Healthy Dessert | Low-Calorie Chocolate Cake Recipes

Satisfy your chocolate cravings with these healthy cake recipes for 250 calories or less per serving.

There's no better way to indulge your sweet tooth than with chocolate cake. You can feel good about eating dessert with these low-calorie chocolate cake recipes that are sure to impress. Maybe you're in the mood for a fudgy chocolate pudding cake or a decadent chocolate cheesecake. Luckily, these healthy chocolate cake recipes will satisfying your dessert cravings without spoiling your diet. Try our One-Bowl Chocolate Cake for the next time friends come to dinner or our Chocolate-Cinnamon Sheet Cake with Almond Cream for a lightened-up chocolate birthday cake.

1. Hot Fudge Pudding Cake

Serve this dense, fudgy pudding cake with vanilla frozen yogurt.

 12 servings 

Active Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup nonfat milk
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup pecan halves, toasted (see Tip)
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/3 cups hot strong coffee

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly coat an 8-by-8-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Stir together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Combine milk, egg, oil and vanilla in a glass measuring cup. Make a well in center of the dry ingredients and gradually pour in the milk mixture, stirring until combined. Stir in pecans. Spoon into the prepared pan and spread evenly.
3. Dissolve brown sugar in coffee; spoon over batter. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes; serve hot or warm.

Tips & Notes

• Tip: To toast pecan halves: Spread nuts on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F, stirring once, until fragrant, 7 to 9 minutes.

Nutrition

Per serving: 142 calories; 5 g fat ( 1 g sat , 3 g mono ); 18 mg cholesterol; 24 g carbohydrates; 2 g protein; 1 g fiber; 204 mg sodium; 114 mg potassium.
Carbohydrate Servings: 1 1/2
Exchanges: 1 1/2 other carbohydrate, 1 fat

2. One-Bowl Chocolate Cake

12 servings

Active Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole-wheat pastry flour, (see Ingredient Note)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup nonfat buttermilk, (see Tip)
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup hot strong black coffee
• Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-inch round cake pan with cooking spray. Line the pan with a circle of wax paper.
2. Whisk flour, granulated sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Add buttermilk, brown sugar, egg, oil and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add hot coffee and beat to blend. (The batter will be quite thin.) Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
3. Bake the cake until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes; remove from the pan, peel off the wax paper and let cool completely. Dust the top with confectioners’ sugar before slicing.

Tips & Notes

• Ingredient Note: Whole-wheat pastry flour, lower in protein than regular whole-wheat flour, has less gluten-forming potential, making it a better choice for tender baked goods. You can find it in the natural-foods section of large super markets and natural-foods stores. Store in the freezer.
• Tip: No buttermilk? You can use buttermilk powder prepared according to package directions. Or make “sour milk”: mix 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup milk.

Nutrition

Per serving: 139 calories; 3 g fat ( 1 g sat , 2 g mono ); 18 mg cholesterol; 26 g carbohydrates; 2 g protein; 2 g fiber; 212 mg sodium; 60 mg potassium.
Carbohydrate Servings: 1 1/2
Exchanges: 1 1/2 other carbohydrate

3.Glazed Chocolate-Pumpkin Bundt Cake

16 servings

Active Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 3 1/2 hours (including cooling time)

Ingredients

Cake

• 1 cup all-purpose, flour
• 3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, (not Dutch-process)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup nonfat buttermilk
• 1 15-ounce can unsweetened pumpkin puree
• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1 large egg white, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Glaze & Garnish

• 1/2 cup packed confectioners' sugar
• 1 tablespoon nonfat buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips, or toasted chopped nuts

Preparation

1. To prepare cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 12-cup Bundt pan with cooking spray.
2. Whisk all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, granulated sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice and salt in a medium bowl.
3. Blend 1 cup buttermilk, pumpkin puree and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on low speed. Beat in whole egg and egg white. Stir in oil, corn syrup and vanilla. Gradually add the dry ingredients, stirring until just combined. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan.
4. Bake the cake until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove from the pan and let cool completely on the rack, about 2 hours.
5. To glaze & garnish cake: Combine confectioners' sugar and 1 tablespoon buttermilk in a small bowl, stirring until completely smooth. Place the cake on a serving plate and drizzle the glaze over the top; garnish with chocolate chips (or chopped nuts) while the glaze is still moist.

Tips & Notes

• Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 4 up to 1 day ahead. Glaze and garnish (Step 5) shortly before serving. Equipment: 12-cup Bundt pan

• Tips: To warm an egg to room temperature, either set it out on the counter for 15 minutes or submerge it (in the shell) in a bowl of lukewarm (not hot) water for 5 minutes.
• To toast chopped nuts & seeds: Cook in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.

Nutrition

Per serving: 234 calories; 5 g fat ( 1 g sat , 3 g mono ); 13 mg cholesterol; 46 g carbohydrates; 4 g protein; 3 g fiber; 238 mg sodium; 159 mg potassium.
Carbohydrate Servings: 3
Exchanges: 3 other carbohydrate, 1 fat

Source: www.eatingwell.com