This Healthy Chocolate Cake is made healthier with whole wheat flour, maple syrup, yogurt and covered in vegan 4 ingredient frosting. It is moist, easy and is every chocolate lover’s dream!
You may also enjoy this almond flour chocolate cake and healthy birthday cake.
This healthy chocolate cake is moist, fluffy and not overly sweet. I based it on a Greek yogurt cake (originally made with sour cream) I grew up with in Ukraine.
I think you will love it!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy recipe: If you are “not a baker”, this recipe is for you. The process and ingredients list couldn’t be more simple!
- Healthier: Made with more nutritious whole wheat flour, maple syrup and yogurt. Also light on oil and contains no butter.
- Right texture: Moist and fluffy with a tender crumb.
- Not overly sweet: And delicious!
Reader’s Review
I have to admit I’m writing this review as I indulged in this delicious, moist cake. It is a winner in our entire household – me, my husband, and little boys love it. You almost can’t tell it’s healthy. Hands down the best healthy chocolate cake I’ve tried, and trust me I’ve tried MANY. Thank you for sharing this recipe with us.
Aya
Ingredients for Healthy Chocolate Cake
For the Cake:
- Flour: Whole wheat or spelt flour. I have not tested this cake with all-purpose or gluten-free flour, so can’t say but it is possible recipe will work.
- Cacao powder: Cacao powder is less processed than cocoa powder but either will work. I use unsweetened.
- Eggs: 3 large eggs, no need for room temperature eggs. I also think chia seed egg or flax egg replacer will work.
- Yogurt: You will need regular (not Greek) yogurt with 3% and higher fat content for the cake batter.
- Oil: Any mild tasting oil like avocado oil or light olive oil. Melted coconut oil is great too if you love its taste.
- Sweetener: Any liquid sweetener will work. I prefer maple syrup because I find honey comes through a bit too strong and makes the cake less sweet.
- Baking essentials: Baking powder, baking soda, pure vanilla extract, salt.
- Boiling water: To enhance the chocolate flavor.
For the Frosting and Decor:
- Coconut milk: A can of full-fat coconut milk, not coconut cream. I believe you can also use heavy cream.
- Chocolate chips: A bag of chocolate chips, chunks or chopped up chocolate bar.
- Vanilla: What’s a frosting without a dash of pure vanilla extract?!
- Salt: Just a pinch because chocolate and salt are a perfect match.
- Chocolate bar (optional): If you would like to decorate with shavings on top like in a photo.
How to Make Healthy Chocolate Cake
Making healthy chocolate cake recipe from scratch is easy. Full recipe card is located below.
- Prep: Place two 9 inch round cake pans bottoms down on parchment paper, circle around with pen, then cut out with scissors. Place cut outs inside each pan and spray with cooking spray covering the sides.
- Mix dry ingredients: Combine flour, cacao powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt and whisk until you see no lumps. If your cacao powder is lumpy, I recommend to sift it through a mesh sieve pushing with a spoon.
- Mix wet ingredients: In another large bowl, add eggs, maple syrup, yogurt, oil and vanilla extract. Whisk or beat with an electric mixer for 30 seconds.
- Combine into batter: Combine wet with dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. Add boiling water, and whisk until combined well.
- Bake and cool: Divide batter evenly between two previously prepared pans and bake on a bottom rack for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 20 minutes. Using a spatula, separate the edge of each cake from the pan, flip on a wire rack, peel off parchment paper and let cakes cool completely before frosting.
Frosting Options
I originally posted this healthy chocolate cake recipe a few years back and updated it now. The cake itself has very slight modifications. However, instead of using yogurt frosting which was too runny, I included a 4 ingredient thick frosting that you can actually spread.
- Original yogurt frosting: If you loved that yogurt frosting, here is the recipe. You will need 1 1/2 cups plain Greek yogurt (2%+ fat), 1/3 cup maple syrup, 1/3 cup cacao powder, and 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract. Whisk and spread in between layers and pour over the cake.
- Greek yogurt frosting: Try thick Greek yogurt frosting which is optionally sugar free.
