The first night of my trip to see my parents in May, my mom, my brother, and I stopped by our old middle school band director’s retirement party at a banquet hall downtown. As a potluck, we brought a nice bottle of wine and two trays of cookies, which somehow survived the walk in through the pouring rain.
Almost as soon as we set foot inside, our band director spotted us through the massive crowd, and his face absolutely lit up with a gigantic smile. Although most of the people at the party were his current students, he still recognized us despite almost two decades passing since we first entered his classroom, and he immediately rushed over to give us huge bear hugs and say hello.
He continued to walk around the hall for the rest of the evening, trying to greet each and every person who came to celebrate his retirement, all while a jazz band comprised of past students played tunes up on stage. We only planned on staying half an hour, just long enough to say hi to him, since we figured we wouldn’t know anyone else…
But two hours later, we looked up at the clock, absolutely amazed at how much time had passed. We actually spotted other old band directors and multiple other band parents in the crowd with kids (now adults!) our age that we knew from way back in the day, and the hours flew by as we chatted and caught up.
Towards the end of the evening, shortly before everyone pulled on coats and turned to leave, a few volunteers brought out knives to start cutting slices of two cakes: a giant two-layer chocolate sheet cake with “Congratulations!” scripted across the top and a three-foot-tall tiered carrot cake with too many layers to count and dainty frosting musical notes piped onto it.
We waited until at least half of the room had taken slices before reaching for plates of our own. Although the cakes tasted like fairly standard store-bought flavors, the presentation and piping work were truly impressive!
As for me… I haven’t yet mastered the art of tiered and intricately decorated cakes, so I stick with easier (yet still delicious!) ones like this Healthy Strawberry Bundt Cake! It’s so simple to make. No mixer required—and no layers, tiers, or frosting to pipe either!
Yet this healthy strawberry bundt cake is still just as moist and flavorful as the ones from that bakery at the party, even with no refined flour or sugar. It also has just 123 calories in each slice!
Which means I don’t feel one teensy bit of guilt for eating seconds!
HOW TO MAKE A HEALTHY STRAWBERRY BUNDT CAKE
Let’s go over how to make this healthy strawberry bundt cake!
You’ll start by whisking together white whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Yes, white whole wheat flour actually exists! If you’ve browsed through my recipes before, then you probably know what it is. But if you’re new around here…
White whole wheat flour is not a combination of white (aka all-purpose) flour and regular whole wheat flour. Instead, it’s made by finely grinding a special type of soft white wheat (hence the name!), whereas regular whole wheat flour comes from a heartier variety of red wheat. They both have the same health benefits (like extra fiber!), but white whole wheat flour has a lighter taste and texture… Which lets the moist texture of your healthy strawberry bundt cake truly shine!
Just remember, it’s extremely important to measure the flour correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own and love!) Too much flour will make your cake batter stiff and dry, and it’ll cause your cake to turn out dry and crumbly. I promise it’s worth taking a few extra moments to measure correctly so your healthy strawberry bundt cake turns out supremely moist and sweet!
Whereas many traditional cake recipes call for ½ cup to 1 full cup of butter or oil to keep them moist and tender, you just need 1 tablespoon of butter or coconut oil for this healthy bundt cake. That shaves off anywhere from 712 to 1,530 calories!
So… That small amount of butter really helps keep your healthy strawberry bundt cake low fat and low calorie!
Then the rest of its tender texture comes from one of my favorite ingredients. If you’ve looked through my other recipes before, then you probably know what it is…
Greek yogurt! Greek yogurt adds the same moisture to your healthy strawberry bundt cake as extra butter or oil but for a fraction of the calories. It also gives your cake a protein boost!
I call that a win-win! ????
Continuing on…
You’ll also need 4 egg whites in this healthy strawberry bundt cake. (The yolks aren’t necessary—you’re adding lots of Greek yogurt for moisture, remember?) Egg whites contain a lot of protein, and that protein actually helps your healthy strawberry bundt cake rise and maintain its shape while cooling. Without all 4 egg whites, your cake might collapse a bit and turn out denser… But by using 4 egg whites, your healthy strawberry bundt cake turns out moist, tender, tall, and fluffy!
To sweeten your healthy strawberry bundt cake, you’ll actually use two ingredients ingredients: liquid stevia and confectioners’ style erythritol. Both of these are plant-based, no-calorie sweeteners that contains nothing refined or artificial (aka they’re clean eating friendly!).
Stevia is highly concentrated, which means a little goes a long way. You just need 1 ½ tablespoons of liquid stevia for this entire bundt cake!
However, I noticed that when I just used stevia, the cake didn’t quite taste sweet enough… Even when I added more. So that’s where the confectioners’ style erythritol comes in!
