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Home » Healthy Chocolate Cake

Chocolate

Healthy Chocolate Cake

Created On: June 6, 2021  |  Updated: January 29, 2023  |   107 Comments

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This healthy chocolate cake is super moist, and chocolaty. It’s made a little healthier with whole wheat flour and sweetened with honey or coconut sugar. It can also easily be made gluten-free and vegan!

This chocolate cake is seriously moist and because it’s whole grain and honey- or coconut sugar-sweetened, it’s healthier than your traditional chocolate cake, but you won’t miss out on taste!

It’s every bit as delicious as the best chocolate cake you’ve ever had.

healthy chocolate cake slice on white plate

Traditional or a healthy version?

You have options with this terrific cake. You can make a classic non-healthy cake or a healthier cake that tastes just like a traditional one. But why not make it as healthy as possible when it tastes just as great?!

You can use:

  • Regular flour, whole wheat or gluten-free flour
  • Regular eggs or chia eggs
  • Regular sugar, coconut sugar, or honey
  • Whatever neutral tasting oil you like

In this recipe, I have listed a lot of options for flour, sweetener and eggs. Each version is just as delicious, but you can tell a difference between the version with 1 cup of honey versus 2 cups of granulated / coconut sugar.

ingredients for making healthy chocolate cake

The honey version is clearly less sweet than the other one but covered with the frosting, I think it’s still sweet enough!

In case you’d like to make this cake egg-free or vegan, you can make this healthy chocolate cake with chia eggs. It works great.

Additionally, you have several choices for flour: whole wheat, white whole wheat, whole spelt or all-purpose flour. I’ve tried them all, and they all work.

For a gluten-free version, I used my favorite gluten-free baking mix, this one from Bob’s Red Mill. Other brands might work in this recipe, but I can’t guarantee it because I haven’t tested it.

cake being lifted up on cake server

There’s a huge difference in baking times depending on which combination of flour, sugar and egg you use. 

I was so surprised and sure that I was mistaken, I baked another round of cakes that same night. The different baking times for the cakes were correct, and I had a lot of fabulous cakes to eat. It’s a good thing they freeze well. 😉

healthy chocolate cake with chocolate curls on top

The Frosting

When I originally posted this recipe, I posted it as a 9″x13″ cake with a different frosting recipe. It was a mix of cocoa powder, honey or maple syrup, coconut oil, and nut butter to create some healthy chocolate fudge frosting.

Chocolate Avocado Frosting Option

But it was too runny to fill this layer cake, so I went with a different option. What you see on this cake is my Chocolate Avocado Frosting.

You can find the recipe along with the cake recipe below, but be sure to check out the post about it on my other blog for more details and substitution questions. Read more here → Chocolate Avocado Frosting

Cream Cheese Frosting Option

If you don’t mind some powdered sugar, this Healthier Cream Cheese Frosting is amazing on this cake! The yield is perfect for this healthy chocolate cake if you want to fill just the middle and slather some on top, like you see in the photos. 

If you want to frost the sides as well, use these amounts:

  • 16 ounces (450 grams) cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup (56 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 1/3 cups (160 grams) powdered sugar, sifted if lumpy
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extractclose-up of healthy chocolate cake

Chocolate Fudge Frosting Option

I’ve also made this cake with my Paleo Vegan Chocolate Fudge Frosting and it so rich and luscious! It uses chocolate chips so it’s not refined sugar-free but still not terribly unhealthy, in comparison to other recipes.

Double the recipe if you want enough to fill the middle + the top. Triple it if you want to have enough for the sides.

3-ingredient Whipped Ganache Option

This Vegan Chocolate Frosting just uses chocolate chips, coconut milk and salt. That’s it! It’s really easy to make. It yields enough to fill the middle, top and sides and looks like this.

chocolate fudge frosting

Topping Ideas

I went with chocolate curls for a classy look. Some other natural topping ideas would be fresh berries or even crushed dried raspberries.

I’ve read about ColorKitchen Rainbow Sprinkles from Nature, but I haven’t tried them (we don’t have them in Germany, so I’d have to order them from the US). If you have tips on good naturally colored sprinkles, please send them my way!

Chopped nuts are also a nice choice.

The Piping

If you want to get fancy with the frosting and want to make some designs, you’ll need about 1.5x the frosting. You won’t use all of it, but you can freeze it without a problem. You’ll also need to chill it long enough so that it’s firm enough to pipe.

If you are new to piping and want to learn more, I found this Piping 101 Manual that I thought would be pretty helpful.

cut into healthy chocolate cake

Questions about this cake?

Can I use a different egg replacer?
I’ve only tried chia eggs in this cake, and I was quite surprised that it worked. I often have problems with egg subs in cakes. It’s possible that other egg replacers would
work if you’ve used them in other cake recipes with good results, but I can’t be positive as I haven’t tested it.

Can I really use any type of oil for the cake?
You can use any neutral-tasting oil like light olive oil, canola oil, vegetable oil, or grapeseed oil, etc. If you use unrefined coconut oil, you will likely taste some coconut in your cake. If you use refined, you won’t taste the coconut at all. So, I recommend refined coconut oil (but you should definitely melt it).

