Dark Chocolate Pumpkin Cake for One (Indulgent Recipe)
PIN IT!When it comes to chocolate, I’m not a good sharer. In fact, I will go out of my way to ensure no one touches my chocolate stashes or chocolate desserts. You remember that Friends episode where Joey blows a date because “Joey doesn’t share food?” Yeah, that’s me with chocolate. Which is why this dark chocolate pumpkin cake for one is so very perfect for me. Oh and it’s not even healthy in the slightest but you know what, a girl needs one cheat day 🙂
With a normal cake, you sort of have to share (or risk a few unwanted pounds by eating all of it). With this? It’s made just for you in a tiny bite size ramekin. Filled with a gooey, molton center and a fabulous pumpkin spice, you may find yourself hoarding three or four of these luscious cakes this fall.
Now, I know that’s slightly stereotypical. “Women obsessed with dark chocolate.” I get it. But there’s a reason we ladies flock to this dark, creamy, decadent elixer of life. Dark chocolate doesn’t just taste good, it’s been scientifically proven to make you feel good too! According to FitDay, there are several componenets of chocolate (such as phenylethylamine (PEA), the chemical your brain releases when you fall in love) that cause it to increase your mood and have a positive effect on your brain. This results in a feeling of euphoria, relaxation and, in turn, happiness!
So therefore, chocolate makes me happy. And a happy wife equals a happy life, am I right? (Ahem, E). What I love most about this recipe is how easy it is. You simply whisk, melt and bake! In just 12 minutes you have an ooey, gooey chocolate pumpkin cake that oozes when you take a bite. It’s absolutely decadent and so worth the extra fat and calories.
Now, I’m not stupid. I know one little cake won’t solve your problems if you’re really struggling with exhaustion, depression or anxiety. (One day I’ll invent a way to make that happen!) For those really struggling with ways to feel Happy, Calm and Focused, check out HCF! Another one of my sponsors (peek over to the right), HCF works to replenish the essential amino acids in our brain that help to make us feel calm, collected and happy! This all-natural brain supplement supports the increase of ‘feel good’ neurotransmitters in our brain very similar to what you would actually find in some foods, like chocolate!
Guys, I made this cake yesterday and I wish I quadroupled the recipe so I could have some for breakfast. I mean, scientifically, chocolate for breakfast would lead to a happier day, right? I’m just going off the science here 🙂
*I’ll be back on Saturday with a skinny dessert to make up for this one!
Dark Chocolate Pumpkin Cake for One
CLICK HERE FOR THE PRINTABLE VERSION OF THIS RECIPE!
Serves 1. Recipe adapted from Joy the Baker.
Prep time: 5 – 8 minutes
Cook time: 12 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cocoa powder, divided
- 4 tablespoons dark chocolate chips
- 1/2 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 tablespoon unsweetened applesauce
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin puree
- 4 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon flour
- Dash of salt
- Walnuts for garnish
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a small ramekin with nonstick cooking spray and dust with cocoa powder. Set aside.
- In a bowl, whisk together the egg, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice and brown sugar. Add a dash of salt. Set aside.
- In a small sauce pan, heat butter, applesauce and chocolate over medium heat until chocolate melts. Remove from pan and pour into the pumpkin mix and stir to combine. Stir in flour and second 1/2 teaspoon of cocoa powder.
- Carefully pour cake into the prepared ramekin. Place the ramekin on a baking sheet and bake for about 12 minutes, or until the cake is slightly puffy. Let cool for about 2 – 5 minutes and then gently flip cake onto a plate (or eat directly from the ramekin). Sprinkle with walnuts and eat immediately!
Nutritional information:
Calories: 477
Fat: 28 grams
Carbohydrates: 42 grams
Fiber: 4.2 grams
Protein: 9 grams
Weight Watchers Points: 11
Claire
Tags:chocolate recipes, dark chocolate recipes, dessert for one recipes, dessert recipes, happy recipes, HCF, pumpkin recipes
Skinny Bitch Tuesdays: Creamy Pumpkin Soup
Be sure to enter the Ninja Giveaway, valued at $200!
All good things have to come to an end sometime. Whether that be your formative college years, your favorite season or an incredible vacation, things just have to end. And friends, the end is here for Skinny Bitch Tuesdays. As sad as I am by endings, I’m absolutely thrilled to share this recipe for creamy pumpkin soup with you. It’s not only my favorite from the series, but represents my “going out big” mentality.
Now, like most of the other recipes, I changed this one up quite a bit. Like Jennifer, I’m not a huge fan of overly sweet soups and I’m on a bit of a savory pumpkin kick (here’s the chili and mac n’ cheese to prove it). So I left out the sugar and added sage. I also think my use of homemade pumpkin puree took turned this soup from good to absolutely mind-blowing. My friend Jackie did an amazing tutorial on how to roast & puree your own pumpkin, so check it out, do it and make this soup.