Confectioners’ style erythritol is typically a 1-for-1 sweetness level substitute for powdered sugar. By adding a few tablespoons to the batter, this healthy strawberry bundt cake tasted so much sweeter than when I just used liquid stevia—just like a regular bundt cake made with traditional sugar would taste!
I always try really hard to keep the ingredients list short for you because I know it isn’t fun to try to track down extra ingredients, but I promise it’s worth using both sweeteners. As an added bonus, I actually buy both of them online! Here for the liquid stevia and here for the confectioners’ style erythritol. Those are the cheapest prices I’ve found!
Tip: You’ll also use liquid stevia in all of these recipes of mine and erythritol in all of these recipes of mine!
There are actually two secret ingredients in this healthy strawberry bundt cake! You probably have both of them in your pantry already. Let’s start with the more familiar one, which is…
Almond extract! Almond extract is actually my favorite baking extract. It smells sweet and sophisticated, and it makes your baked treats taste extra fancy—like they came from an expensive upscale bakery!
I’ve listed a combination of vanilla extract and almond extract in the ingredients list, but if you prefer a strong almond extract taste, then you could definitely substitute almond extract for the vanilla. (Or vice versa, if you’re the opposite of me and totally hate almond extract! I won’t judge. I’ll just eat your slice of cake! ????)
Then the second secret ingredient is actually plain white vinegar. Sounds weird and maybe a little bit gross, right? But I promise there’s a reason you need it!
Remember how you whisked both baking powder and baking soda into the white whole wheat flour? Well… Baking soda is a base, and plain white vinegar is an acid. When they’re mixed together, they react. When they react, they form air bubbles. Those air bubbles help your cake rise, and they also give your healthy strawberry bundt cake a more tender texture.
I don’t recommend tasting the raw cake batter… But after the cake has fully baked and cooled, all of the plain white vinegar will have reacted with the baking soda, so you can’t taste any vinegar in your finished healthy strawberry bundt cake. I pinky swear promise!
We’re getting close to the end! But before you can add the fruit, we need to cover one key step called alternating additions. This just means that you alternate between adding (and then gently stirring in!) some of the flour mixture and some of the milk to your big mixing bowl.
By alternating between adding these two, and by gently stirring them in by hand (I use a fork to do this!), it prevents overmixing. Overmixing leads to really long gluten strands, and those lead to a really tough and rubbery texture. But if you use alternating additions and a gentle hand when mixing, you’ll end up with a perfectly moist and tender healthy strawberry bundt cake.
Tip: Do not use a stand mixer or an electric mixer to make this recipe! Those almost always result in overmixing, especially in low-fat cake recipes like this one. Just use a whisk where instructed and a fork for everything else!
Now it’s time to fold in the diced strawberries! I used fresh strawberries because they’re in season, but frozen and thawed strawberries would also work. Just make sure they’re diced to be pea-sized. This smaller size ensures your healthy strawberry bundt cake bakes evenly!
And yes, you do need a bundt pan to make a bundt cake! Although the bundt pan that I use isn’t sold in stores anymore, this one is similar.
Before you add your cake batter to your bundt pan, thoroughly coat your bundt pan with cooking spray. If you have cooking spray with flour, that’s even better! Bundt pans have a lot more nooks and crannies than the smooth sides of traditional round cake pans, which means it’s a lot easier for the cake to get stuck inside. But if you coat it really well with cooking spray, your healthy strawberry bundt cake should slide right out when you invert the pan!
And after letting it cool all the way to room temperature… And maybe adding a simple little glaze on top…
Your healthy strawberry bundt cake is ready to slice, serve, and eat! 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 healthy strawberry bundt cake!
| Healthy Strawberry Bundt Cake | | Print |
- for the cake
- 3 ¾ cups (450g) white whole wheat 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
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp almond extract
- 5 ½ tsp liquid stevia
- 6 tbsp (54g) confectioners’ style erythritol
- ¾ cup (180g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup (60mL) white vinegar
- 1 ¼ cups (300mL) nonfat milk
- 2 cups (280g) whole fresh strawberries, diced (see Notes!)
- for the drizzle
- 3 tbsp (27g) confectioners’ style erythritol
- ½ tsp almond extract
- 1 - 1 ½ 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 flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, egg whites, vanilla extract, almond extract, and liquid stevia. Stir in the erythritol. Add in the Greek yogurt, stirring until no large lumps remain. Stir in the vinegar and ½ 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.) Gently fold in the strawberries.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 350°F for 60-70 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 erythritol, almond extract, 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.
Whole wheat pastry flour or all-purpose flour may be substituted in place of the white whole wheat 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 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!
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.
If you prefer a stronger almond extract flavor, substitute additional almond extract for the vanilla extract. If you’re not a fan of almond extract, substitute additional vanilla extract for the almond extract.
