This super easy stir-together healthy Chocolate Cake is a cinch to make and it has less sugar than traditional cakes. Maybe “healthier” is a better term, but whatever you call it, it’s so darn good! (PS: It happens to be egg-free and vegan, too.)
Healthy Chocolate Cake
I’ve been searching for a “house cake”—you know, one that becomes the traditional cake we make for birthdays and special occasions. One that we’ll think back on fondly.
And also one that’s easy enough to make without much notice because as we all know, sometimes you just need a slice of cake for no good reason! I’m happy to say this cake fills the bill.
This cake is made with less sugar than traditional cakes (which is my personal flavor preference) and has some ingredient options so you can decide how “healthy” to make it. My whole family loves this layer cake recipe–especially as a birthday cake or a holiday dessert—because it delivers on the classic chocolate cake flavor you expect.
(I also have a delicious Vanilla Cake version that’s vegan too.)
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Ingredients You Need
To make the cake, you’ll need to have the following ingredients on hand.
- Flour: You can use whole wheat, all-purpose, or a mixture of the two. I usually use all-purpose flour.
- Vegetable oil: I typically use canola oil or vegetable oil here, but avocado oil would work, too.
- Sugar: A little granulated sugar is the sweetener of choice in this cake because it blends in so well and adds moisture.
- Baking soda: Fresh, active baking soda helps the cake bake through and rise nicely. (This works much better than baking powder, so do be sure to use baking soda.)
- Cocoa powder: I like SACO or Hershey’s Special Dark for the best chocolate flavor.
- Salt: A dash of salt helps enhance the rest of the flavors.
- White vinegar: This works with the other ingredients to deliver the perfect texture you expect in a chocolate cake.
- Vanilla extract: Paired with cocoa powder, vanilla extract is an extra flavor note.
- Quick Chocolate Frosting: Or a frosting of your choice.
TIP: The cake is dairy and egg-free, and there’s not even any butter. You can make it gluten-free by using a gluten-free cup-for-cup flour blend. It’s like a magic cake!
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s the basic process of making the cake. Scroll down to the bottom of this post for the full recipe.
- Preheat the oven and grease two 6-inch round pans very well. I typically spray with nonstick cooking spray and place a round of parchment cut to fit the inside of the pan to ensure the cakes don’t stick. Stir together the ingredients in a large bowl with a whisk. Make sure you get all the lumps out of the cocoa powder.
- Divide batter between the pans evenly.
- Bake until just firm to the touch and a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let cool on a wire rack and frost.
TIP: I like making this cake in two 6-inch pans, as it’s a nice size for a smaller gathering of up to 10 people. It also means you don’t need a ton of any of the ingredients AND is a great size for a smash cake.
Frosting Options
Frost with either my Quick Chocolate Frosting, Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting, or Strawberry Frosting. Or use any other frosting that you enjoy.
Of those options, we almost always use the chocolate cream cheese frosting for a double chocolate cake.
How to Frost a Chocolate Cake
I have a few frosting options for this cake, but the basic method of frosting the cake is the same.
- Place one of the cakes onto a platter or cake stand. Add a big spoonful of frosting and spread to cover the top.
- Add the second cake and the rest of the frosting.
- Spread over the top and sides.
- Add sprinkles if desired. I like to use a cookie cutter to make a star design (imperfect as it is!).
Frequently Asked Questions
I use that word to signify that this cake is lower in sugar than most comparable chocolate cake recipes. I worked hard to make sure it’s plenty sweet, without being too sweet.
We like to use a cookie cutter to form a shape, then fill with sprinkles. We also sometimes just do chocolate frosting and forget any other decorating!
Yes, you can freeze chocolate cake and this one freezes so well. We love to do that if we want half one day and half another day a few weeks ahead. Wrap a section or slices of cake in plastic wrap and place into a freezer bag. Remove as much air as you can and freeze for up to 6 months. Thaw at room temperature or overnight in the fridge.
How to Store
You can make the cakes the day before you plan to serve. Let cool fully, then place on two separate plates and wrap well with plastic wrap. Store at room temperature. Frost just before serving if possible.
With leftovers, you can store wrapped well in the fridge. I am partial to how this cake tastes when it’s chilled, so we store it in the fridge.
