An easy healthy chocolate cake with applesauce instead of eggs, fluffy and dark, lower in calories and more delicious than the rich chocolate ganache cakes served in gourmet restaurants. Yet this cake is ready in 30 minutes. A healthier cake perfect for holidays and birthdays.
This easy healthy chocolate cake with applesauce makes a delicious two-layer cake that has no eggs, oil, or butter and yet has the perfect cake texture and flavor thanks to pumpkin puree and applesauce.
The perfect cake for a holiday or birthday, this healthy chocolate layer cake recipe produces a tender crumb, and the deep chocolate flavor is amazing. I frosted it with an avocado chocolate frosting or I sometimes use my chocolate fudge frosting which is also the perfect finish.
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Why You'll Love this Cake
It tastes incredible. This eggless chocolate cake tastes like a soft yet rich chocolate cake, and you cannot taste the veggie puree and apple sauce. Enjoy a slice with my easy iced coffee or a hot pumpkin spice latte.
It's for all diets. This healthy chocolate cake is perfect for those who need a cake to be eggless and to be vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free or oil-free.
It's nourishing. The addition of the veggie puree, and lack of processed oils made this cake a source of nutrients not usually present in a traditional cake. And the lightness of the cake, lower carbs and calorie count help you feel great after eating it, not weighed down, and no sugar rush.
Ingredients Needed
- flour - oat flour or use all-purpose flour or gluten-free baking flour.
- cocoa powder - dark dutch processed is best for a dark color but regular cocoa is also fine.
- organic cane sugar - I use organic because it tastes better, but regular works.
- baking powder
- baking soda
- salt
- dairy free milk + lemon juice - combine and allow to sit a few minutes to curdle and create a buttermilk.
- pumpkin puree - Use canned, not pumpkin pie filling. Or use canned sweet potato puree.
- unsweetened applesauce - This is a very effective egg replacer because applesauce contains pectin which serves as a binder as egg does in baking recipes.
- vanilla
- coffee (optional) - A little brewed coffee brings out a deeper chocolate flavor, raising the cake to the level of a fancy gourmet restaurant dessert.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions
Flour. I used all purpose flour here, but oat flour can be used, just use a bit more such as 2 cups. Gluten-free baking flour can also be used instead.
Applesauce. Applesauce is the egg-replacer. Other egg-replacers are aquafaba, the liquid from a can of unsalted chickpeas, or flax seed eggs.
Veggie puree. You can use canned pumpkin puree, canned sweet potato puree, or even grated zucchini, pressed dry with paper towels.
Steps by Step Instructions
For more detail, visit the complete recipe at the bottom of this post, but here are general steps.
It's easy to make this eggless chocolate cake in one bowl.
- Begin by prepping pans and activating milk by adding lemon juice and preheating oven.
- Mix together sugar and wet ingredients, and then add dry ingredients.
- Pour the batter into cake pans and bake 25-30 minutes.
- Let cool for a ten minutes in pans, then put cakes onto a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
Recipe Tips
1. Be sure to add the lemon juice to the milk and let it curdle for a few minutes. This is basically a homemade buttermilk which creates a reaction with baking soda and helps the cake rise without eggs.
2. For the main egg replacer, I use unsweetened applesauce in this cake, but could have also used aquafaba, the liquid from a can of unsalted chickpeas, or flax eggs as an egg replacer.
3. Oil isn't the worst ingredient to consume but it is highly processed, so I made this cake without oil, using unsweetened applesauce and pumpkin puree to provide the moisture instead.
Storage
Store this cake at room temperature, loosely covered and frosted. It will be okay for about 2 days before it will begin to dry out. Refrigerate it or slices in sealed contaienrs for a week. Or you can also freeze the cake before frosting it for months.
How to Frost
Frost this cake with any flavor frosting including my fudge frosting, cookie dough frosting or even my fluffy white frosting.
Or frost the cake with a chocolate avocado frosting by frosting the cake with my chocolate avocado mousse. It totally works!