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 mine online here because that’s the best price I’ve found.
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 ¼ cup (60mL), but the cake will no longer be clean-eating friendly. You may substitute 2 ¼ cups (432g) coconut sugar and reduce the milk to ¼ cup (60mL) 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.
I buy my confectioners’ style erythritol online here. In the cake batter, 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.
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.
Frozen and thawed strawberries may be substituted for the fresh, although the baking time may increase. Dice the strawberries so they’re pea-sized. This smaller size ensures your cake bakes evenly.
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! (Mine isn't sold in stores anymore, but this one is similar!) 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.
Regular confectioners’ style (powdered) sugar may be substituted for the confectioners’ style erythritol in the drizzle. Regular powdered sugar is much more absorbent, so start with just ½ teaspoon of milk and add more as necessary.
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 if made with erythritol, or it will dissolve into the cake if made with powdered sugar. Neither will affect the flavor—only the appearance!
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, low sugar, higher protein}
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡ Healthy Blueberry Almond Bundt Cake
♡ Healthy Carrot Bundt Cake
♡ The Ultimate Healthy Chocolate Bundt Cake
♡ Healthy Pumpkin Bundt Cake
♡ Healthy Orange Bundt Cake
♡ Healthy Lemon Bundt Cake
♡ …and the rest of Amy’s healthy cake recipes!
It is ok. Subbed 1 3/4cups Splenda for liquid stevia, stevia has terrible aftertaste for mr. Left everything else the same. Finished product minus the drizzle looked like images here but the cake had a weird taste not sure if it is from all white whole wheat flour or something in the ingredient list reacting with the flour.
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Tony! If you were using granulated Splenda, I actually recommend using 2 ¼ cups (the same amount as you would use of granulated sugar). If you used confectioners’ style erythritol, that may be the slight aftertaste you’re experiencing; some people are more sensitive to it and notice a slight “minty” or off flavor. If so, you can easily substitute granulated Splenda for the erythritol as well! 🙂
If my eaters don’t love overly sweet cake, would 1 cup coconut sugar work?? I’m ok with it semi-clean but it’s the amount of sweetness I am concerned about. Does it need more with the yogurt?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Lori! If you’d like to use 1 cup of coconut sugar, then this cake will definitely be much less sweet. It’ll probably have a little less sweetness than most “healthy” muffins or scones (as opposed to the really sweet muffins that come from many commercial bakeries! 😉 ). Does that make sense?
If you’re fine with that little sweetness, then you can use 1 cup of coconut sugar and reduce the milk to ¾ cup (180mL) instead. If the batter seems too dry and you can’t fully incorporate all of the flour, then add a bit more milk 1 tablespoon at a time until all of the flour is mixed in. The batter should be thick though — just not dry! 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think if you try making this cake with those modifications!
Amy, is are stevia drops the same as “liquid stevia” you use in so many of your recipes? I picked up drops, then got home and did a 🤔 hmmmmm not sure if this is the same thing!
Thanks!
I’m so honored that you’d like to try making my recipe, Amanda! What’s the exact brand and product name of the stevia that you purchased? Many stevia brands and products have slightly different sweetness levels, so once I know the details about exact product that you have, I’ll have a much better answer for you! 🙂
Thanks for the quick response, and that was me asking the same question on IG….wasn’t sure which I’d get to you faster with lol. Anyway, the drops are called “Sweet Drops” by SweetLeaf. It’s a 60mL dropper style bottle. SteviaClear is also written at the bottom of the label. Hope that helps! Thanks again!
It’s my pleasure, Amanda! If it’s the SweetLeaf dropper-style bottle (a glass bottle with the eyedropper top, rather than the plastic squeeze bottle), then yes — that’s perfect!! You can use that stevia in all of my recipes that call for liquid stevia, vanilla stevia, or vanilla creme stevia. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of this bundt cake if you decide to try making it!
Can you use Truvia?
I’m honored that you’d like to try making this cake, Yam! What’s the exact Truvia product that you’d like to substitute? 🙂
Hi Amy – could I substitute banana for the strawberry? If so, would you recommend I decrease any of the other wet ingredients?
I’m honored that you’d like to try this recipe of mine too, Jessica! Were you thinking of substituting chopped bananas for the diced strawberries? Or did you want to use mashed banana instead?
I was planning to use mashed bananas
In that case, I recommend this banana cake recipe of mine instead! Using mashed banana in place of the strawberries in this recipe would throw off the ratio of wet to dry ingredients too much, which would ruin the texture of your cake. And I really don’t want you wasting your time or ingredients!! 🙂
Perfect, thanks so much!
It’s my pleasure, Jessica! I can’t wait to hear what you think of the cake! 🙂