Lisa Prince, a marketing specialist and one half of the Got to Be Good Cookin’ weekly recipe segment, will join us on the blog each month with bonus recipes, cooking tips and a behind-the-scenes look at marketing N.C. agricultural products…everything and the kitchen sink.

Lisa Prince

This month on Local Dish I teamed up with WakeMed so we could bring you recipes that focus on eating better and foods that are good for our hearts.  But I also know that sometimes the best intentions can be hard to keep, especially if you have a special occasion to celebrate like Valentine’s Day.  So I asked WakeMed nutritionist Stacey Moretz to send me a recipe for a treat her patients have enjoyed but is still considered good for your heart.  Who says we can’t have our cake and eat it too?

Chocolate Angel Food Cake

1 cup plus ¼ cup granulated sugar

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

½ tsp salt

12 large egg whites

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

1 Tbsp grated orange zest

1/8 cup orange liquor such as triple sec (optional)

1 (3 ½ ounce) dark chocolate bar, grated

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Sift about ¼ cup of the sugar with the flour and salt. Repeat twice. In another bowl, beat egg whites with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until they’re frothy. Add the lemon juice and beat until soft peaks form.Gradually sprinkle the remaining cup of sugar evenly over the egg whites, ¼ cup at a time, while beating at medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes. Sift some of the flour mixture over the whites and gently fold in. Add the vanilla and orange zest. If using liquor, add now. Alternately, fold in the remaining flour mixture and the grated chocolate until well blended, using gentle strokes to avoid deflating the egg whites.

Carefully, pour the batter into an ungreased 1-inch angel food or bundt pan. Bake until the cake is lightly browned, about 40 to 45 minutes, and a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and invert the pan over the neck of a bottle to cool for 30 to 45 minutes. This will hasten the cooking process, as the cake pan will be suspended in the air without resting on the countertop. Run a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen and remove the cake from the pan.

Serves 8:  serving size 1/8 cake

Total calories: 262

Total fat: 4 g

Total carb: 50 g

Sodium: 220 mg