If you use olive oil, can you taste it in the cake?

I used extra-virgin olive oil, which you can taste in the batter and when the cake is hot out the oven. But once the cake cools, you won’t taste it at all. I used Aldi or Lidl extra-virgin olive oil, it wasn’t a super expensive or strong one. If you’re worried about it, use light olive oil (the light refers to the taste and not calories).

Can I use butter?

You probably could, but know that the cake won’t be as moist because butter is 80-82% fat and oil is 100% fat.

If I make the GF version, can I use a different gluten-free flour mix?

I used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour, and the cake was fabulous. If you have found a different brand that works as a sub for all-purpose flour, then it could work here. But I can’t guarantee it’d be as perfect both in texture and taste as Bob’s version.
You cannot use almond flour, coconut flour, or any other grain-free flour for this recipe. It’s just totally ridiculous that I haven’t got a paleo chocolate cake recipe, but I’m working on it!

full healthy chocolate cake on cake stand

Does the GF version taste gluten-free?

Not at all! This cake tastes just like it was made using regular all-purpose flour. At least that’s true with the gluten-free flour mix I used and after the cake has cooled off.

Does the whole wheat version taste like cardboard?

Absolutely not! This whole wheat chocolate cake tastes like it was made with regular all-purpose flour. The cocoa powder, oil and sugar cover-up that wheaty taste that makes most whole wheat cakes a little less exciting. No worries with this one if you follow the recipe and use the recommended ingredients.

Can I reduce the sugar?

Reducing sugar also reduces moisture, so unless you prefer a dry cake, don’t go overboard. Don’t try reducing the sugar to 1/2 cup or some absurd small amount, because it won’t be terrific like the cake we have here today. I think using 1 1/2 cups of sugar would be fine, but I don’t recommend stretching it beyond that.

The honey version already has a reduced amount (1 cup of honey instead of 2 cups of sugar), so I don’t recommend reducing it more than that!

step by step process shots of how to make healthy chocolate cake

Can I use something other than the listed sweeteners?

I’ve only made this cake with the listed sweeteners and haven’t tried anything else. So those are the only ones that I know will work 100% of the time.
I’m guessing that any liquid sweetener that you’d normally use in place of honey would probably work. And any granulated sweetener that you’d usually use in place of granulated sugar would probably work as well. If you decide to replace the sweeteners, then I would love confirmation that it went well so I can add some suggestions.

Can I freeze the cake layers or the whole cake?

Yes, you can freeze the unfrosted layers or even the whole cake! Let them thaw in the fridge overnight, so the cake is ready to frost when you are about to serve.
This healthy chocolate cake has the perfect chocolate flavor and is so insanely moist that you may never bake a traditional chocolate cake again.

That’s it! I hope you enjoy this scrumptious cake. Should you try it, I’d love to hear how it goes. 🙂 Just tag #fooddoodlesrecipes so I can find them easily and I’d love to see your pics 📸, too!

5 from 40 votes

Healthy Chocolate Cake (whole wheat, gluten-free, vegan options)

Author Erin @ Food Doodles
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 8 slices
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 25 mins
This healthy chocolate cake is super moist, made a little healthier with whole wheat flour and is honey-sweetened. Can also be made gluten-free or vegan!

Ingredients
  

Cake:

  • 1 cup (320 grams) honey* or 2 cups (375 gram) coconut sugar or 2 cups (400 grams) granulated sugar
  • 1 3/4 cups (210 grams) whole spelt flour, whole wheat flour, white whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour or 1 3/4 cups (236 gram) Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 gluten-free baking flour for a gluten-free version
  • 3/4 cup (85 grams) cocoa powder (I prefer Dutch-process)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs (50 grams each, out of shell) or 2 chia eggs** for vegan
  • 1 cup (240 milliliters) milk of choice***
  • 1/2 cup (120 milliliters) olive oil (or another neutral-tasting vegetable oil that's liquid at room temp)
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (240 milliliters) boiling water (this is not a typo!)

Frosting: (see post for different options)

  • flesh of 1 avocado (155 grams)
  • 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (72 grams) Dutch-process cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons, maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons (28 grams) refined coconut oil

Instructions

  • If using honey, preheat your oven to 325 °F (167 °C). If not using honey (which bakes quicker than sugar, hence the lower temperature), preheat to 350 °F (175 °C).
  • Line 2 round 8" cake pans with parchment paper on the bottom and then grease the sides of the pans.
  • In a large bowl, stir together the sugar (if using honey, don’t add it yet), flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
  • Add eggs, milk, honey (if using), olive oil and vanilla. Mix for 2 minutes on medium and then stir in the boiling water. The batter will be almost as thin as water. If you taste it, it will NOT taste good! But don't worry. It tastes great after baking.
  • Divide the batter between the two pans.
  • Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with some moist crumbs, but no uncooked liquid. The bake time will vary widely depending on what combination of sugar / eggs / flour you use. The whole wheat / egg / honey version is on the longer side. The gluten-free / chia egg / honey version is on the shorter side.
  • Let cool completely before frosting.

