While in Arizona visiting my grandparents a couple of weekends ago, my mom reminded us that our aunt’s birthday fell on that Saturday. Mom dashed out to Target for cards and a gift, while my brother and his best friend borrowed Grandma’s car to drive to the store for dessert.
Since they had sat next to my aunt on the flight, they tried to remember what treats she had mentioned enjoying. Chocolate? Flan? Tres leches cake? After debating, they ended up calling Mom and me from the supermarket to get our input…
And Mom replied to get all of them!
I definitely know where my sweet tooth came from…
So after lunch, we gathered around the assortment of desserts to sing happy birthday and give my aunt the first choice of treats. Out of the flan, regular tres leches cake slice, chocolate tres leches cake slice, and the miniature two layer chocolate cake, she opted for the flan.
Mom and I secretly cheered. More chocolate cake for us!
Yet as I slid the first bite into my mouth, I felt a tinge of disappointment. The cake tasted really sweet… But not very chocolaty at all. It had a very muted chocolate flavor, borderline bland, and I actually scraped off the frosting. Pretty disappointing.
So when I arrived back home, I baked this Ultimate Healthy Chocolate Bundt Cake to get my chocolate cake fix! It’s the exact opposite of that grocery store chocolate cake: supremely rich, incredibly decadent, and extremely chocolaty. It tastes a little fudgy too, as if you combined chocolate cake and brownies together into one dessert!
And also unlike that grocery store version… This ultimate healthy chocolate bundt cake contains no artificial ingredients, refined flour or sugar and only 96 calories in a slice!
I definitely went back for seconds of this homemade chocolate cake! ?
Let’s go over how to make this ultimate healthy chocolate bundt cake!
You’ll start with a combination of unsweetened cocoa powder and whole wheat pastry flour. You just need the regular kind of unsweetened cocoa powder, like this. I’ve found that Dutched or “special dark” cocoa powder doesn’t taste as strong in this particular cake and leads to a more muted chocolate flavor. Then to ensure this ultimate healthy chocolate bundt cake tastes really rich and decadent, you’ll actually use more cocoa powder than flour!
Whole wheat pastry flour is made by finely grinding a special type of soft wheat. It has the same health benefits as regular whole wheat flour (like extra fiber!), but it has a taste and texture closer to all-purpose flour. That difference is what allows the moist and fudgy texture, along with the incredibly rich flavor, of your ultimate healthy chocolate bundt cake to truly shine!
Just remember, it’s extremely important to measure the cocoa powder and flour correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own and love!) Too much of either ingredient will dry out your cake batter, and too much cocoa powder will make your cake taste bitter, instead of rich and decadent. I promise it’s worth the extra time to measure properly!
Whereas many traditional chocolate cake recipes call for lots of melted butter or oil (I’ve seen anywhere from ½ to 1 full cup!) to keep them moist, you just need 1 tablespoon for this one. That shaves off anywhere from 712 to 1,527 calories—and that really helps keep this ultimate healthy chocolate bundt cake low fat and low calorie!
The majority of your cake’s tender texture actually comes from one of my favorite ingredients. If you’ve browsed through my recipes before, I’m sure you know what it is…
Greek yogurt! Greek yogurt adds the same moisture to your cake batter as extra butter or oil but for a fraction of the calories. It also gives your ultimate healthy chocolate bundt cake a protein boost!
Protein-packed healthy chocolate bundt cake… Does that make it breakfast food? ?
One more thing contributes to the texture! You’ll actually add both baking powder and baking soda to your cake batter. This is really important! Because you’ll also mix in…
White vinegar! It may sound like a strange ingredient for chocolate cake, but it’s actually the secret ingredient in this one. The vinegar (an acid) reacts with the baking soda (a base) to create air bubbles. Those air bubbles make your cake rise, and they also give this ultimate healthy chocolate bundt cake a deliciously moist and fudgy texture.
I love nerdy baking chemistry like that!
To sweeten your ultimate healthy chocolate bundt cake, you’ll actually use two ingredients: liquid stevia and erythritol. Both of these ingredients are plant-based, no-calorie sweeteners that contain nothing refined or artificial (aka they’re clean-eating friendly!). I actually buy both online (here for the liquid stevia and here for the erythritol!) because that’s where I’ve found the best prices.
Tip: You’ll use liquid stevia in all of these recipes of mine and erythritol in all of these recipes of mine too!
I normally try to stick with just one sweetener to make life easier for you. I know it isn’t fun to try to track down even more ingredients! However, I found that the cake tasted bland and not sweet enough when I just used one or the other, but when I combined the two…
Pure chocolate cake magic!
So I promise it’s worth buying and using both!
Your cake batter is almost done! At this point, it’d time to stir the cocoa + flour mixture into the Greek yogurt mixture. However, instead of dumping one bowl into the other, you’ll actually use a method called alternating additions. This simply means that you’ll alternate between adding a little cocoa mixture, gently stirring it in, adding a little milk, stirring it in, going back to the cocoa mixture, gently stirring it in… And continue until you run out of cocoa mixture and milk!
