GERMAN CHOCOLATE BUNDT CAKE The cake takes its name from Samuel German, an American who created a mild, dark baking-chocolate bar for Walter Baker & Co., in 1852. The bar was named "Baker's German's Sweet Chocolate" in his honor. In most recipes and products today, the apostrophe and the "s" have been dropped, thus giving a false impression of the chocolate's origin. STREUSEL: 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 2 tablespoons chilled butter or stick margarine, cut into small pieces 1/3 cup flaked unsweetened coconut 1/3 cup chopped pecans CAKE: Cooking spray 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa 1 ounce sweet baking chocolate 1/2 cup boiling water 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 1/3 cup butter or stick margarine, softened 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 large egg whites 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup low-fat buttermilk GLAZE: 1 cup powdered sugar 1 tablespoon butter or stick margarine 4 teaspoons fat-free milk

Preheat oven to 325°F.

To prepare streusel, lightly spoon 1/4 cup flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine 1/4 cup flour and brown sugar in a small bowl; cut in 2 tablespoons butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in coconut and pecans.

To prepare cake, coat a 12-cup Bundt pan with cooking spray; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon granulated sugar. Set aside. Combine cocoa and baking chocolate in a small bowl; add boiling water, stirring until chocolate melts. Set aside.

Combine 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar and 1/3 cup butter at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended (about 5 minutes). Add vanilla and egg whites, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Lightly spoon 2 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 2 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, stirring well with a whisk. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in cocoa mixture. Spoon half of batter into prepared pan; top with streusel. Spoon remaining batter over streusel. Bake at 325°F for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes; remove from pan. Cool completely.

To prepare glaze, combine powdered sugar and butter in a small bowl. Add milk; stir with a whisk. Drizzle over cake.

Serves 16.

1 Serving - 1 Wedge: Calories: 302 (Cal. from fat: 29%), Fat: 9.8g (Saturated: 6.3g), Cholesterol: 16mg, Sodium: 224mg, Carbohydrate: 58g, Protein: 3.8g.

[Cooking Light, September 2000]