- Vegan chocolate frosting: This is the healthy chocolate frosting you see in the photos here. Essentially it is a ganache. Once chilled, frosting becomes thick enough to spread and we whip it to add fluffiness.
- Buttercream frosting: If you are OK with white color frosting, use this healthy buttercream frosting. This recipe makes enough to frost this chocolate cake. It will become kind of like a Tuxedo cake.
- Cream cheese frosting: If you love cream cheese, healthy cream cheese frosting is also an option.
Tips for Best Results
- Follow the recipe: Baking is a science and for best results I recommend to follow the recipe. Use all ingredients exactly as written, they are very simple. I highly recommend to do the shopping for this recipe and not use what you have on hand!
- Cake is ready when: Chocolate cake should be moist, so it’s important not to over bake it. When you insert toothpick in the center after 25 minutes of bake time, it should come out with some crumbs attached to it, not clean.
- Springform pans: If using springform pans, keep in mind they are not 100% leak proof and thin cake batter like this one will leak through. Line the base with parchment paper coming up where the sides meets the base to create a “cover”.
- Once assembled, frosting will be a bit soft: I recommend to place cake in the fridge for 3 hours to help it solidify, especially the middle layer.
- Triple layer cake: You will need 8 inch round baking pans. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
- Sheet cake: Use 9 x 13 large baking casserole dish lined with parchment paper and sprayed well. Bake for 30-35 minutes.
- Cupcakes: Line regular muffin tin with unbleached parchment paper cups or cupcake liners. Fill 2/3 full with batter. Bake 22-25 minutes. Makes about 30 cupcakes.
How to Store
This healthy chocolate cake recipe is a perfect candidate for make ahead cake. Its texture, moistness or flavor do not change with time.
Make ahead: Bake and cool off the cake layers completely. Then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Same goes for the chocolate frosting – it can be refrigerated for up to 5 days, just whip it up before you are ready to assemble.
If you would like to freeze the cake layers, double or triple wrap them in plastic wrap, place in resealable Ziploc bags and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter for a few hours. I have not tried to freeze frosting but I think it will be fine because it is high in fat and low in water.
Store leftovers: Refrigerate cake covered for up to 5 days. Make sure container is airtight otherwise frosting will dry out slowly. I use this dome cover on top of a cake platter.
Freeze leftovers: Freeze cake tightly wrapped in plastic and then placed in a resealable Ziploc bag. Or in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
FAQs
Whole wheat flour has a reputation of being heavy. However, this cake doesn’t have a typical whole wheat taste because cacao powder, maple syrup and yogurt cover it up. It is not overly sweet. It also has a tiny bit of a tang from yogurt.
I don’t know if all-purpose flour will work. Rule of thumb is to use 1 cup of white flour for every 3/4 cup whole wheat flour. I have not tried to make this cake with gluten free flour, however I do believe it will work. I recommend to use Bob’s Red Mill gluten free blend.
If you would like to use almond flour, check out my almond flour chocolate cake. Coconut flour will not work.
For the cake batter use regular yogurt, not Greek because it has more moisture. Also I don’t recommend to substitute it with anything else!
Butter consists of 80% fat whereas oil is 100% fat, so cake might come out on a drier side.
I do not recommend to use less maple syrup because this chocolate cake is not overly sweet. But if you wish, you can – recipe will work.
More Healthy Chocolate Recipes to Try
More Healthy Cake Recipes
Healthy Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
For Healthy Chocolate Cake:
- 1 3/4 cups whole wheat or spelt flour
- 3/4 cup cacao or cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup maple syrup
- 1 cup plain yogurt, 3%+ fat
- 1/4 cup avocado oil, or any mild tasting oil
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup boiling water
For Healthy Chocolate Frosting:
- 14 ounces can coconut milk, full fat (not coconut cream)
- 2 cups chocolate chips, 10 ounces bag
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Pinch salt
For Decor (Optional):
- 1 chocolate bar, room temperature
Instructions
To Make Chocolate Frosting:
- We start by making frosting first because it needs to chill. In a medium pot, warm up entire can of coconut milk (cream and clear liquid) just until it starts to boil but not boiling.
- Remove from heat, add chocolate, vanilla extract, salt, and whisk until smooth. It will be runny. Place right in the pot in the fridge to solidify – should take about 3-4 hours.
