Hi again to all my Sweet Treats & More friends! We are Jen and Emily, the mother-daughter blogging duo over on Layers of Happiness. We are so happy to be back sharing this cake with you today. Super Moist Healthier Chocolate Cake to be exact.
Now that we are well into February and the New Year’s resolution train has left the station, that doesn’t mean the healthy eating has to stop, right? Especially when healthy eating tastes like this cake.
Now I have to admit, there is butter in the frosting because what’s a buttercream without butter?? But in my opinion, no butter/oil in the cake is a step in the right direction.
If you want to go completely butter free, I have seen plenty of chocolate frostings made with coconut milk that you could use instead.
So what takes the place of the fat? Applesauce is taking the place of butter and oil in this recipe; there is simply no need for the added fat. Sometimes healthy baked goods without the presence of fat can be dry and crumbly. I can’t stress enough that this cake is NOT anything like that. The applesauce and a few other ingredients in the recipe do a fine job keeping the cake moist, tender, and soft.
Not only is this cake healthified, but it’s also super easy to make too. It comes together in a little under 10 minutes with no mixer required. Score!
You are going to love this cake. It’s moist, fudgy, flavorful, simple, and easy. You will not even realize this cake is lightened up.
Enjoy!
- 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup applesauce
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, slightly softened
- 3 Tablespoons heavy cream or milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (or 1 teaspoon almond extract)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9x9-inch pan with non-stick spray.
- In a small bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together water, brown sugar, sugar, applesauce, eggs, and vanilla.
- Add flour mixture to wet ingredients and mix well. Pour into the prepared pan.
- Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30-35 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
- Sift the powdered sugar and cocoa together in a bowl, stir in salt and set aside. Add butter to a mixing bowl and cream until nice and smooth. Slowly add the powdered sugar, alternating with the milk. Add in vanilla.
- Frost cake, slice and serve.
Hungry for more lightened up recipes? Try our…
Whole Wheat Maple Pancake Muffins
Extra Crispy Oven Baked French Fries
Extra Crispy Baked Popcorn Chicken Bites
Healthier Coconut Banana Muffins
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Nice recipe. Thanks so much and have a great weekend.
This looks really yummy! I totally need to start making healthier treats. I will definitely give this a try!
Thanks Melissa!
This looks super yummy! Well done 🙂 I love trying sweets that are on the healthier side.
For some reason, the batter was a bit lumpy and the cake was a bit gummy on the bottom after I took it out of the oven. Despite these issues, I still loved the cake. The flavor was perfect, and no frosting was required. Most of all, I loved how moist the cake was; I bake healthified desserts frequently, and a common complaint I receive is that all the food I make tastes great but is so dry it must be doused in whipped cream or icing to be edible. This cake’s texture (except for the bottom) was just as good as a store-bought cake’s texture, perhaps even better. I’ll definitely be making this one again.