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5.0 from 24 votes

Healthy Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting

This Healthy Yellow Cake is fluffy, moist, and lathered in perfectly sweet chocolate frosting. It tastes so good that no one will ever know it's lightened up! I can guarantee it will become your new go-to cake recipe.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
40 mins
Servings: 9
Calories: 189 kcal
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Yellow Cake
  • 6 Tbsp unsalted butter (84g) room temp *see notes
  • 1/4 cup monk fruit sweetener* (48g) or sugar
  • 1/4 cup golden monk fruit sweetener* (48g) or brown sugar
  • 2.5 tsp Cake Batter Extract
  • 1 large egg or flax egg to make vegan
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce (122g)
  • 1 cup yellow cake mix (128g) GF if needed
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (30g)
  • 1/4 cup vanilla or cake protein powder (30g) or more flour
  • 1/8 tsp salt
Chocolate Frosting
  • 2/3 cup cocoa powder (53g)
  • 1/2 cup powdered monk fruit sweetener* (72g) or regular powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (60g) or milk of choice
  • 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup (30g)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 8x8-inch baking dish with parchment paper and/or spray with cooking spray.
  2. In a large bowl, add the butter, both sweeteners and the cake batter extract; beat with a hand mixer or whisk until smooth. Add the egg and applesauce and beat again. Then add in the cake mix, flour, protein powder and salt and mix just until dry ingredients are incorporated.
  3. Pour batter into the prepared dish and even out so the top is smooth.
  4. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the center is almost set. (You want it a little gooey in the center for a more moist texture! It will still bake in the hot dish when removed out of the oven). Let the cake cool to room temperature before frosting.
Chocolate Frosting:
  1. Combine all ingredients with a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer until smooth. Add frosting to the cake soon after mixing (it will stiffen up when you place it in the fridge and the longer it sits). Best eaten chilled in my opinion but Simon prefers it best at room temperature. Do what suits your liking!

Notes

  • To make gluten-free: use 1:1 gluten-free flour like Bob's Red Mill or King Arthur and gluten-free cake mix!
  • To make dairy-free: use dairy-free butter, a plant-based protein powder (or replace with more flour) and dairy-free milk.
  • To make vegan: do same as above and also substitute the egg for a flax egg (1 tbsp ground flax mixed with 2.5 tbsp water)
  • How To Store
  • To maximize the shelf life of the cake, place it in a covered airtight container or cover with plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out.
  • • Cake at room temperature will last 1-2 days• Cake in the fridge will last 1 week• Cake in the freezer will last 4 month
  • Butter notes: Original recipe used light butter instead of regular butter which you can still use (it works well for this recipe!) Using light butter will bring the fat down to 5g per serving (protein and carbs stay the same).
  • *Nutrition calculated using monk fruit sweetener. 

Nutrition Information

Serving 1slice (82g) Calories 189kcal (9%) Carbohydrates 22g (7%) Protein 5g (10%) Fat 9g (14%) Saturated Fat 5.2g (26%) Fiber 1.5g (6%) Sugar 4g (8%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 9Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 189

% Daily Value*

Serving 1slice (82g)
Calories 189kcal 9%
Carbohydrates 22g 7%
Protein 5g 10%
Fat 9g 14%
Saturated Fat 5.2g 26%
Fiber 1.5g 6%
Sugar 4g 8%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.