Chocolate Avocado Frosting:

  • Put all the ingredients (using 1/2 cup maple syrup) in a high-speed blender (or a small food processor) and blend until smooth. Taste and add up to another 2 tablespoons of maple syrup (I always do).
  • The frosting yields 2 cups + 1 tablespoon. That's enough for a two-layer 8" cake if you use about 3/4 cup to 1 cup for the middle and the other remaining cup on top.
  • The frosting will harden in the fridge but you can still cut it once it's on the cake. It will be too firm to spread once cold, so just gently reheat it if you need to spread it after it's been chilled.
  • It's best used on the day of making but can also be stored for up to 2 days in the fridge. The longer it sits, the more avocady it gets (it doesn't taste at all like avocado when you first make it). I only notice it after about 1 day.

Video

 

Notes

* If using raw honey that's crystallized, you can just measure it out into the bowl where you're mixing all the liquids, and let it sit for 5 minutes. That worked for me.
** To make the chia eggs for this recipe, mix together 2 tablespoons of ground chia seed with 6 tablespoons of water until well combined. Let sit for about 1-2 minutes or until goopy like regular eggs.
*** You can use whatever type of milk you'd like. If you use canned coconut milk, water it down using 1/3 cup coconut milk and 2/3 cup water so that it's runny like regular milk.
To make this cake vegan - use coconut sugar or granulated sugar (so - not honey!), dairy-free milk and the chia eggs option.
To make this cake dairy-free - use dairy-free milk.
To make it gluten-free - use the gluten-free flour listed.
Adapted from Hershey's One Bowl Chocolate Cake.
Tried this recipe?Tag me today! Mention @easywholesome or tag #easywholesome!

The recipe below was the frosting recipe originally used for a 9″x13″ cake. It is too runny for a layer cake. Use the chocolate avocado frosting recipe above or see the post for several more options!

5 from 9 votes

Chocolate Fudge Frosting

Print Recipe

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 cup (113 grams) refined coconut oil*
  • 1/2 cup (128 grams) natural peanut butter or another nut / seed butter (use the kind with just nuts / seeds and salt)
  • 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (72 grams) cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • salt to taste (be sure to add this! It really brings out the flavor)
  • 1/3 cup + 2 teaspoons maple syrup
  • if using sunflower seed butter: coconut sugar to taste (I used 5 teaspoons)

Instructions

  • Melt the coconut oil in a small pot or pan over low heat. Add the nut butter, cocoa powder, vanilla extract and salt and stir together. When it’s completely smooth, take it off the heat and add the maple syrup and stir until well combined.
  • If using sunflower seed butter, add coconut sugar to taste. Put the pot back on the burner and set to the lowest setting. Stir until the coconut sugar is dissolved.
  • If using another type of nut butter, you don't need additional sugar. Let cool until room temperature and then spread over the cooled cake.
  • Store the frosted cake in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Notes

* If you use unrefined / extra virgin coconut oil, the frosting will probably have some coconut flavor to it. With refined coconut oil, there's no coconut taste at all. You can't taste the olive oil once the cake is baked! 
Tried this recipe?Tag me today! Mention @easywholesome or tag #easywholesome!

posted in: Cakes, Chocolate, Dessert, Gluten-free, Kid-friendly

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    Comments & Reviews

  1. Bernadette Kueh says

    Am keen to try your healthier version!
    Can I use melted chocolate instead of cocoa powder?
    How much chocolate should be used and is there any adjustment needed to the recipe, as melted chocolate is liquid?

    Reply
    • Erin @ Food Doodles says

      I’m sorry for just now seeing your question! Unfortunately, using melted chocolate won’t work. I don’t believe melted chocolate would work in any chocolate cake (instead of cocoa powder), except a flourless cake, so I can’t even recommend you find a recipe already calling for that. So sorry. 🙁

      Reply
  2. Lydia van Dieren says

    Dear Erin,
    I would love to bake this cake for a good friends birthday.
    She doesn’t eat gluten and refined sugar. Did you try to honey + glutenfree flour version?
    If so, any tips?

    Reply
    • Erin @ Food Doodles says

      Hi Lydia! I’m so sorry for just now seeing your question. Yes, I’ve made the GF version with honey. I can’t think of any tips that aren’t in the post, or anything that was special about that version. It works as well as the other versions. 🙂 That is so nice of you to bake your friend a special cake! I hope that they’ll enjoy it. 🙂

      Reply
  3. Maylah-Belle says

    I made this for my friend who is on a sugar free diet. Turned out great! Cooked it for 35min in two 9 1/2 in. pans. I topped it with Honey Buttercream: https://www.recipestonourish.com/vanilla-honey-buttercream-frosting/

    It was amazing! Extremely moist and delicious!!!

    I would definitely recommend it! Thank you!

