Well, here it is, finally – a healthier chocolate cake. I could eat chocolate cake until it comes out of my ears, but sadly that would do nothing for my health. I have been experimenting for a while to try and get the measurements right in a basic chocolate sponge, but replacing some of the ingredients for healthier ones.
What makes it healthier, is that it uses wholewheat flour, instead of white, dates instead of caster sugar and it replaces half the butter for yoghurt and banana. It is also topped with a healthier alternative to butter cream, but tastes nearly exactly the same. Plus, the fruit in the middle means it is part of your 5-a-day! The frosting does have powdered sugar in it, which I know it not the healthiest, but I didn’t say this was healthy cake. It is healthier cake. The small changes save a lot of fat and fruit sugar is always going to be better for you. 1 good sized slice of this chocolate cake has just 210 calories in it.
This is going to be our Christmas Day dessert and I can’t wait. I think this would make a great dessert to take to someone’s house if you are going round for dinner, or a party.
Chocolate Cake – Serves 10
Ingredients for sponge:
- 45g/0.3 stick of butter
- Half a medium banana, mashed
- 3 tbsp Total Greek yoghurt
- 100g/Half a cup of pitted dates
- 8 tbsp cold water
- 3 eggs
- 175g/1.1 cups wholewheat flour
- 1tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 50g/0.4 cup cocoa powder
- 8 tbsp frozen cherries, defrosted and the juice drained
Ingredients for frosting:
- 250g/1 cup Total Greek yoghurt
- 4 tbsp icing sugar/powdered sugar
- 25g/0.2 cup cocoa powder
1) Grease a 9-inch cake tin. Put the dates and water in a food processor and blend until it forms a paste.
2) Beat together the butter, banana and date syrup.
3) Stir in the yogurt.
4) Whisk in the eggs.
5) Sift in the flour and then add baking powder and vanilla extract.
6) Stir.
7) Sift in cocoa powder and stir.
8) Pour into cake tin and bake at 220C/400F for 40 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.
9) Once cooked, leave to cool on a wire rack.
10) Whilst cooling, you can start to make the frosting. Put the yoghurt in a bowl.
11) Add the powdered/icing sugar.
12) Add the cocoa powder.
13) Stir and put in the fridge for an hour to get thicker.
14) Once the cake has cooled, carefully slice it in half.
15) Spread about 2 tbsp of thefrosting over one of the sides of the cake.
16) Add most of the cherries.
17) Put the other half of the cake on top, to make a sandwich. Then, using the rest of the frosting, cover the top of the cake and then put a few extra cherries on top.
18) Slice and serve. It is great warmed up in the microwave with frozen yoghurt too.
Nutritional Information – per slice:
Calories: 210
Fat: 4.3
Carbs: 28.6
Protein: 7
Fibre: 1.7
could you please share a video of this cake as you make and bake it next time? It will be very helpful. Thanks! Keep posting and sharing healthy recipes.
I tried making this today but I think I failed. It came out very dense but not moist, more of a too dense whole wheat bread consistency. It doesn’t seem like it’s risen at all so its only as tall as one of your halves. Is yours very dense on the inside as well? Any idea what I did wrong? I followed your recipe exactly.
Yes, by using wholewheat flour, it will be much more dense – but I really like it like that. So you didn’t do it wrong, that is how it is meant to be. If you don’t like it dense, use white flour. But I don’t like to use white flour.
As for it not being moist, that is what the frosting is for on the outside and in the middle. The cake is not intended to be eaten without the frosting, because of the denseness.
Also, it is not meant to be a particularly tall cake. Each half is fairly thin.
I hope that helps.
I’m in agreement w/everyone else. Your recipies look fabulous! For years, I’ve been making modifications to recipes to make them healthier…its kind of a hobby. I’ve had some hits and misses. LOL I’m so thankful that there are others like yourself who’ve also taken on this challenge and are willing to share with us. Thank you!
Can you come and live with me please? All your recipes look so good.
I love all the healthy alternatives you use, like yoghurt and dates. I will def be making this.
Healthy chocolate cake? Thank you!
My husband is the baker in our house and I just showed this to him and he is going to make it. It looks lovely.
Looooove chocolate cake.
I can’t believe it is so low calorie. You are a genius.
I am making this at the weekend. Not sure I will share any though xx
I am going to take this to my mom’s this holiday. Thank you!
You are amazing. A healthy chocolate cake? YES!
Chocolate and cherry is such a great combination.
I love that you only use fruit to sweeten.
That looks amazing. I love your blog.