FAQS
The healthy ingredients include pumpkin puree, applesauce and milk with lemon juice. Overall, this cake is eggless, and has more protein, fiber and essential minerals than the classic chocolate cake recipe does. And it does not have any processed oils.
The sugar is actually lower than in a traditional chocolate cake, but you can reduce the sugar by ¼ cup and the cake will still work well, especially with oat flour.
Yes, this recipe makes 12 cupcakes, baked at 350 F for 14 minutes.
This recipe fills two 6-inch cake pans, which is our favorite size. But if you want to use two 8-inch pans, just double the recipe. Alternatively, this recipe makes a deep cake using 1 (8-inch) square pan.
This chocolate fudge cake is done when the top is shiny and slightly cracked. The color will be nearly black depending on the dutch processed cocoa you use.
Other Cake Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Healthy Chocolate Cake with Applesauce
Equipment
- Measuring cups & spoons
- Hand mixer or stand mixer
- Mixing bowls
- Cooling rack
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour or 2 cups of oat flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder use dutch processed for darker color
- 1 cup cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon coffee instant granules or brewed
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup dairy free milk
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ⅓ cup canned pumpkin puree or sweet potato puree
- 3 tablespoon unsweetened applesauce or aquafaba or a flaxseed egg
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate Frosting:
- 4 cups organic powdered sugar
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder dutch processed cocoa for darker color
- 1 stick vegan butter or ½ cup of butter
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 5-7 teaspoon dairy free milk
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Instructions
Prep
- Preheat your oven to 350 F.
- Coat the inside of two (6-inch round) cake pans or 1 (8-inch square) pan with butter and dust with cocoa powder. Or double the recipe to use 2 (8-inch round) pans.
- Activate your milk by adding lemon juice to it and let it sit for 5 minutes.
Make cake
- To the large mixing bowl, add in the sugar, curdled milk, veggie puree, apple sauce and vanilla. Mix until combined, about 30 seconds.1 cup dairy free milk, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, ⅓ cup canned pumpkin puree, 3 tablespoon unsweetened applesauce, 2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 cup cane sugar
- To another bowl, add the flour/cocoa mixture, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Or add directly to the wet ingredients through a strainer.1 ½ cups all purpose flour, ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
- Combine the dry and wet mixtures, and mix until combined, but don't overmix.
- Add coffee if using. Pour the batter evenly into prepared cake pans.1 teaspoon coffee
- Bake 2 (6 inch round) cakes for 25-30 minutes. Bake 1 (8-inch square) pan for 35 minutes.
- Flatten warm cakes with a spatula or use flattening bands if you want flat layers.
- Let cool for a ten minutes in pans, then put cakes onto a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
Make frosting
- Add powdered sugar, cocoa powder, vegan butter, vanilla extract and 5 tablespoon of the milk to a large mixing bowl. If butter is cold, microwave it for 10 seconds to soften.4 cups organic powdered sugar, 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 stick vegan butter, 2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 5-7 teaspoon dairy free milk
- Use a hand-mixer or an electric mixer to combine. Add an additional 2 tablespoon of milk if you need to to create a creamy consistency. You can add more or less milk, but be careful, it can turn too liquidy very fast.
- Add frosting to a frosting bag with your chosen tip.
Assemble the cake
- Frost cakes or cupcakes
Store
- To store cakes or cupcakes in the freezer for a month, pack them unfrosted in a sealed container.Once frosted, the cake or cupcakes are fine at room temperature for about 3 days and then they begin to dry out.
Aline
Hi! Looks delicious - can I substitute white whole wheat, oat, or spelt flour for the all purpose?
Thanks!
Dee Dine
The recipe indicates you can use oat flour, just use a bit more. I use 2 cups in this recipe instead of all purpose. I haven't tried white whole wheat or spelt. I assume you can if those flours can replace all purpose in general.
Misha
Hi, can I use Bobs red mill gluten free 1 to 1 baking flour?
Dee Dine
Yes! Bob 1 to 1 GF baking flour is perfect for this recipe!
Jimmy
This cake is THE cake for me! I love fudgy cakes, but I can't have eggs. The pumpkin is GENIUS.
Dee Dine
Thank you for your feedback!