    Reply
    • Erin @ Food Doodles says

      You’re welcome! I’m really glad that you enjoyed it. 🙂 I love that website and will have to try out the frosting recipe! Thanks for the tip and for your feedback. 🙂

      Reply
  4. caroline says

    I topped this cake with a simple icing of cream cheese mixed with honey – a medium pot of cheap cream cheese and one or two of tablespoons of honey – delicious! I didn’t put the full amount of honey in the cake so it turned out pretty bitter, so to compensate, I made a delicious sauce to serve with each helping made from a medium sized pot of double cream mixed with around quarter of a jar of cheap runny honey. In addition, I scattered a bag of thawed out frozen cherries on top of my iced cake. I have to be honest and say I have never eaten such an amazing desert!

    Reply
    • Erin @ Food Doodles says

      I’m glad that you found a way to make it delicious! That sounds so tasty. 🙂 I’ll have to try that! Thanks a bunch for your comment!

      Reply
  5. caroline says

    I didn’t have enough honey and only put in just over half – not to be recommended – the cake was bitter and tasteless : (

    Reply
    • Erin @ Food Doodles says

      The honey version is already less sweet than the sugar version, so I highly recommend trying it again and using the amount of honey called for! Halving the amount of honey/sugar not only affects the taste (that’s why it was bitter), but also the texture. It’s less moist and more crumbly without the full amount of sweetener. I know you’re not complaining or anything but wanted to share that in case anyone else is considering reducing the amount of honey. 🙂

      Reply
  6. Melissa Symmonds says

    Quick question for you – I prefer to make this as a 9 x 13″ sheet cake. Do the cooking temperature and or time change any? I will be using honey and white whole wheat flour.

    I’d like to try your avocado frosting. Should I cut it back some to make a thin layer on the sheet cake? I hate to have a lot left over and we don’t each very many sweets.

    Reply
    • Erin @ Food Doodles says

      I’m very sorry for just now seeing your question! For a 9″x13″ pan – the bake time will vary widely depending on what combination of sugar / eggs / flour you use. The whole wheat / egg / honey version took 48 minutes. The gluten-free / chia egg / honey version only took 22 minutes. For the gluten-free or egg-free versions, I recommend to start checking at 20 minutes and then every 5 minutes after that. Otherwise, start checking at 30 minutes and every 5 minutes after that. Bake until a toothpick comes out with some moist crumbs, but no liquid. The frosting yields 2 cups + 1 tablespoon. That’s just enough for a thin layer on a 9×13. Sorry again for my slow reply!

      Reply
  7. veda says

    The cake turned out so so well – moist and just the right amount of sweetness (used the honey+wheat (and Indian ragi) flour combination). Added sliced strawberries all around the top. Took it to a family party and everyone loved it! Thank you!

    Reply
    • Erin @ Food Doodles says

      You’re welcome! I’m glad that everyone loved it. Strawberries is a great idea! Thank you so much for your comment. 🙂

      Reply
  8. Michaela says

    5 stars
    It worked! Spelt flour and honey-rose perfectly and I added a ganash with chocolate chips just to sweeten it up a bit for my 5 yr old (and add sprinkles). Thanks for the great recipe

    Reply
    • Erin @ Food Doodles says

      You’re welcome! I’m so happy that it came out well. 🙂 Thanks for your feedback and I’m sorry for just now seeing it!

      Reply
  9. Miranda says

    5 stars
    The cake is moist and tasty. I used about 1.25 cup coconut sugar as my senior friends do not eat a lot of sweets. It is sweet enough for them. I made my own chocolate cream cheese frosting that goes well with this cake. Thank you for a great recipe!

    Reply
  10. Val says

    5 stars
    I used honey, whole milk and pastry flour and it turned out SO FLUFFY and delicious! Thank you!

    Reply
    • Erin @ Food Doodles says

      I’m so sorry for just now seeing your comment! I just found a bunch of comments in spam for some reason. :/ I’m really glad that you enjoyed the cake and that it came out so fluffy! Thanks a bunch for your feedback. 🙂

      Reply
  11. Val says

    5 stars
    One of the best cakes ever, thank you for this recipe! I used honey, whole milk and pastry flour and it turned out SO FLUFFY and delicious! Thank you!

    Reply
    • Erin @ Food Doodles says

      I’m so sorry for just now seeing your comment! I just found a bunch of comments in spam for some reason. :/ I’m really glad that you enjoyed the cake and that it came out so fluffy! Thanks a bunch for your feedback. 🙂

      Reply
  12. Lily says

    This cake was amazing, so moist and decadent, I could not stop eating it!! I will be making this recipe again!

    Reply
  13. Stephanie says

    I learned so much new information while making this cake! It was so delicious and I love that it is so healthy!

    Reply
  14. Lisalia says

    I’m here for anything that’s chocolate AND healthy! This cake was incredibly delicious. thank you!

    Reply
  15. Ilana Ostrovsky says

    5 stars
    I haven’t tasted yet but cakes came out awesome and smell divine! I used whole wheat flour, olive oil, dark brown moscavado sugar and coconut milk.
    I am going to frost using Chocti; a dairy free chocolate, date and ghee spread that tastes better than regular frosting!
    Thanks for a wonderful wholesome recipe!

