This week I came across a recipe for Milo Muffins.  Aaaahh, there’s a key word in there……Milo!  What kid doesn’t love Milo?  And they did, they loved them.  I’m just not sure if they loved them because they saw me add 1 1/2 Cups of Milo (I need to make a double batch if I want a decent stash), or if they loved them because they tasted great.

They tasted like Milo, but personally, I found them to be a little dry.  Don’t get me wrong, I have kept the recipe and may just whip them up again if I’m in a pinch, after all, the kids ate them, and maybe they could be saved by adding some choc-chips.  But, let’s face it, they’re not the healthiest option and certainly not the most economical (1 1/2 cups of Milo vs. 1/2 cup of Cocoa).  Do you know how many teaspoons of Milo make up 1 1/2 cups?  Neither do I, and I don’t want to think about it.

So, I searched through my recipe files for another option, and I remembered this recipe for Wicked Chocolate Cake by Annette Sym.  No, I am not going to publish every recipe in her book and put her out of business.  About 11 years ago she appeared on one of my favourite cooking shows, and this is the recipe from that show.  Back then I had no idea I would have a child with Type 1 Diabetes, but I tried the recipe and we have been making it ever since. 

 I have even made it in muffin tins, which makes it super easy to pop in a lunch box and to calculate the carbs. in each serve.  e.g. If the recipe’s Nutritional Info. says that there are 32.0 carbs. per slice and the cake makes 12 slices, you multiply 32 by 12 giving you a total of  384 carbs. in the whole cake.  Then if you made 14 muffins out of the recipe you would divide 384 by 14 giving you 27.4 (round down to 27) carbs. per muffin.  Easy! 

Wicked Chocolate Cake

Serves:  12

Ingredients:

Cake

3/4 Cup Caster Sugar

4 Tbl. (60g) Flora Light margarine

3/4 Cup Boiling Water

1 1/4 Cups Self-Raising Flour

1/2 tsp. Bicarb Soda

1/4 Cup Cocoa

2 Egg Whites

Cooking Spray or Grease-Proof Paper

Icing

3/4 Cup Icing Sugar

1 Tbl. Cocoa

1-1 1/2 Tbl. Skim Milk

Method:

In a medium size mixing bowl completely dissolve sugar and margarine in boiling water. 

 Sift flour, bicarb soda and cocoa into bowl in one go, using an electric beater beat together 1 minute, add egg whites and beat 30 seconds more.  Pour batter into your prepared baking tin.

You could use cooking spray, but I line a loaf tin with baking paper and bake in the oven at 180C for approximately 30 minutes.  Annette coats a microwave round ring dish (6 cup) and places it in the centre of the microwave.  For a 650 watt cook 6 minutes on HIGH.  For a 1000 watt cook 4 minutes on HIGH.  For a 1200 watt cook 3 minutes 40 seconds on HIGH.  Leave in microwave 2 minutes then remove, turn out on cake rack to cool.

Once the cake has cooled, place all icing ingredients into a small mixing bowl and combine well.  Spread icing evenly over the top of the cake.

LunchBox Tips….

Nutritional Information (per slice): 

                                                                           ICED            WITHOUT ICING

Fat     Total                                                     3.0g                      2.9g

            Saturated                                            0.7g                     0.7g

Fibre                                                                 0.7g                     0.6g

Protein                                                             2.5g                      2.4g

Carbs                                                               32.0g                   23.2g

Sugar                                                               21.2g                    12.6g

Sodium                                                          160mg                 157mg

Kilojules                                          676 (cals 161)   531 (cals 126)

GI Rating                                                   Medium              Medium

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