Healthy Whole Wheat Chocolate Cake
If you need a chocolate cake for a coming celebration, then I have the recipe for you! This healthy chocolate cake is deliciously chocolatey and rich tasting- but much healthier than most recipes! I’ve used all my favorite recipe-lightening tricks from my days working in the EatingWell Test Kitchen to give this recipe classic chocolate cake taste with a fraction of the calories! Read on to find out how I healthified it without skimping on texture or flavor!
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love This Healthy Chocolate Cake
Having a go-to chocolate cake recipe you can return to is a must for any home cook! When it comes to family celebrations, holidays and birthdays you cannot go wrong with chocolate cake! It is always appropriate, makes everyone happy, and is easy to serve to a crowd. Well, you’ve just found the recipe that’ll become your go-to. It is rich, moist, fluffy, and oh-so chocolatey! But don’t worry- it won’t set you back in your healthy eating goals.
Recipe Highlights
- It is 100% whole grain
- Made with applesauce to make it lower fat and ultra moist
- No butter
- Uses whole food ingredients (no additives, boxes, packages, flavorings or colorings)
- Serves a crowd
- No layers, so the assembly is easy!
- The frosting is the most delicious whipped chocolate ganache- and a little goes a long way!
- Healthy Seasonal Recipes Chocolate Cake: 309 calories, 21 g sugar
- Traditional Chocolate Cake: 424 calories, 44 g sugar
Whole Wheat Chocolate Cake Ingredients
- Whole wheat flour: Instead of all-purpose flour we use whole wheat flour or if you happen to have it on hand you can use white whole-wheat flour which has a lighter flavor and less pronounced wheaty taste.
- Cocoa powder: I used Giradelli cocoa powder because it has rich flavor and nice deep color to really make the cake a deep chocolate brown color.
- Baking Essentials: baking powder, baking soda, vanilla extract and salt
- Granulated Sugar: For the best texture and no lingering additional flavors I recommend granulated white sugar. You can use Organic sugar if you prefer.
- Oil: Use a neutral cooking oil of your choice. I use either avocado oil or canola oil interchangeably. In the testing process I found that using enough oil helped to achieve the ultimate chocolate cake texture. When I lowered it to a half cup, the cake had a spongey fat-free Snackwells quality (a no-go for this chocolate cake lover!)
- Eggs: Another discovery in testing this recipe was adding an extra egg (3 large eggs total) really helped to make the cake fluffy and helped lighten the whole wheat.
- Unsweetened applesauce: One of my favorite old-school healthy recipe hacks from my test kitchen days is to use applesauce in place of some of the fat. Thanks to this sneaky addition, I was able to get away with using only 3/4 cup oil total for the cake batter! BTW, our Healthy Flourless Chocolate Cake recipe uses pureed prunes in a similar way and it pairs beautifully with the chocolate taste.
- Espresso powder: During the testing process I found adding a touch of espresso powder really helped to boost the chocolate flavor without adding additional calories. Win!
- Chocolate: You’ll need a total of about 12 ounces of dark chocolate chips. For the cake batter, you’ll need 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips which weighs about 5 oz. For the frosting, you’ll also need 1 cup of chips too (6.2 oz.) Look for premium chocolate chips like Guittard, Giradelli or Hershey’s Speical Dark. Feel free to use chopped chocolate instead of chips.
- Milk: For the cake batter- this helps to lighten the crumb. You can also use buttermilk if you happen to have it on hand or cream for a richer result.
- Half and half: For the whipped chocolate ganache frosting you’ll need ½ cup half and half to melt the chocolate
- Agave: To stabilize the ganache frosting you need a touch of invert sugar like agave or corn syrup. I find the frosting sets faster when using the corn syrup but both work great.
How To Make Chocolate Cake Healthy
Step 1: Begin by preheating your oven to 325°F and prepare a 9×13-inch baking pan with a coating of cooking spray to prevent sticking. Line with parchment, leaving a handle overhanging the edges of the pan, to make it easy to lift the cake out of the pan.
Step 2: Next, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl to remove any lumps and ensure everything is well mixed.
Step 3: In another bowl, beat the sugar, oil, eggs, applesauce, vanilla, and espresso powder until the mixture becomes smooth and well-blended. Place five ounces of the chocolate in a small microwave-safe container. Microwave it in 30-second bursts, stirring between each round, until the chips are mostly melted. Let the chocolate sit, stirring often until completely melted. Slowly add the melted chocolate, beating on low speed until it’s fully combined.
Step 4: Now, stir in half of the flour mixture by hand until just moistened, followed by the milk. Once that’s mixed in, add the rest of the flour mixture, stirring until just smooth.
Step 5: Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spreading it evenly. Bake for 27 to 29 minutes, or until the cake rises slightly, and a toothpick inserted comes out with a few moist crumbs. Allow the cake to cool completely.
Step 6: To make the whipped chocolate ganache frosting, heat the half-and-half with either the agave or the corn syrup in a small saucepan over medium until it just starts to simmer, or microwave it for one minute. Pour this hot cream over the chocolate chips in a bowl, stirring until smooth and glossy.
Step 7: Place the bowl with the melted chocolate ganache in a larger bowl filled with ice water. Beat with a hand mixer until it lightens in color and develops a fluffy, whipped texture.
Step 8: Once the ganache is ready, spread it over the cooled cake with an offset spatula. Refrigerate to set, but let the cake come to room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving to enjoy its full flavor and texture.
