Gino D'Acampo's low-fat chocolate and pineapple cake recipe

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Thought there was no such thing as low-fat cake? Well, this low-fat chocolate and pineapple cake from Italian chef Gino D'Acampo is going to prove you wrong.

Gino D'Acampo's low-fat chocolate and pineapple cake
Serves8
SkillEasy
Preparation Time10 mins
Cooking Time25 mins (plus cooling time)
Total Time35 mins
Cost RangeCheap
By
last updated
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This low-fat chocolate and pineapple cake is a game-changer - it's light and fluffy and delicious, and lower fat than a regular chocolate cake. 

If you usually opt for a chocolate tart or brownie, this is a great alternative that won't wreck you healthy eating regime. Tinned pineapples are brilliant on a cake because they are so sweet and juicy, and add an extra kick of moistness, which can sometimes be missing from a low-fat version of a cake. This recipe makes a cake to serve 8 people, and it's really quick to do - you can probably have the whole thing done and dusted in less than an hour, including cooling time. 

Ingredients

  • 150g low fat-spread plus extra for greasing
  • 130g caster sugar
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1½ tsp baking powder
  • 2 medium eggs
  • 100g self-raising flour
  • 3 tbsp cocoa powder
  • 230g canned pineapple pieces in natural juice
  • 130g low-fat thick natural yogurt
  • 1 tbsp icing sugar
  • 1 chocolate flake, crushed, for decoration

WEIGHT CONVERTER

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Method

  1. Lightly grease a 20cm square cake tin and line the base and sides with greaseproof paper.
  2. Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas Mark 5.
  3. Put the spread, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder and eggs in a large bowl. Sift over the flour and cocoa powder. Beat with an electric whisk until the mixture is smooth.
  4. Pour the cake mixture into the prepared tin and level the surface.
  5. Bake in the middle of the oven for 25 minutes. Leave to cool slightly in the tin before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
  6. Drain the pineapple pieces well, reserve a quarter of them on a plate and place the rest in a medium bowl. Pour over the yogurt, sift in the icing sugar and gently fold everything together.
  7. Spoon the pineapple mixture over the chocolate sponge and decorate the top with the reserved pineapple pieces.
  8. Sprinkle over the crushed chocolate and enjoy.

Top tip for making Gino D'Acampo's low-fat chocolate and pineapple cake

You can use canned peaches instead of pineapple if you prefer

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Gino D’Acampo
Gino D’Acampo is a much-loved, cheeky TV chef who often appears on ITV’s popular daytime chat show This Morning. Born into a large family in Napoli, Italy, Gino’s been working in kitchens since he was young and fell in love with the industry age 11 when he walked into his grandfather’s restaurant. Gino’s Italian heritage has a huge influence on his recipes. From a classic margherita pizza to a four-cheese macaroni cheese with peas, we’re sure to have a Gino D’Acampo recipe your whole family will love! With three children of his own it is perhaps no surprise that so many of Gino’s recipes are perfect for the hustle and bustle of a busy home. As well as regularly appearing on This Morning to share his culinary skills and the odd cheeky joke or two, Gino has also had several TV shows of his own including most recently Gino’s Italian Coastal Escape which aired in November 2018 on ITV. He also won over much of the nation back in 2009 when he was crowned winner of I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here. Gino has several best-selling cookbooks out including Gino’s Pasta, Home Baking and Gino’s Italian Escape. At the heart of all of his recipes is the belief that good ingredients can speak for themselves. On his website Gino explains: ‘My grandfather said that a good recipe doesn’t need lots and lots of ingredients because if the ingredients are top quality and full of flavour, why would you want to cover up or change their taste