You can also freeze slices for future enjoyment. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap (wrapping slices on small paper plates makes this easy) and freeze for up to 6 months. Thaw at room temperature or in the fridge.
Best Tips for Success
- To make this in a 9-inch cake pan, use just one pan and bake for 16-20 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Be sure to grease the pan well to ensure it doesn’t stick. Double the recipe to make a two layer 9-inch cake.
- To bake as cupcakes, use ¼ cup batter in each standard size muffin cup (greased well with nonstick spray) and bake for 14-16 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out cleanly.
- Gluten-free: Use cup-for-cup gluten-free flour blend in place of the wheat flour.
- Use a mix of all-purpose and whole wheat flour or all of one or the other. (All whole wheat will be a smidge more dense.)
- Try to avoid over-baking to ensure the cake is moist and doesn’t crumble too much.
- Be sure to grease the pan well to ensure the cake doesn’t stick.
- If you are at all worried about your cakes sticking to the pans, (these 6-inch pans do not tend to stick, but I can’t speak for every other cake pan) trace the pans onto parchment paper. Cut out the rounds, trimming slightly so they fit inside of the cakes. Place each round of parchment paper into the cake pan, then spray the paper and sides of the pan with nonstick spray. Proceed with the recipe.
Related Recipes
I’d love to hear your feedback if you try this recipe for your family, so please comment below to share!
Healthy Chocolate Cake (Lower Sugar)
Ingredients
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour (or whole-wheat flour)
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder (I like SACO or Hershey's Special Dark)
- 1 cup water
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil (or melted butter or avocado oil)
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 recipe Quick Chocolate Frosting or Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease two 6-inch cake pans very well on the bottom and sides with nonstick spray. (I use classic Pam spray.)
- Add the ingredients to a medium bowl and whisk gently to combine. Divide the batter between the prepared pans, using about 1 cup and 2 tablespoons in each pan.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the middle is firm to a light touch and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Try not to overbake.
- Let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then carefully remove the cakes from the pans by running a paring knife around the edges to loosen. Working with one pan at a time, carefully turn the pan over onto a wire rack. The cakes should slide out easily. Let cool completely on the wire rack.
- To frost, place one cake onto a cake stand or plate. Add ⅓ of the frosting to the top of the cake. Spread to the edges. Top with the second layer and the remaining frosting, then spread over the top and the sides. Add sprinkles if desired.
Equipment
Notes
- With leftovers, you can store wrapped well in the fridge. I am partial to how this cake tastes when it’s chilled, so we store it in the fridge. You can also freeze slices for future enjoyment. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap (wrapping slices on small paper plates makes this easy) and freeze for up to 6 months. Thaw at room temperature or in the fridge.
- You can make the cakes the day before you plan to serve. Let cool fully, then place on two separate plates and wrap well with plastic wrap. Store at room temperature. Frost just before serving if possible.
- Frost with either my Quick Chocolate Frosting, Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting, or Strawberry Frosting. You could also use classic Cream Cheese Frosting.
- To make this in a 9-inch cake pan, use just one pan and bake for 16-20 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Be sure to grease the pan well to ensure it doesn’t stick. Double the recipe to make a two layer 9-inch cake.
- To bake as cupcakes, use ¼ cup batter in each standard size muffin cup (greased well with nonstick spray) and bake for 14-16 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out cleanly.
- Gluten-free: Use cup-for-cup gluten-free flour blend in place of the wheat flour.
- Use a mix of all-purpose and whole wheat flour or all of one or the other. (All whole wheat will be a smidge more dense.)
- Try to avoid over-baking to ensure the cake is moist and doesn’t crumble too much.
- Be sure to grease the pan well to ensure the cake doesn’t stick.
- If you are at all worried about your cakes sticking to the pans, (these 6-inch pans do not tend to stick, but I can’t speak for every other cake pan) trace the pans onto parchment paper. Cut out the rounds, trimming slightly so they fit inside of the cakes. Place each round of parchment paper into the cake pan, then spray the paper and sides of the pan with nonstick spray. Proceed with the recipe.
Nutrition
This recipe was first published September 2020.