- Frosting is ready to be whipped when there is a dent from your finger. Whip it up with an electric hand mixer for a few minutes or until a bit fluffy. Refrigerate until ready to assemble the cake
To Make Chocolate Cake:
- Place two 9 inch round cake pans bottoms down on parchment paper, circle around with pen, then cut out with scissors. Place cut outs inside each cake pan and spray with cooking spray covering the sides. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, cacao powder, baking soda + powder, salt and whisk until you see no lumps.
- In another large bowl, add eggs, maple syrup, yogurt, oil and vanilla extract. Whisk or beat with an electric mixer for 30 seconds. Add flour mixture to the bowl with wet ingredients and whisk until smooth. Add boiling water, and whisk until combined well.
- Divide batter evenly between two previously prepared cake pans and bake on a bottom rack for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with some crumbs attached to it. Do not overbake.
- Remove cakes from the oven and let cool for 20 minutes. Using a spatula, separate the edge of each cake from the pan, flip on a wire rack, peel off parchment paper and let cakes cool off completely before assembling.
- When ready to assemble the cake, use about 1 cup of frosting for the middle layer, and the rest will be enough for full coverage of the top and sides.
- To decorate with chocolate shavings, using a vegetable peeler shave the chocolate bar into a bowl, then add on top. Also fresh berries or freeze dried crushed raspberries will be great! Cut into 16 slices, serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Store: Refrigerate covered for up to 5 days.
- Freeze: Tightly wrapped or in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I’ve tried it and it was awesome. Adults loved it and my 3 year old also. I used greek yogurt 10% and whole weat flour combined with normal white flour. I used honey for frosting. Really tasty and it looked great.
Yay! Glad this cake was a hit!
I have just made for my husband birthday and he is falling in love again.
Amazing and easy recipe for beginners. Many thanks
haha that’s fantastic Sheila 🙂
Amazing cake recipe we loved it! Thank you ♥️♥️♥️
My cake has come out quite stodgy and not very light. Any thoughts on why that might be please? Tastes quite good but just very heavy.
Sounds like chemical reaction didn’t go well. Old baking powder or soda? Any substitutes? Measured flour correctly by skimming the top of a cup? Used yogurt? Have you ever made whole wheat cake? Whole wheat flour is more heavy than white just fyi.
I’ve made this cake 3 times and it’s been a great success. I’ve shared the recipe with friends. Love that it uses yogurt, love that it doesn’t use oil!
I’ve baked it with whole wheat cake flour???? And also with regular all purpose flour which I turned into cake flour ( by taking out two tablespoons – per cup- of the flour and replacing with arrowroot )
Also ????
Thanks for the positive feedback Sepi!
All my family and friends loved this cake on my son’s birthday party. My son and I love dark chocolate more than regular milk chocolate, so it was a perfect cake for him. The cake was very moist and the frosting is simple yet fantastic! I used 10% yogurt. Now I have 10% yogurt in my fridge all the time! 🙂
Thank you for the recipe, Olena! I can’t wait to try other recipes of yours.
That’s awesome to hear!
Hello- would I be able to substitute maple syrup with something else or even take it out? my husband is diabetic and he can’t have that.
Unfortunately can’t take it out – baking really is a science and ratios of dry to liquid have to stay plus taste will be not good. You can sub with any other liquid sweetener of choice. Someone mentioned there is sugar free syrup but I’m not sure.
Thank you! I will try the sugar free idea! I appreciate it 🙂
If the cake is not iced how do you store it? Fridge or pantry?
Fridge and wrapped in plastic.
Hi,
Can i substitute the yogurt with sour cream?
Yes
What are the metric measurements?
Thank you
Hi Elle!
Here is a link to a common metric conversions website for baking! Hope that helps!
https://www.thespruceeats.com/metric-conversions-for-cooking-2355731
I just got some cocoa butter Wafers that I’m dying to try in a recipe and wondered if you think this would be okay to use one cup in place of half of the yogurt?
Hi Holly. I have never baked with cocoa butter wafers so I can’t really say if it will work as a substitute for the yogurt. If you give it a try, let me know how it turns out 🙂