Another ingredient that blew this soup out of the water was the goat cheese. I’ll be honest, I just know I couldn’t live without goat cheese. I’m sure if I had to (someone was holding a gun to my head), I would. But not in my normal pleasure seeking life. In this soup, it adds such a incredible depth of flavor and creaminess. Pumpkin soup is amazing on it’s own, but when you add cheese, well…that just takes it to a whole new level.
Remember how I said I liked to “go out big?” (As if an amazing recipe of creamy pumpkin soup wasn’t enough). Well, so do my beautiful friends Jennifer, Stephanie and Michelle. So, we decided to share the love of Skinny Bitch and celebrate the end by hosting a little giveaway! Each of us is giving away a copy of Kim’s fabulous vegan cookbook! That’s 4 different ways to enter and 4 different blogs to win it on! Just scroll on down to the bottom of the post to enter!
When you think about endings, you can’t help but feel sad. And maybe that’s why Stephanie chose such a comforting, warm soup to wrap up our series. Something to warm our hearts and give us something cozy to remember, a nostalgic soup that’ll make us smile. And on this chilly, dark and dreary second day of October, I couldn’t imagine wanting to eat anything else.
Creamy Pumpkin Soup
CLICK HERE FOR THE PRINTABLE VERSION OF THIS RECIPE!
Serves about 5. Recipe adapted from Skinny Bitch.
Prep time: About 15 minutes
Cook time: About 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup chopped red onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/4 tablespoons water
- 2 cups fresh pumpkin puree (use this recipe)
- 1/2 cup light cream
- 1/4 cup milk
- 2 1/2 tablespoons sage
- Salt and pepper
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 2 – 2.5 ounces of soft goat cheese (or any cheese you’d prefer)
Directions:
- In a large pot, heat butter over medium high heat. Add onions and cook about 2 minutes. Add in garlic and cook another 2 – 3 minutes, or until fragrant. Add in broth and water and bring to a boil. Once mixture is boiling, stir in pumpkin puree. (Mixture will be thick, don’t worry). Add sage, salt and pepper; heat for about 2 – 3 minutes, or until pumpkin has smoothed out into the broth.
- Pour mixture into the base of a food processor. Blend on low until smooth. While blending, carefully pour in light cream and milk. Once blended, add in chunks of the goat cheese. Blend until mixture is completely smooth. (Add additional goat cheese to taste).
- Stir in pumpkin pie spice and additional salt and pepper to taste.
Nutritional information per 1 cup serving:
Calories: 154.8
Fat: 9 grams
Carbohydrates: 8.4 grams
Fiber: 3.8 grams
Protein: 5.6 grams
Weight Watchers Points: 4
GIVEAWAY! Just fill in the prompts below. And be sure to visit Jennifer (Peanut Butter and Peppers), Stephanie (Eat, Drink, Love) and Michelle (The Healthy Bites) for extra chances to win! And leave them some pumpkin love too!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Hello Fresh Salmon with New Potatoes
As a food blogger and recipe creator, I rarely eat the same meal twice. In fact, once I make something, it’s usually crossed of my list of “things to make” and I never make it again. Well, that is unless it is really, really good. Like so good I clear my plate in less than 2 minutes and immediately look to my husbands plate to poach the remainder of his dinner. Well, friends, I have a secret. This Hello Fresh inspired salmon dish with new potatoes? It’s one of those dishes.
And surprise, I didn’t even pretend to come up with the recipe or the preparation time. In fact, I didn’t even buy the ingredients.
No, I don’t have superpowers that allow me to blink and have such a delicious dish appear in front of me. Instead, I had the help of the amazing people at Hello Fresh. Which if you peer slightly over to the right, you will see they are also an October sponsor! So, be sure to check them out on Facebook and Twitter, and enter code Nutrition30 at check out to get 30% off your first box!
Honestly, CSAs aside, I don’t usually flock to home food delivery. For one, I like to create new recipes with things I buy. And two, I always assume the food is going to be sup-par. Seriously guys, Hello Fresh completely blew me away. As soon as I got the package and unloaded the salmon recipe & ingredients, I was shocked at how fresh, crisp and beautiful they were!
The tomatoes were plump and juicy, the green beans crisp and crunchy and the salmon an absolute gorgeous shade of pinky orange with perfect marbling. What I really love about Hello Fresh is that they include EVERYTHING in your box (including a picture step by step instruction brochure which you can see in the above photo on the left). And I don’t just mean “here’s the main stuff, you provide salt, broth and oil”. They include everything you need, soup to nuts, including packages of salt, pepper and a bit of olive oil. All you need to make this stunning dish is a pan and then a fork to eat it.