    Reply
    • Erin @ Food Doodles says

      I’m so glad that it came out well! I hope that the cake was as tasty as it smelled. 🙂 Thanks for the tip on the frosting! I’ve never heard of it but it sounds perfect for me. You’re welcome for the recipe and thanks so much for your feedback!

      Reply
  16. Jess says

    I used flaxseed instead of chia for eggs and it is more like a soft brownie but still gorg ,not sure how much will be left after we’ve ate tea and start in this. 🤣 Also used coocnit flour and coconut sugar and honey in replacement of maple syrup.

    Reply
    • Erin @ Food Doodles says

      I’m sorry for just now seeing your comment! I hope it was tasty. 🙂 It shouldn’t be like a brownie. Next time I recommend using a scale so that you make sure you don’t use too much flour. Thanks for your feedback!

      Reply
  17. Mariana C says

    Hi Erin,
    Thanks for sharing your recipe. Is there any difference between using cacao powder instead of cocoa?

    Reply
    • Erin @ Food Doodles says

      I haven’t tried it but in general, I find cacao to be more bitter. So perhaps the cake will be less sweet, but I can’t say for sure since I haven’t tried it. Please let me know if you give it a try, anyway!

      Reply
  18. Ashita says

    The best recipe ever!!! Made the whole wheat-Honey- Egg version for my health conscious husband.. it was a super super hit. Thank you so much. I’m going to try the Flax egg version now. Everything is so systematically explained with reasons and many alternatives with ingredients. Thanks a bunch once again

    Reply
    • Erin @ Food Doodles says

      I’m sorry for just now seeing your nice feedback! I’m so glad that you enjoyed it. 🙂 I hope that you’ll enjoy the egg-free version just as much! Thanks again for your nice comment. 🙂

      Reply
      • Ashita says

        Hey Erin, I made the version with flax egg and it was too good. Unbelievable how a cake turns so moist without eggs!

        Reply
  19. Allie Rose says

    Hello, I was wondering if I could use date syrup in replacement to honey? Excited to give this a try as I would love for the kids to have less refined sugar in their bakes!

    Reply
    • Erin @ Food Doodles says

      Hello! I’ve never used date syrup in something baked so I’m not quite sure. Sorry about that! If you do try it, please let me know how it goes. 🙂

      Reply
  20. SWATI GUPTA says

    Hi Erin,

    Thanks for the recipe. I had 2 questions before I try out the recipe 🙂

    1. What if I use 1/2 whole wheat flour and 1/2 all-purpose flour? Would I need to adjust any measurements per ingredient?

    2. I am planning to make a 6 inch version (can also go for 6 inch 2 tier, instead of 1 tier). In either case – how should I adjust the quantity of each ingredient?

    Reply
    • Erin @ Food Doodles says

      Hi there! I’m so sorry for just now seeing your questions. I somehow missed them. 🙁 1. You don’t need to make any adjustments if doing that. 2. Here’s a pan size chart. It looks like you’d need 66% of the full recipe for two 6″ pans. It might be easier to make the full recipe and make some as cupcakes. 🙂 Sorry again for my slow reply!

      Reply
  21. Annie says

    Amazing. I used maple syrup, whole wheat and olive oil in cake. Olive oil in avocado frosting. I’m a refined sugar free gal. 10/10. I can now indulge in chocolate cake goodness.

    Reply
    • Erin @ Food Doodles says

      I’m sorry for just now seeing your review! I’m really glad that you enjoyed the cake. It’s great to know that maple syrup works well. 🙂 Thanks a ton for your feedback!

      Reply
  22. Michelle Phelan says

    5 stars
    Excellent sugar free cake, tastes like the real thing, and so so moist!
    Piping the frosting on top have it the WOW factor!
    Thank you

    Reply
    • Erin @ Food Doodles says

      I’m so sorry for just now seeing this! I’m really glad that you enjoyed the cake. 🙂 Thanks a ton for your feedback!

      Reply
  23. Jennifer says

    5 stars
    This was AMAZING! I made the honey/egg version for my mom’s birthday (who doesn’t eat refined sugar) and was very surprised how good it was. Everyone loved it! Thank you so much!

    Reply
    • Erin @ Food Doodles says

      You’re welcome! I’m really glad that everyone loved it. 🙂 Thanks a ton for your feedback! I hope you mom had a great birthday.

      Reply
  24. Charlotte Moore says

    This looks delicious! So moist looking.

    Reply
  25. Mary says

    I was looking for exactly this recipe(moisture), I made it and loved it every one, I think does n’t need chocolate frosting because its taste is amazing ,The best cake for birthday! Highly recommend it.
    5 stars

    Reply
    • Erin @ Food Doodles says

      I’m so sorry for just now seeing this! I’m really glad that everyone enjoyed it. 🙂 And wow, no frosting! I’m glad you think so. 🙂 Thanks a ton for your feedback!

