking recipes, we use Splenda Granular (boxed, not in a packet). For baking, we use Splenda Sugar Blend for Baking, a mix of sugar and sucralose. It can be substituted in recipes (1/2 cup of the blend for each 1 cup of sugar) to reduce sugar calories by half while maintaining some of the baking properties of sugar. If you make a similar blend with half sugar and half Splenda Granular, substitute this homemade mixture cup for cup.

When choosing any low- or no-calorie sweetener, be sure to check the label to make sure it is suitable for your intended use.

You can use buttermilk powder in place of fresh buttermilk. Or make "sour milk": mix 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup milk.

The cake is delicious! BUT the center did not rise. A friend also made this cake over the weekend and had the same problem. What is the problem?

Judy Finney, Mercer, PA