Ingredients:

• 2 cups almond meal (aka almond flour, or ground almonds)
• 1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 6 tablespoons Splenda, Xylitol® or date sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• Zest of 1 lemon (this sounds like a chore, but it’s very easy to obtain with a carrot grater…)
• 2 cups grated carrots (…since you have the grater out anyway!)
• ½ teaspoon almond extract (natural tastes better than artificial)
• 1/3 cup apple sauce or 2 containers baby prune food
• 8 egg whites (not egg beaters – since you need to whisk into peaks)
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• Topping - 0% Greek yogurt

Preparation:

Combine the first four ingredients in a large bowl. Add zest and stir well, then carrots, almond extract and applesauce (prune puree). Set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk egg whites until soft peaks form. Sprinkle in salt and blend… then sugar, and fold again. Gradually fold the egg whites into carrot-nut mixture and blend well. Pour into a 9 inch springform pan which has been sprayed with Pam and dusted with flour. During this time you will have remembered to turn the oven on to 350, and it will be ready and hot. Bake the torte for 35-40 mins until the center looks done. Do not over bake – best it be a little undercooked (fudgy) than overcooked (hockey puck). Top with a dollop of 0% Greek yogurt (optional: mix in Splenda®, /vanilla extract) before serving.

Notes:

Bear with me – this isn’t as far fetched as it sounds, and if you can eat your veggies while eating chocolate cake – it’s worth a try.