      Reply
  26. Colette says

    I made this recipe for my nephews birthday, It was a hit! Everyone loved it.
    My sister now has a copy of the recipe.
    Now a family favorite.
    5 stars

    Reply
    • Erin @ Food Doodles says

      I’m so glad to hear that everyone loved it! I hope your nephew had a great birthday. 🙂 Thanks a bunch for your feedback! And thanks for sharing the recipe.

      Reply
  27. Donna says

    Hi I will be making this today can’t wait!! Im just wondering for the frosting can I use butter instead of coconut oil? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Erin @ Food Doodles says

      I’m so sorry for just now seeing your question! Yes, that should work. I hope you’ll enjoy it! 🙂

      Reply
    • Erin @ Food Doodles says

      Oh, and it should be melted.

      Reply
  28. keshel jeena says

    I made the cake it was absolutely delicious. A perfect chocolate flavor.

    Reply
    • Erin @ Food Doodles says

      I’m so glad to hear that! Thanks for your feedback. 🙂

      Reply
  29. Teresa says

    I normally don’t read commentary with recipes but I really appreciated yours! I am always trying to make recipes healthier for my 3 toddlers but they don’t always turn out. I made your cake recipe for my daughter’s birthday and did 1/2 cup honey and 2/3 cup sugar and it turned out perfectly delicious!
    I frosted it with a chocolate black bean spread (1 can of black beans, 1/2 cup cocoa, 1/4 cup honey, 1/4 cup nut butter, and 1 scoop vanilla protein powder) and it was a huge hit! I put a thick layer of spread on and was happy letting the kids chow down.

    Thanks for posting this great recipe!

    Reply
    • Erin @ Food Doodles says

      You’re welcome! And thank you for taking the time to read the post and for leaving feedback. 🙂 Your chocolate bean frosting sounds really interesting! I’ll have to try that. Thanks again!

      Reply
  30. Sonal R K says

    5 stars
    The flavour and texture was nice thank you for the recipe

    Reply
    • Erin @ Food Doodles says

      You’re welcome! I’m really glad that you enjoyed it. 🙂 Thanks for your comment!

      Reply
  31. Chelsa says

    Hi! I’m curious how this cake recipe would do if I used Agave in place of honey/sugar? and Can coconut flour be used or should I stick to spelt flour?
    TIA excited to try!

    Reply
    • Erin @ Food Doodles says

      Hello! That’s an interesting question! I’ve never tried it but I’ve always found that agave is less sweet than honey (even though everything tells you that a 1:1 sub is possible). So I think it’d work structurally – it’d probably just be less sweet. Coconut flour isn’t at all interchangeable with wheat flour so definitely look for a coconut flour recipe if you prefer to use that. 🙂 I’d love to hear how the agave goes!

      Reply
  32. Louise Singleton says

    Hey

    Im thinking of making this cake for my sons 2nd bday, looks delicious and i love moist spelt choc cakes. Ive made some good ones before but I always forget my recipes and dont have time to stuff this up 😂 Just wondering if you think i can make it as nice without electric mixers cos I dont have any 🙁 only a handheld mixer/blender

    Thanks in advance
    Louise

    Reply
    • Erin @ Food Doodles says

      Hello! You can actually mix it by hand. There’s not really any need to mix for 2 minutes. It just needs to be totally combined. 🙂 I hope your son will enjoy it and have a happy birthday!

      Reply
  33. Shonali Bose says

    Hi Erin
    Thanks so much for your prompt response. One more quick question. I am having trouble finding a 9 by 13 by 2 inch cake pan in India believe it or not! That is what you said in the recipe that one should pour the batter in. We are still in lockdown and shops are not fully open. On Amazon (India) there are mostly circular pans – 7inch/7.5/8 inch by 2 inches. That would probably be too small for the batter in your recipe? Rectangular I am finding 8.5 x 4.3 x 2 inches. So also much smaller. The 7 inch circular pans make 1/2 kg (1,000 gram) cakes.
    I currently own 2 square pans – 8 by 8 inch pan and 7 by 7 inch pan.
    A lot of math!
    Any suggestions?
    Thanks a ton.
    Shonali

    Reply
    • Erin @ Food Doodles says

      Ah, sorry for just now seeing this! You can divide the batter in half and bake each half for 20-25 minutes. Or maybe even more depending on the combination of ingredients! We don’t have 9×13 pans here in Germany, either. I have to order it all from the US so that 90% of my readers have the correct baking times. Ugh.

      Reply
  34. Fran says

    Hoping to make this for my kid’s bday party! What do you think about using maple syrup instead of honey/sugar in the cake?

    Reply
    • Erin @ Food Doodles says

      That’s an interesting question! I’ve never tried it but I’ve always found that maple is less sweet than honey (even though everything tells you that a 1:1 sub is possible). So I think it’d work structurally – it’d probably just be less sweet. I’d love to hear how it goes!

      Reply
  35. Shonali Bose says

    Hi Erin
    I live in India and this will be my first time baking a cake ever! I’m excited to try this. I just had a quick question – is it okay to do a combo of spelt flour and whole wheat flour or should one just stick with one type of flour. I ask this – because i have 180 grams of spelt flour (Bob’s Mill) left over from making bread and would like to use it for this cake. (I successfully made my first loaf of bread ever following a recipe verbatim and am feeling empowered by that to try cake!)
    Or can one halve your ingredients and bake a smaller cake?
    I am only one person and since I might screw up the first time making a smaller one might be better!