Alternating additions are key because they prevent overmixing. Overmixing the batter results in a tough or gummy texture, instead of the perfectly moist and fudgy texture you want in your ultimate healthy chocolate bundt cake.
Hint: This is why I highly recommend against using an electric or stand mixer! They tend to overmix healthy batters like this one. Use a whisk where instructed and a fork for everything else for the best texture!
Now your cake batter is ready to bake! Before pouring it into your cake pan, make sure you generously coat your bundt pan with cooking spray. Bundt pans have a lot more nooks and crannies compared to the smooth sides of round, rectangular, or loaf pans. If you don’t coat all of those nooks and crannies with cooking spray, your cake won’t slide out onto the cooling rack when it’s done baking.
So be generous!
And if that chocolaty cake goodness just isn’t enough… Then you can add a dark chocolate drizzle on top!
It’s super simple to make. Just stir together a little more cocoa powder, some pure maple syrup, and a touch of milk. Transfer that to a zip-topped bag, cut off a tiny piece of one corner, and drizzle it all over your cooled ultimate healthy chocolate bundt cake.
Then if you can figure out how to stop after just one slice… Tell me your secret. Because I definitely can’t! ? And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! ?) I’d love to see your ultimate healthy chocolate bundt cake!
| The Ultimate Healthy Chocolate Bundt Cake | | Print |
- for the cake
- 2 cups (160g) unsweetened cocoa powder (measured like this)
- 1 ¾ cups (210g) whole wheat pastry flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp (14g) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
- 4 large egg whites, room temperature
- 1 tbsp (15mL) vanilla extract
- 5 ½ tsp liquid stevia
- 6 tbsp (90g) confectioners’ style erythritol
- ¾ cup (180g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup (60mL) white vinegar
- 1 ¾ cups (420mL) nonfat milk
- for the drizzle
- 3 tbsp (15g) unsweetened cocoa powder (measured like this)
- 2 tsp pure maple syrup
- 2 ½ - 3 tsp nonfat milk
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and generously coat a 12-cup bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray or nonstick cooking spray with flour.
- To prepare the cake, whisk together the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, egg whites, vanilla extract, and liquid stevia. Stir in the erythritol. Add in the Greek yogurt, stirring until no large lumps remain. Stir in the vinegar and 1 cup of milk. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and remaining milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, and stirring just until incorporated. (For best results, add the flour mixture in 4 equal parts.)
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 350°F for 65-75 minutes or until the top feels firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring the cake to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once the cake has completely cooled to room temperature and just before serving, prepare the drizzle. Stir together the cocoa powder, maple syrup, and milk in a small bowl. Transfer the mixture to a zip-topped plastic bag, cut off a tiny piece of one corner, and drizzle over the cooled cake.
White whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour may be substituted in place of the whole wheat pastry flour. Regular whole wheat flour may be substituted in a pinch, although the cake will be less tender and have a distinct wheat-y flavor.
It’s extremely important to measure the cocoa powder and flour correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own!) Too much flour will dry out your cake and give it a crumbly texture, instead of having it turn out moist and tender! Too much cocoa powder will also make your cake taste bitter, instead of rich and decadent.
The cake requires 4 full egg whites. The whites contain the majority of the protein in eggs, and that protein is required to ensure the cake maintains its shape and texture while cooling. Without all 4 egg whites, the cake will collapse while cooling and turn out much denser.
I do not recommend substituting for the liquid stevia, if at all possible. (It’s one of my favorite ingredients, and you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too!) I buy it online here. However, if you really prefer to omit the liquid stevia from the cake, substitute 2 ¼ cups (432g) granulated sugar and reduce the milk to 1 cup (240mL), but the cake will no longer be clean-eating friendly. You may substitute 2 ¼ cups (432g) coconut sugar and reduce the milk to 1 cup (240mL) to keep the cake clean eating friendly. The baking time may vary with either of those substitutions as well. Do not substitute honey, maple syrup, or agave because the cake batter will be much too liquidy with any of those.
Coconut sugar, granulated sugar, or brown sugar may be substituted in place of the confectioners’ style erythritol. Granulated sucralose (Splenda) will also work in place of the confectioners’ style erythritol, if you prefer a different no-calorie granulated sweetener. (I buy my erythritol online here!)
The vinegar reacts with the baking soda to help the cake rise and give it a better texture. You can’t taste it in the finished cake—I promise!
Any milk may be substituted in place of the nonfat milk.
Do not use an electric mixer to mix up the batter. This will result in a dense or tough cake. Use a whisk where instructed, and use a fork for everything else.
