An adaptation of EatingWell's popular Died-and-Went-to-Heaven Chocolate Cake, this recipe is from reader Barr Hogen of San Francisco.

Makes 16 servings

ACTIVE TIME: 25 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 2 hours (including cooling time)

EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy

1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts or walnuts
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened "natural" cocoa powder
1/3 cup whole flaxseeds, ground (see Ingredient notes)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup rice bran oil or canola oil (see Ingredient notes)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup hot water
1/2 cup prune puree (see Tip), prune pie filling or Sunsweet Lighter Bake
1/2 cup chopped bittersweet chocolate or chocolate chips
Confectioners' sugar for dusting

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 12-cup Bundt pan with cooking spray and dust with flour (or use cooking spray with flour).
2. Spread nuts in a small baking pan and bake until golden and fragrant, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool.
3. Whisk flour, granulated sugar, cocoa, ground flaxseeds, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add buttermilk, brown sugar, eggs, oil and vanilla; beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Mix hot water and prune puree (or pie filling or Lighter Bake) in a measuring cup; add to the batter and whisk until incorporated. Fold in chocolate and the nuts with a rubber spatula. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, spreading evenly.
4. Bake the cake until the top springs back when touched lightly and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Turn out onto the rack to cool completely. Dust with confectioners' sugar.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 266 calories; 10 g fat (2 g sat, 4 g mono); 27 mg cholesterol; 44 g carbohydrate; 5 g protein; 2 g fiber; 342 mg sodium.

3 Carbohydrate Servings

Exchanges: 3 other carbohydrate, 2 fat

TIP: Ingredient Notes:
Flaxseeds are one of the best plant sources of omega-3 fatty acids. They provide both soluble fiber, linked to reduced risk of heart disease, and insoluble fiber, which provides valuable roughage. Flaxseeds are perishable, so purchase whole seeds (instead of ground flaxmeal), store in the refrigerator and grind in a clean coffee grinder or dry blender just before using.


Rice bran oil is made from the nutritious bran and germ layers of rice. It has a high smoke point, 490°F, making it an excellent choice for frying, and a delicate flavor, so it is ideal for baking. Look for it in natural-foods stores. For more information, visit www.californiariceoil.com.



Tip: To make prune puree: Combine 6 ounces (1 cup) pitted prunes with 6 tablespoons hot water in a food processor; process until smooth. Makes 1 cup.



Equipment: 12-cup bundt pan

the best desert i have ever had in my life.

mary, los angeles, ca

This is my favourite chocolate cake (without the flax seed). It keeps moist for a long time. I make it in two bread pans and have one in the freezer for emergencies.

Anonymous, Surrey, BC

This is unbelievably good. Moist,dense,chocolaty, intensely flavored-----in short, heavenly!!!!!!

Jackie, Buffalo, NY

A great cake, but I found that the chocolate chips sank to the bottom (which is really the top), and then melted to the pan, which they stuck to, making it so that when I took the cake out, the cake clung, and the bottom (top) ripped off. Any ideas on how to fix this in a way besides letting it cool even longer than the half hour I gave it?

Kira, Berkeley, CA