When I was first talking to the lovely Sarah with the PR group who represents them, I was in awe and had a “why didn’t I think of that!” moment. This box is not necessarily meant for advanced cooks or budding chefs, but is perfect for people who work all day long but don’t want to eat out every night. Perfect for those people who crave a home cooked meal but have no idea where to start. This gives you the tools and the help to learn to cook while giving you access to super fresh food.
Pretty neat, right? The company started in NYC and is trying to branch out all over the world. If you’re a busy person with a demanding job or family life, I think it’s completely worth checking out. Plus, the amazing folks at Hello Fresh are offering my readers a 30% off discount! Just enter Nutrition30 at check-out! Plans start at just $69 a week for 3 meals, so it’s actually a really affordable idea since it includes EVERYTHING to make fabulously inspired dishes like chicken jalapeño stew and duck salad and, of course, this amazing salmon dish.
I wish I had this right now. Yes, I know it’s 8:30 am and eating salmon that early is often frowned upon. Well, nay-sayers, it’s just because you haven’t had THIS salmon. You’d want to eat it at 8:30 am too. So make it tonight for dinner. And invite me over. I’ll bring the wine!
Baked Salmon with Baby New Potatoes
CLICK HERE FOR THE PRINTABLE VERSION OF THIS RECIPE!
Serves 2. Recipe provided by Hello Fresh.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: About 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 four – five ounce salmon fillets
- 5 baby new potatoes
- 4 ounces (1/2 cup) of green beans
- 2 cloves garlic
- 3.5 ounces (about 8) cherry tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/3 cup fresh basil
- Rock or sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
- Crushed black pepper
- Parmesan for garnish
Directions:
- Heat a pot of water over medium high heat. Add a dash of salt to the water as it boils. Place potatoes into the water and let boil for about 15 minutes, or until soft.
- While potatoes boil, preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a cooking sheet with foil and lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle each salmon fillet with pepper and rock salt. Place fillets on the foil. Drizzle with about 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Bake on the top shelf for about 8 minutes for a moist, flaky salmon. If you like yours a little more well done, cook an addition 2 minutes.
- While salmon bakes, heat olive oil in a medium pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add in cherry tomatoes and rock salt. Heat until tomatoes have nicely softened up. Add in basil and cook just 1 – 2 minutes, or until slightly wilted. Remove from heat.
- Add green beans to the boiling water over the potatoes. Heat about 5 more minutes, or until green beans are soft with a bit of a crunch. Drain and drizzle beans with about 1/2 teaspoon olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Cut potatoes into fourths and season with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Serve salmon with the cherry basil compote on top with freshly grated Parmesan and enjoy!
Nutritional information per serving:
Fat: 15 grams
Carbohydrates: 30 grams
Fiber: 3.5 grams
Protein: 33 grams
Weight Watchers Points: 10
Gluten-free Caramelized Onion Dip & A Ninja Giveaway
True of false, I almost wrote the title to say “caramelized onidip.” Can you tell it’s Friday and my brain is mush? I normally love Fridays but I’m a little sad today; Skinny Tailgate Week is over! 🙁 But, no need to shed tears because we are throwing it one helluva goodbye party! For one, I sharing a recipe for one of my FAVORITE game-day recipes, a low-fat caramelized onion dip. Two, I’m giving away one sexy appliance, the new Ninja cooking system!
Before we talk about the best giveaway ever, I need you to gawk at the dip. Stare at it, revel in it’s chunky deliciousness. Picture yourself eating it with a spoon directly out of the crock pot at midnight when you should be going to bed and right after you brushed your teeth. I mean, that didn’t happen here.
I’ve been making this dip LONG before I had a blog. I know, shocking right? I’m pretty sure it was the only thing I knew how to make besides my mom’s famous salad and boxed mac n’ cheese. But I’ve never made it in a crock pot before. Crock pots = my new drug and I’m not quitting it anytime soon. Especially now that I’ve introduced a new sexy pot to my fleet, the Ninja Cooking System!
This thing is the bomb.com. Yes, I said it. It’s unlike any other crock pot before it. For one, it has a stove top AND an oven setting. So for this recipe, I just tossed the onions in the pot, turned on the stove top setting to medium and let them caramelize to utter perfection.
THEN, I added the Chobani, light mayo, cream cheese, mozzarella cheese and goat cheese and clicked the “slow cook” setting and let the flavors burst together and the cheese melt until it was bubbling and begging to be eaten. THEN, guess what, I ATE IT! With a spoon.
At some absurd hour because I can’t sleep anymore and the wafting aroma of caramelized onions was dancing in my nostrils. This dip is SO easy to make, whether you use a magical Ninja pot or not. It’s so decadent but doesn’t have the fat or calories to make it sinful.(Typical onion dip has 8 grams of fat per serving!) It’s also great warm, chilled or room temperature. Paired with these amazing rice crackers, vegetables or pretzels, it makes an awesome naturally gluten-free dipping snack while you watch the game.