Make sure you coat your bundt pan really well with cooking spray! (This is the bundt pan that I use!) With so many nooks and crannies, compared to traditional round or rectangular cake pans, the batter has more chances to stick to the sides, so a generous coating of cooking spray will ensure your bundt cake slides right out of the pan.
Honey or agave may be substituted for the pure maple syrup in the drizzle.
For more drizzle, double the drizzle.
If you have a 6-cup bundt pan, you can make a half-recipe and bake at 350°F for 60-70 minutes instead.
When refrigerating leftover slices of already drizzled bundt cake, the drizzle will turn brittle and crack. It won’t affect the flavor—only the appearance!
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, low sugar}
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡ The Ultimate Healthy Dark Chocolate Cupcakes
♡ The Ultimate Healthy Vanilla Bean Pound Cake
♡ The Ultimate Healthy Carrot Cake
♡ The Ultimate Healthy Blueberry Pound Cake
♡ The Ultimate Healthy Red Velvet Cupcakes
♡ …and the rest of Amy’s healthy chocolate recipes!
Hi any! I’m trying your recipe now. How much milk is used for the drizzle? It says 2-3 tsp which has not working. Did you mean 2cups and2 tsp of milk for drizzle? Thank you. Will post after
Also Amy, when I try this recipe again can I add walnuts? If so when should I do it?
I’m so honored that you’re trying my recipe Cindy! The amount of milk for the drizzle is correct. Did you happen to scoop the cocoa powder from the container with your measuring spoons when making the drizzle, by any chance? (If the drizzle won’t come together and is still too dry with 3 teaspoons of milk + 2 teaspoons of maple syrup, you can add more of either ingredient to achieve your preferred consistency!) If you’d like to add walnuts to the batter, gently fold them in at the end of Step 2. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of this cake!
Hi Amy, I’ve started on a low-histamine diet, which means I should really cut out chocolate and cocoa. How do you think carob powder would work in this recipe? (I searched for carob and didn’t find any recipes on your site that use carob). If you think carob would sub in well, please let me know the proportions, and if you have a favorite brand. Thanks! Tracy
I’m so honored that you’d like to try another one of my recipes, Tracy! I actually have very little experience with carob powder (hence why I don’t have any recipes that call for it, as you’ve already discovered!), so I’m not entirely sure how it would work as a substitute in my recipes. For your low-histamine diet, are you trying to avoid sweeteners like coconut sugar, maple syrup, honey, etc as well? I wasn’t sure if that was part of the reason you picked this chocolate cake recipe as one to try, so I just wanted to double check! 🙂
Hi Amy, thanks for your response. Sugar, etc is mostly fine. I just have to avoid fermented foods, like yogurt and vinegar, which are in a lot of your recipes—though maybe in low quantities these would be okay. But chocolate is on the no-no list, so I thought that substituting in carob might give me my chocolate fix! I just received some super tasty carob powder from Crete! I can Google the conversion, but wanted to check with you first. Maybe I should start small, like with some chocolate muffins, and see how it goes…
It’s my pleasure, Tracy! I had similar thoughts about testing the carob on something smaller — or at least a recipe that was easier to scale down! — so I was curious about whether you had any other dietary restrictions before suggesting a chocolate recipe to test it out. 🙂
Depending on the other foods you’re supposed to avoid, these brownies (no vinegar, yogurt, or dairy!) or these cookies (no vinegar, yogurt, or dairy either!) might be a good place to start. Although those recipes wouldn’t tell us whether carob affects the way baked goods rise, it would at least tell us whether it would be a 1-for-1 conversion in the flavor department!
Two other options would be this small batch mini chocolate cupcake recipe (no dairy, although it does use a small amount of vegan yogurt and vinegar, which may be an issue) or this other small batch mini chocolate cupcake recipe (the regular, non-vegan version!).
Does all of that make sense? Or are you craving something else that’s chocolaty, besides brownies, cookies, or mini cupcakes? 😉 Let me know if you have any questions too!
Thanks for these suggestions! I will have to fiddle around with these recipes. From my research, it looks like carob can sub in 1-to-1 for cocoa, but that sugar might need to be adjusted (carob is sweeter) and oil (carob powder comes out drier). Maybe you’ll consider inventing some cool desserts that use carob, as it is a healthy alternative to cocoa (in that it doesn’t contain caffeine or theobromine). But then again, cocoa contains mood-boosting compounds like endorphins and serotonin…and this is why we all love chocolate so much!
It’s my pleasure, Tracy! You know I’m always happy to help! 🙂 The main reason I haven’t created carob dessert recipes is because it isn’t readily available at the grocery stores near me. In the past, I’ve really have to hunt to find it, and I was worried that a lot of people would have similar experiences and therefore have very little interest in those recipes. I have nothing against it or its flavor whatsoever! 😉 I’ll see what I can do about coming up with some carob sweet treats though — I always love playing with new ingredients!
I can’t wait to hear how your baking experiments turn out! I’m really looking forward to learning the results!