Make Ahead, Storage And Freezing
- Make Ahead: The frosted cake can be made up to 12 hours in advance. It is fine at room temperature (70 degrees) but do not leave in the hot sun or the frosting will melt! You can also refrigerate it, but make sure to bring it to room temperature for at least an hour before serving. The unfrosted cake can be made up to 24 hours ahead. Wrap the pan tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate.
- Freezing: You can freeze the unfrosted cake. For best results, remove it from the pan (using the parchment handles) then freeze it on a baking sheet until it is firm enough to handle, then wrap it well in plastic wrap and foil. Or if you have an extra large ziplock freezer bag you can slide it into that. Just make sure to press out any air to help prevent freezer burn. Freeze up to 8 weeks.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve with a light Vanilla Ice Cream, raspberry sorbet or any ice cream you like to pair with chocolate.
- Serve with dessert sauces like our Salted Caramel Sauce or Strawberry Coulis or Blueberry Coulis.
Ways To Decorate Chocolate Cake
There are more ways to decorate chocolate cake than I can cover here but here are some fun topping ideas:
- Make your own colored icing (or buy pre-made) in your school colors, and pipe in alternating lines across the top. This is perfect for a bake sale or team event!
- My kids always have loved colorful sprinkles and candies (there are several naturally colored ones on the market)
- Chocolate curls are always a classic way to give the chocolate cake a more festive look
- Edible flowers when in season are a no-calorie way to decorate a healthy cake
- Top the cake with fresh berries. Another way to add natural color is to crush freeze-dried berries and sprinkle it on top
- Buy chocolate wafer cookies and crumble them (smash them in a re-sealable bag) then sprinkle along the edges of the cake.
Variations To Try
- Make it Dairy Free: Use a plant based milk in the cake batter (try unsweetened almond milk.) Instead of the whipped chocolate ganache, use our 7-Minute Maple Frosting.
- Make it Gluten Free: Sub in a high-quality 1:1 gluten-free flour blend, such as King Arthur Flour Measure-For-Measure.
- Peppermint Chocolate Cake: Add 2 teaspoons of peppermint extract and decorate the cake with crushed candy canes or Junior Mints and sprigs of fresh mint leaves.
- Use Pumpkin Instead of Applesauce: I have also tested this with pumpkin puree instead of applesauce. Homemade pumpkin puree or store-bought would work. You could play up the theme by also adding a couple teaspoons of Pumpkin Pie Spice and decorating in fall colored nonpareils.
FAQs for this recipe
Yes! Line your muffin tin with paper cupcake liners. Divide the cake batter among the cups, filling almost to the top but not overflowing. Bake and test for doneness after about 15 minutes. The cupcakes should be lightly domed and spring back to the touch. Read more here.
Yes you can, however there is not enough frosting to frost the cake when assembled this way. You can either use another frosting recipe or double ours. For best results cut the parchment into rounds trimmed to fit into the bottom of the round cake pans. To bake the cake, simply divide the batter among two cake pans and bake until just puffed and set up. Depending on your pans, the cake will bake for about 25% less time.
More Healthy Cake Recipes
At Healthy Seasonal Recipes, we specialize in cooking with fresh veggies and creating weeknight meals. Sign up HERE to get more produce-forward dinner ideas for FREE! If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought! Happy Cooking! ~Katie
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Healthy Chocolate Cake Recipe
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 16 slices 1x
Description
You’ve just found your go-to chocolate cake recipe! It is rich, moist, fluffy, and oh-so chocolatey! But it won’t set you back in your healthy eating goals. It is 100% whole grain, lower in sugar and only 309 calories per slice!
Ingredients
For The Cake
- 1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour or white whole-wheat flour
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder, sifted
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, sifted
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup cooking oil such as avocado oil or canola oil
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 1/4 cup applesauce
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder, optional
- 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips (5 oz), melted and cooled slightly
- 1/2 cup milk, buttermilk or cream
Whipped Chocolate Ganache Frosting
- 1/2 cup half and half
- 1 tablespoon agave or corn syrup
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips (6.2 oz)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Coat a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Line with a single sheet of parchment, trimmed to fit, allowing the sides to hang over like handles.
- Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.
- Beat sugar, oil, eggs, applesauce, vanilla and espresso powder in a medium bowl until smooth.
- Gradually beat in 5 ounces of melted chocolate and beat on low speed until completely incorporated.
- Add half of the flour mixture, and stir by hand until just moistened. Add milk and stir to combine. Add the remaining flour and stir by hand until smooth.
- Spread batter into the pan.
- Bake until the cake is lightly domed and a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs attached, 27 to 29 minutes. Let cool completely.
- Heat half and half and agave or corn syrup in a small saucepan over medium until it starts to simmer or microwave on high for 1 minute in a glass measuring cup. Place 1 cup chocolate chips in a medium metal bowl and pour the steaming hot cream over the chocolate chips. Stir constantly until smooth and shiny.
- Fill a large bowl with ice and water. Place the bowl of melted chocolate ganache on the ice bath and beat with a handheld mixer on high until it is light in color and has a whipped fluffy texture like frosting, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Spread the ganache over the cake with an offset spatula and refrigerate to let it set. Keep refrigerated but allow the cake to come to room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving. It is best at room temperature.
Notes
Tip* to melt chocolate for step 4: place chocolate in a small microwave-safe container. Microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring between each round, until mostly melted. Let sit, stirring often until completely melted.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 27 minutes
- Category: dessert
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/16th cake
- Calories: 309
- Sugar: 21 g
- Sodium: 194 mg
- Fat: 21 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 4 g
