This healthy chocolate cake is made with less sugar and oil, but it’s still rich, chocolatey and super moist. No one will be able to tell it’s made with more nutritious ingredients.
This healthy chocolate cake is here to prove that you can have it all. It’s rich, chocolatey, and incredibly moist, but made with wholesome ingredients like coconut sugar, applesauce and avocado oil. Trust me, this isn’t just “good for a healthy cake”— it’s good, period.
Whether you’re celebrating a birthday or holiday, hosting a party, or just craving chocolate, this cake will hit the spot. Frost it with my chocolate buttercream frosting for the ultimate dessert. It’s seriously so good, no one will believe it’s made with better-for-you ingredients.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Healthier – This cake is naturally sweetened with coconut sugar instead of refined white sugar and we’re using avocado oil and applesauce for the moistness.
- No fancy equipment – You don’t need a stand mixer or special tools to make this cake —just a few bowls, a whisk, and cake pans will do the job.
- Perfect texture – The combination of applesauce and avocado oil makes this cake incredibly moist and tender, with just the right amount of fluffiness.
- Great for all occasions – This cake is versatile enough for anything from a casual weeknight dessert to a full-blown birthday celebration.
Ingredients Needed
- milk – regular milk or unsweetened almond milk works perfectly. Combine it with apple cider vinegar to create a buttermilk substitute that keeps the cake tender.
- all-purpose flour – the base for this cake, giving it structure while keeping it soft and tender.
- dutch process cocoa powder – can’t have chocolate cake without the cocoa powder! Since it’s a main ingredient in this recipe make sure you’re using good quality cocoa powder. I used Guittard Unsweetened Dutch Process Cocoa.
- baking powder and baking soda – the dynamic duo that helps the cake rise and stay fluffy.
- eggs – adds structure and richness to the cake.
- coconut sugar – a better-for-you alternative to refined sugar that adds a caramel-like sweetness.
- avocado oil – a heart-healthy oil that contributes to the moist texture of the cake without overpowering the flavor. My favorite brand is the Chosen Foods avocado oil.
- applesauce – a secret weapon for adding moisture while cutting back on oil.
Find the full ingredient list with measurements in the recipe card below.
Recipe Notes & Substitutions
For the best results I recommend making the recipe as written, but here are a few substitutions you could try:
- Vinegar alternatives: If you don’t have apple cider vinegar, white vinegar or lemon juice can be used as a substitute to activate the baking soda.
- Sweetener swap: Feel free to use regular granulated sugar, brown sugar, or even maple sugar if you prefer.
- Choose your oil: You can replace this with melted coconut oil, olive oil, or vegetable oil. I wouldn’t use butter in this recipe as cocoa powder is quite drying so it needs the oil.
- Swap the applesauce: If you don’t have applesauce on hand, mashed banana or Greek yogurt should both be a good substitute for a similar moist texture and sweetness.
- Make it gluten-free: Try my flourless chocolate cake instead!
How to Make Healthy Chocolate Cake
This cake is everything you want in a dessert: rich, moist and so simple to whip up. Here’s how to make it:
Step 1: In a small bowl, whisk milk and apple cider vinegar. Let sit for 5-10 minutes.
Step 2: In one bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Step 2: In another large bowl, whisk eggs, coconut sugar, oil, applesauce and vanilla. Stir in the milk mixture.
Step 4: Gradually stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined. Slowly whisk in the boiling water until smooth.
Step 5: Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Step 6: Let cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, frost and decorate as desired.
Brittany’s Tips!
- Don’t skip the hot water: I know it seems odd, but pouring boiling water into the batter is a game-changer. It blooms the cocoa powder and makes the cake extra rich and moist.
- Sift, sift, sift: Nobody wants a lump of cocoa powder in their bite of cake. If your cocoa powder seems clumpy be sure to sift it before adding it to the rest of your dry ingredients to ensure the batter is nice and smooth.
- Don’t over bake: Make sure to keep an eye on your cake towards the end of baking as you don’t want it to over bake! Remove the cake from the oven once a toothpick comes out mostly clean. It’s okay if there are a few clumps on the toothpick as the cake will continue to bake as it cools.
How to Decorate
I love keeping this cake simple with just frosting and sprinkles on top, but here are some other fun ideas of how you could decorate this cake:
- Use a different frosting: I’m a big fan of the chocolate buttercream frosting, but feel free to skip the frosting all together or swap it with another frosting. It would be delicious with this vanilla buttercream frosting, strawberry buttercream frosting or healthy cream cheese frosting. For a lighter option try my healthy chocolate frosting or peanut butter Greek yogurt frosting.
- Sprinkles: I love Watkins Chocolate Sprinkles, which are free of artificial dyes, gluten-free and vegan.
- Jam swirls: Add a burst of strawberry flavor by swirling some strawberry jam (you can use store-bought or make this strawberry chia jam) into the frosting.
- Chocolate chips: Scatter some chocolate chips over the frosting for more chocolatey goodness that’s hard to resist.
- Fresh berries: Arrange fresh strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and/or raspberries on top of the cake for a beautiful, fresh decoration that also adds a burst of fruity flavor.
- Date caramel: Drizzle my date caramel sauce on top of this cake! It’s naturally sweetened with medjool dates and would look so pretty drizzled on top.
How to Store Leftovers
Room temperature – If the chocolate cake is frosted and you plan to eat it within a day, it can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container or cake dome to keep it fresh.
Refrigerator – For longer storage, cover the cake tightly and refrigerate for up to 5 days. Let it sit at room temperature for about 20-30 minutes before serving to bring back the soft, fluffy texture.
Freezer – Want to save it for later? Freeze individual slices or the whole cake. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, then foil, and store in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and bring to room temperature before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
This cake is sweetened with coconut sugar instead of refined sugar and uses avocado oil and applesauce to keep it moist, reducing the need for excess butter or oil. It’s proof that healthier desserts can still be decadent and delicious!
Yes, natural cocoa powder will work, but it has a slightly lighter flavor and more acidity, which might affect the taste slightly. Dutch-process cocoa gives a deeper, richer chocolate flavor.
Make sure the cake is completely cool before frosting to prevent melting. For a smooth finish, use an offset spatula and apply a crumb coat (a thin layer of frosting) before adding the final layer.
Yes! This cake can be made 1-3 days in advance. To make ahead of time, let the cake layers cool completely and store them covered in the fridge. Alternatively, you can frost and decorate the cake and store it covered in the fridge until ready to serve!
If you’re making this cake ahead of time and want to store it in the freezer, I would store the layers separately. You can wrap them in plastic wrap or store in an airtight container or bag (I love my Stasher bags). The day before you’re ready to serve, let the layers thaw in the fridge then assemble and decorate as desired!
I haven’t tried it, but I bet you could. Or you could just make my healthy chocolate cupcakes recipe instead.
More Dessert Recipes to Try
Be sure to check out all of the dessert recipes here on EBF!
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