Just DO NOT sit in front of it, next to it or beside it. You will eat the entire thing. And then you’ll blame me for your pants not fitting and write me an angry email telling me that. And y’all, I’m not down with that.
Gluten-free Caramelized Onion Dip
CLICK HERE FOR THE PRINTABLE VERSION OF THIS RECIPE!
Serves about 16. Recipe adapted from Savour-Fare.
Prep time: About 15 minutes
Cook time: About 4 hours
Ingredients:
- 3 cups chopped onions
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 6 ounces low fat cream cheese
- 1 cup part skim mozzarella cheese
- 1/3 cup soft goat cheese
- 4 tablespoons low fat mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup Chobani plain greek yogurt (nonfat or 2%)
- Salt and pepper
- Pinch of garlic salt
Directions:
- IF YOU HAVE A NINJA SYSTEM: Heat the stove top setting to medium and melt your butter. Add in your onions and heat until fragrant. Reduce the heat to low and cook for about 15 minutes, or until onions are caramelized. Remove onions from pot and place in a bowl. Set the slow cooker setting to low and add in salt, pepper, garlic salt, mozzarella cheese, goat cheese, Chobani, mayo and low-fat cream cheese. Heat for about 2 hours, or until mixture is bubbly and gooey. Stir in caramelized onions and heat another 10 – 15 minutes. Serve warm with rice crackers!
- IF YOU ARE USING A REGULAR CROCK POT: Heat your setting to low. Add onions and butter and cook for about 6 – 8 hours, or until onions are completely caramelized. Remove from slow cooker, add in cheeses, yogurt and mayo and heat about 2 – 3 hours or until bubbly. Stir in onions and enjoy!
- IF YOU ARE BAKING IT: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat butter in a large pan. Add onions and cook on medium high heat for about 2 -3 minutes. Reduce heat to low and cook about 15 minutes, or until onions are completely caramelized. Meanwhile, mix yogurt, mayo, goat cheese, mozzarella and cream cheese together. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour into a greased baking dish. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until cheese starts to melt. Stir in onions and bake another 5 – 8 minutes, or until bubbly. Serve warm.
Nutritional information per 2 tablespoons:
Calories: 95.6
Fat: 6 grams
Carbohydrates: 4.8
Fiber: 1 gram
Protein: 6.8
Weight Watchers Points: 3
NOW, THE FUN GIVEAWAY PART! Because I think y’all are super awesome people and should all have an amazing Ninja in the kitchen, I’m giving one lucky reader just that! The amazing folks at Ninja have graciously offered to give one of my fabulous readers a Ninja Cooking System for fraeeeee!
So how on earth can you win one of these amazing Ninja 3-in-1 cooking systems? Simple! Enter the prompts below (be sure to do the extra stuff for an extra entry!) Good luck! This giveaway is only open to US residents and ends Friday, October 5th at midnight.
Light Beer & Berry Cocktails
Can you believe this week is almost over? If you’re new, be sure to check out the skinny slaw from day one, the bellini bars from day two and the crock pot chicken wings from day three to catch up on some seriously light tailgating snacks! I’m a little sad, I’ve had fun sharing some of my favorite skinny recipes with you! But, let’s not cry yet okay? Instead, let’s drink a light beer & berry cocktail instead to combat our sorrows!
Now doesn’t that just look LUSCIOUS? Trust friends, it is. And you know what the best part about this delicious looking cocktail is? It’s so easy to make! Just mix, pour and garnish and walah! You have yourself a pretty (and classy) way to enjoy your favorite brew. You know another secret to this pretty little drink? It also has champagne AND lemonade!
Seriously, it’s flipping awesome. Fizzy, bubbly and fruity, with just the right amount of tangy lemonade. Paired with chunks of raspberries it’s absolutely delightful. Or, if you hate raspberries, you can add in sliced strawberries for the same delicious effect.
Isn’t it just the prettiest drink you ever did see? Because of the added fruit, lemonade and champagne, this feels about 100x lighter too. I love beer but it feels so heavy when you drink it. Which is why I love to lighten it up a bit with fruit and bubbly!
If you’re worried about the men folk at your tailgate or football party, don’t! My husband practically chugged the pitcher of this stuff without batting an eyelash. I mean, there’s beer in there, that’s manly enough, right?
For the delicious recipe, check out this recipe here on Fabulous Foods! Sub your favorite fruit and enjoy! DON’T FORGET TO ADD IN YOUR FAVORITE SKINNY SNACKS BELOW!
Nutritional information per glass (about 6 ounces)
Calories: 111.25
Fat: 0 grams
Carbohydrates: 13.75
Fiber: 0.5 grams
Protein: 1.25
Weight Watchers Points: 3.5