    Also I found this healthy recipe for the frosting. In your experience – would this be okay on this cake? Simply a mixture of cocoa powder, greek yoghurt and honey.

    Thank youuuu.
    And I’ll write a review once I make the cake. 🙂

    Reply
    • Erin @ Food Doodles says

      Hi Shonali! Yes, you can use that mix. It should be no problem. The healthy icing should work fine. 🙂 Halving the cake is also no problem. I have no idea of the baking time, though. Or you could make the whole thing and freeze the leftovers. It freezes great! I hope that you’ll enjoy the cake and I would so love to hear how it comes out. Thank you! 🙂

      Reply
  36. Katie says

    Thanks so much for this Erin,.I have just made this for my son’s 2nd birthday. I split the mixture in 2 and made a 2 layer cake and will make some frosting for the middle.

    My cakes did come out a little bit more soft than I’m used to so were a bit tricky to place on top of one another. I wonder if they needed longer to cook? I tested with a skewer and there was no liquid.

    I used coconut sugar, normal flour, eggs and semi skimmed milk.

    Thanks

    Reply
    • Erin @ Food Doodles says

      You’re welcome! I hope that your son had a happy birthday and that he liked his cake. 🙂 Since the cake is so super moist, it’s pretty fragile, making it a little more cumbersome for layer cakes but I’ve done it often with good results. If there wasn’t any liquid, it was done. But if you thought it was too difficult to stack the layers, you could bake the cake a few minutes longer next time. Thanks for your feedback! 🙂

      Reply
  37. Erika says

    Great easy to follow recipe and tastes amazing – made it for my wife and she loved it 👍🏻

    Reply
    • Erin @ Food Doodles says

      I’m so glad she loved it! Thanks for your feedback. 🙂

      Reply
  38. ROBYN says

    It looks so great! One of the prettiest cake I’ve ever done! But I am even stop my son for it because he love it much.

    Reply
    • Erin @ Food Doodles says

      I’m really happy that you and your son enjoyed it! Thanks for your comment. 🙂

      Reply
  39. Juliana says

    Hi! Do you know about how many slices this cake yields? Just wondering about calories and stuff.

    Thank you for the recipe! It’s amazing

    Reply
    • Erin @ Food Doodles says

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I’m sorry for just now seeing your question. It yields about 12-16 but it depends on how you cut it. 🙂

      Reply
  40. Fitria says

    Hey. If I substitute the milk with greek yogurt, will it change the consistency? Thanks

    Reply
    • Erin @ Food Doodles says

      It would! I think it might make it a bit dense, but I’m not totally sure. If you try it anyway, I’d love to hear how it comes out.

      Reply
  41. Sonakshi Saxena says

    Hey.. thanks for the recipe. Going to try it out! Can we use honey instead of maple syrup in the frosting?

    Reply
    • Erin @ Food Doodles says

      I’m sorry for just now seeing this! Yes, that should work but the frosting may have some honey taste to it. Not that that’s a bad thing!

      Reply
  42. Elizabeth McKevitt Perez says

    I am SO very impressed!! This cake was fluffy and moist and with great flavor! The combo I used was regular flour, olive oil, honey and eggs. I used a food scale for the first time, instead of just measuring cups. Baked it at 325 for 40 minutes. To be honest I was a little thrown by the not so great flavor of the liquid batter, with the olive oil. But! After baking you couldn’t taste the olive oil at all. My high school sons gobbled up half the cake before I had even put the frosting on, they said it didn’t need any. I had to agree! We left the frosting on the side. I’m personally not a huge fan of chocolate with peanut butter (gasp – I know) so the frosting wasn’t my most favorite, but it still was pretty yummy. This surely will be a recipe I will use again and again! Thank you!!

    Reply
    • Erin @ Food Doodles says

      I’ve been meaning to add a note about how the batter doesn’t taste good. Thanks for the reminder! I just added it. I’m so glad that you and your boys enjoyed the cake! And how awesome that you’ll make it again and again. That’s always nice to hear! Thanks a bunch for your feedback. 🙂

      Reply
  43. Kristin says

    5 stars
    I rarely comment on these recipe blogs, but I wanted to let you know I made this and it’s delicious! Used whole wheat flour and raw sugar. So satisfying, filling, moist, and chocolatey. Thanks for posting!

    Reply
    • Erin @ Food Doodles says

      You’re welcome and thank you for taking the time to leave feedback! I really appreciate it. 🙂 I’m so happy you liked the cake! Thanks again.

      Reply
  44. Holly says

    Just made this last night. It is excellent! I didn’t make the icing and it doesn’t even need it. I used coconut sugar and avocado oil. SO GOOD!

