Healthy Slow Cooker Chocolate Fudge Cake
This chocolate cake basically tastes like fudge! It’s really rich and dark, and it turns even fudgier the longer you let it rest. Whether served plain or topped with fresh strawberries or raspberries for a sweet pairing, this cake is sure to please any chocolate lover! Store any leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container or tightly sealed inside of plastic wrap. It should keep for at least four days, if not longer!
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups (200g) unsweetened cocoa powder (measured like this)
- 1 cup (120g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp (28g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tbsp (15mL) vanilla extract
- ¾ cup (144g) coconut sugar or granulated sugar
- ½ cup (120g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- ¾ cup (180mL) nonfat milk, divided
Instructions
- Lightly coat the ceramic bowl of a 5-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. If any cooking spray lands on the rim where the lid rests, carefully wipe it off with a paper towel.
- Whisk together the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, eggs, and vanilla. Add in the sugar, yogurt, and ¼ cup of milk, mixing thoroughly until no large lumps remain. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and remaining milk, stirring just until incorporated, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. (For best results, add the flour mixture in 3 equal parts and the milk in 2 equal parts.)
- Spread the batter into the prepared bowl. Cook on low for 2 ¼ to 2 ½ hours, or until the center no longer looks moist and feels barely firm to the touch. Remove the lid, turn off the slow cooker, and cool the cake in the ceramic bowl for 20 minutes before carefully turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
IMPORTANT MEASURING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: 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 of either will make your cake dry or crumbly, and too much cocoa powder will also make your cake taste bitter.
IMPORTANT COOLING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: It’s really important to let the cake cool completely. If you slice it while it’s still warm, the texture will be cakier and not so fudgy. If you can manage it, wrap the completely cooled cake in plastic wrap, and let it sit overnight. It turns even moister and fudgier the longer you wait, and each slice basically tastes like a jumbo piece of fudge!
SLOW COOKER NOTE: This is the slow cooker that I used. A 6-quart slow cooker should also work fairly well. It may be thinner and take less time to bake. It’s okay to peek early! Go by the look and feel of the center of the cake.
FLOUR ALTERNATIVES: Whole wheat pastry flour, regular whole wheat flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the white whole wheat flour.
COCOA POWDER NOTES: I like using Hershey’s regular unsweetened cocoa powder because it’s affordable, easy to find, and has a good chocolate flavor. I do not recommend substituting Dutched or special dark cocoa powder. Both Dutched and special dark cocoa powder have a different acidity level, which affects the taste and texture of your cake.
BUTTER ALTERNATIVES: Coconut oil or any neutral-tasting oil may be substituted for the butter.
SWEETENER ALTERNATIVES: Light brown sugar may be substituted for the coconut sugar or granulated sugar.
MILK ALTERNATIVES: Any milk may be substituted for the nonfat milk.
GLUTEN-FREE OPTION: For the gluten-free flour, use as follows: ½ cup (60g) millet flour, ¼ cup (30g) brown rice flour, ¼ cup (30g) tapioca flour, and ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum. Many store-bought gluten-free flour blends (I like this one from Bob's Red Mill) will also work, if measured like this.
REGULAR OVEN METHOD: Preheat the oven to 300°F. Coat a 9"-round cake pan with nonstick cooking spray. Spread all of the batter evenly into the pan, and bake at 300°F for 32-37 minutes, or until the center is just barely set. Cool completely to room temperature in the pan before slicing and serving.
HOW TO STORE: The cake should last for at least four days if stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container or tightly sealed inside of plastic wrap.
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat}
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I'd love to hear what you think of it in a comment below! If you take a picture, tag @amys.healthy.baking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.