SO GOOD! And so simple! It turned out very moist. I halved the base recipe just because I didn’t want to make a huge cake and it turned out great! Baked it for 20 min at 350F in a 9″ pan. This will be my go-to chocolate cake recipe from now on!
Love this recipe! I made mini cupcakes for my son’s 3rd birthday and these turned out perfect. You didn’t even need icing as they tasted that good, although I did add icing and sprinkles for the kiddos. 🙂 I also used avocado oil as that’s what I had on hand. I will definitely be using this recipe again!!
Hi Amy! I love your recipes! I want to try this one – but I only have a bunt cake pan – will that be ok?
Hi- yes it should work but the timing may differ and I’m not sure what it might be since I don’t know the size of your pan. Maybe set it for 14 minutes and check every few?
Made it and was perfect! Took way longer but my oven is super off I think. Thanks for another great recipe!
These are great! Hard to find an easy vegan cake recipe! I used gluten free blend flour and made a double batch to make cupcakes. I bought vegan icing from the store since I had a hard time making one. I love that the cake is lower in sugar to balance out the sweetness from the icing! Thanks for this recipe. Glad I could make a cupcake that everyone at the party could eat!
Thank God I found this! I was in the middle of measuring out ingredients for a cake because my 3 yr old wanted to bake a chocolate cake. The recipe called for buttermilk but I made my own 1 TB of vinegar then filled the rest of the 1 cup with milk. Then I saw the 2 cups of sugar and googled for a lesser sugar cake recipe. So I used the buttermilk recipe instead of water and it came out so great! I also used coconut oil instead of Veg. oil. Baked it for about 30 mins in a bundt cake pan. Thanks SO MUCH!
Thank you! Just found a few recipes of yours and they all look simple and healthy ! I’ve always been scared to try baking from scratch but am slowly getting over my fear and seeing it is way more simple than I thought and sooo much healthier! Can’t wait to try this one!
Hi i was wondering can some one make this cake sugar free and do you have any alternatives for the frosting??? Looks delicious i want to make it for my birthday but i have a 12 month baby and for sure she Will want to dive in the cake when she Will see somebody eating so i was wondering if there is an options on How to make this a little bit baby friendly.
You could use a plain cream cheese frosting or my Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting. I don’t think you can leave out sweetener entirely in this, you’d need to add honey or maple syrup or some mashed fruit or it will be bland and bitter I think
Made this for my son’s 1st birthday! He loved it, and so did my husband and my parents. I was thrilled with how easy it was. Bookmarking this recipe for future use!
Hi Amy, I just made this cake for my daughter’s 2nd birthday and it was great! I made a double batch so I could have 24 mini cupcakes for her daycare class which is egg and nut free and did a single layer 9inch cake to have at home. I used your strawberry frosting on top. Thank you so much.
Can’t wait to make this! Could you use coconut oil instead of vegetable oil?
I haven’t made it that way and it’s possible it might be a little denser, but I bet it would work similarly!
I used avocado oil and it worked great!
Can I frost with whipped cream?
Sure!
so good and easy to make;) Thank you for sharing! This will be a staple❤️
Thanks for the recipe! Made a double batch- one 9 inch cake and 6 cupcakes. The cupcakes turned out way better! The cake took way way longer to bake (I didn’t have two smaller pans) but was still good. I used your chocolate cream cheese frosting on top which was yum and not too sweet. Nice and thick for easy piping/ decorating.
Great!
Hi Amy, we made this for Easter and loved it so I’m planning to make it again for my daughters birthday party. Wondering if I can substitute the flour with either ground oats or buckwheat flour. I know the texture will be different but hoping not to buy a new bag of GF flour just for this one occasion. Thank you!
Hi- I think of those two, I would opt for buckwheat but I think I would reduce the amount by 1/4 cup (so 1 1/4 cups) to prevent it from turning out too dry. It may also be cooked through a little sooner, so I’d check it starting 4 minutes earlier than my baking time. That might be overly cautious, but buckwheat really absorbs liquid so I hope those two changes would make it still work out okay!
This was a very.good cake recipe! We made it into cupcakes and they were good without frosting. I liked that they were not overly sweet and I was amazed at how light and fluffy they were.