Ingredients
- Frosting
- 1/4 cup reduced-fat cream cheese
- 2 tbsp. light whipped butter or light buttery spread (like I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! Light or Brummel & Brown)
- 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp. powdered sugar
- Cake
- One 15-oz. can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup (about 4 large) egg whites
- 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/3 cup canned pure pumpkin
- 1/4 cup Truvia spoonable calorie-free sweetener (or another no-calorie granulated sweetener that's about twice as sweet as sugar; see HG FYI)
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 2 1/2 tsp. red food coloring (like this all-natural option), or more as needed
- 1 tbsp. mini (or chopped) semi-sweet chocolate chips
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9" round cake pan with foil, and generously spray with nonstick spray.
In a large bowl, combine all frosting ingredients except powdered sugar. With an electric mixer set to medium speed, beat until smooth, 1 - 2 minutes. Continue to beat while gradually adding powdered sugar. Beat until smooth, another 1 - 2 minutes. Cover and refrigerate.
Place all cake ingredients except food coloring and chocolate chips in a food processor. Puree until completely smooth and uniform.
Mix in food coloring. Fold in chocolate chips.
Spread mixture into the baking pan, and smooth out the top.
Bake until a toothpick (or knife) inserted into the center comes out mostly clean, 35 - 40 minutes.
Let cool completely, about 1 hour.
Spread the top of the cake with frosting. Refrigerate leftovers.