    Reply
    • Erin @ Food Doodles says

      Yay! I’m so glad that you enjoyed it! Thanks a ton (as always!) for leaving feedback. 🙂

      Reply
      • Holly says

        Hey Erin, I just made this for the fourth time and this is the first time I’ve done the vegan version. I don’t know what happened but I had to throw the whole thing out. I’ve used chia eggs so many times in different baked goods and have had great success. This was a suuuuper gummy and wet and just basically not edible. I know it’s not your recipe it has to be something I did although I’m a pretty experienced gluten-free/Paleo baker (but not like you 😉). I didn’t do anything different than I have all the other times accept losing the eggs and I always weigh everything in grams according to your recipe. I used BOB’s 1:1 for gluten free plus coconut sugar as I have the other times. Your recipe called for two eggs so I made two chia eggs. I used 4 TBS ground chia and 12 Tbs water doubling your instructions for one chia egg ( because the recipe calls for two eggs). Did I do something wrong there? It seemed like a lot of liquid to be adding. I’m so bumbed that I had to toss this 🙁 Hoping you can shed some light for me. By the way, I subscribed to food doodles but I haven’t received anything. I’m also subscribed to Texanerin but I don’t get emails for new recipes or anything from there either. It just dawned on me so I thought I would let you know so maybe you could check. Thanks so much and happy holidays! I made your gingerbread cookies and pecan bars from the other site for Thanksgiving and they were delish!!!

        Reply
        • Erin @ Food Doodles says

          Hi Holly! I’m sorry for just now seeing this. That’s the amount for both eggs – I’m so, so sorry! You should have used 2 tbsp chia + 6 tbsp water. I feel absolutely sick about this. If I didn’t live in Germany, I’d try to send you a replacement cake. 🙁

          I’m subscribed to both email lists with different accounts and always get them. Have you checked your spam? If on Gmail, you should check your Promotions tab because they land there. I’m glad that you liked the pecan pie bars and gingerbread cookies! Thanks for letting me know and a thousand times sorry about this cake. 🙁

          Reply
  45. Holly Sale says

    Erin, I’m such a fan..my tastebuds would follow you anywhere! I checked this site from the link I received because I’m subscribed to Texanerin. Do I need to subscribe here to receive your new posts or will I get them because I’m subscribed to your other site? Looking forward to trying this yummy cake and all your other amazing concoctions!

    Reply
    • Erin @ Food Doodles says

      Thank you for coming over here to check out the site! 🙂 I’m so happy you’re interested. You won’t get posts from Food Doodles without signing up for the newsletter first. I should have mentioned that in my post on Texanerin Baking! Thanks for pointing that out. On the right side of any page on Food Doodles, at the top of the sidebar, there’s a place where you can put in your email address to sign up for the newsletter. Thank you! 🙂

      Reply
  46. heather says

    I wonder if I could use almond flour in this…and maybe sub erythritol? I think I need to go to the store and get some ingredients here… It sounds amazing!!!

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Almond flour isn’t really interchangeable with non-nut flours / meals. :/ And I don’t have any idea about the erythritol. Sorry about that!

      Reply
  47. Zuzana says

    Happy you are here Erin. Looking forward to so many wonderful recipes

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Thanks so much! 🙂

      Reply
  48. linda spiker says

    What a gorgeous cake! I would drench it in cold milk!

    Reply
  49. jenna | the urben life says

    I love chocolate cake!! Love the vegan options 🙂 Bob’s Red Mill products are the best!

    Reply
  50. paleoglutenfreeguy says

    That looks like the perfect chocolate cake but what I really can’t wait to try is that frosting!

    Reply
  51. Cheryl Malik says

    This is such a beautiful cake. Oh, wow! Yummy!

    Reply
  52. Hope says

    Congratulations on taking over a new blog Erin! What better way than with a chocolate cake. Love how moist this looks and all the different options you have given – thanks. I will be trying the gluten free option!

    Reply
  53. Raia Todd says

    Looks so delicious! I bet I could eat that frosting with a spoon, too… 😉

    Reply
  54. ChihYu says

    Healthy chocolate cake that’s delicious and moist? Sold!!

    Reply
  55. Jean Choi says

    Drooling over this cake! So moist and perfect. Also, your kiddo is so cute!!

    Reply
  56. Joni Gomes says

    Omg the texture of this cake was amazing!! At first I wasn’t sure about the olive oil but it worked out perfectly!

    Reply
  57. Megan Stevens says

    Wow, super excited for your recipes and congrats on the new blog. Your photos are gorgeous, and I can tell your recipes are indeed tested and tested and perfect! Cheers!

    Reply
  58. Charlotte Moore says

    WOW!! What a surprise! I am so surprised it is someone I already follow. CONGRATULATIONS!!!

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Haha. Hi Charlotte! I was betting I’d hear from you. 😉 (I’ve seen your comments over here before!) Thanks so much! I’m glad you’re still reading. 🙂

      Reply
  59. Heidi says

    Oh my goodness, this looks amazing! Perfect celebration cake ??. Your little guy is so cute! I can hardly believe he’s almost 2 already! That’s a great picture of you two ? ❤️

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Thanks so much! I’m so happy you like my first post. 🙂 Thanks again for everything! <3

      Reply

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