Thursday, August 18, 2011

Secretly Healthy Chocolate Cake

Man cannot survive on chocolate alone.

And that's why Woman was invented.


But Woman, however much she might like to inhale an entire pool of liquid chocolate from time to time, knows deep down that she should really explore the other food groups.

Well, never fear, ye sufferers of the affliction of chocolate cravings! Your cravings may be often and your will-power may be lacking, but now you can indulge your guilty pleasure without the guilt. Your conflicted staring contest with the giant bag of peanut m&ms is over. Yammie is here to save the day.

 

This is my new go-to chocolate cake recipe. It's fudgy, moist, and flavorful without being too greasy or dense. I promise you will not taste the applesauce, the whole wheat flour, or even the shredded zucchini. You will not miss the oil and butter. All you will know is that this is possibly the best and most chocolatey cake you have ever had. You will not be able to comprehend that this deliciousness can come to your plate at only about 100 calories per slice. Now when those cravings strike five times in a day, you can feel good about yourself. I mean, a girl needs her fruits and vegetables, right?

You really can trust me. I mean, you've seen the way I cook. Nutrition is not my main concern when it comes to desserts. So you can be assured that I would not give you this recipe unless it really was actually good and not just some bland, yucky health food.

Don't mind the wilted pink flower. I just snagged it from Mom's centerpiece on the table. 

Also check out the cupcake version of this cake with chocolate peanut butter frosting right here.
 

Secretly Healthy Chocolate Cake
I got the idea from Baltic Maid's zucchini brownies 

1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2/3 cup applesauce
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup shredded zucchini (carrots would also work)
1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350º.
Combine the flours, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, cocoa powder, and salt. Add the applesauce, egg, vanilla, and zucchini and chocolate chips and mix just until combined.
Pour into a well greased and floured bundt cake pan and bake for about 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
I glazed it with about 1/4 of a cup of powdered sugar mixed with about a teaspoon of milk and then I topped that with a few tablespoons of warmed up Nutella. It would be good dusted with powdered sugar too, or with whipped cream, or even plain.

47 comments:

  1. Sounds (and looks) great! Where do the chocolate chips come in? Are they optional to add in last?

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  2. That looks so amazing!!!! I am going to have to make this and not tell anyone that its secretly healthy!!!

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  3. What a delectable healthy indulging chocolate cake. I love the look of it.

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  4. Wow! It is semi-healthy! I'm so excited to find out if it tastes as good as it looks... love healthy recipes :D

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  5. darn, i wish i could make this right now. i have everything but the zucchini. niece and nephews arriving tonight and would be a great healthier treat. tomorrow, off to the market

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  6. Looks delicious - and I love that it sneaks in fruits and veggies!

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  7. You got me, girl. I'm gonna make it.

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  8. That looks really tasty! I love the photos! And thank you for the link!

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  9. Stopping by from Sweets For A Saturday!
    Your chocolate cakes looks so good! And I would eat it plain, looks delicious as it is!
    You have a lovely site here! I used to cook for my family too! Love it! Am following you, please visit when you have time. Have a lovely day!

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  10. This is my kind of cake! I'm always looking for ways to cut fat and calories. I'm going to have to give this a try so I can enjoy the guilt free yumminess too. Thanks so much for linking this up to Sweets for a Saturday. It was the most popular treat last week - you're #1!!!

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  11. This sounds, and looks delicious. A think it's great to change some of the "unhealthier" products with something that is a little bit better for the body. Yum!

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  12. I like it, I like it, and I think I have all the ingredients in my kitchen. Plus, I have a hungry man to feed!
    Thanks for the recipe!

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  13. WOW- I will certainly have to give this one a try!

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  14. This recipe looks amazing! Please join in on the fun and come over to Cast Party Wednesday tomorrow to share this tasty recipe with us.
    Thanks,
    I hope to see you there!

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  15. secretly healthy?! I'm in! This looks and sounds DELICIOUS! Thanks so much for linking up to Tuesday Talent Show! I would love to have you stop by and link up again tomorrow with more great projects!
    -Nikki
    http://chef-n-training.blogspot.com/

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  16. Whoa! This cake looks amazing! Who doesn't love chocolate. I just may have to try this :) I'm feauturing it tomorrow.

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  17. I'm definitely going to give this a try!

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  18. those were hecka good dude. My wife just made them and I want more of them

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  19. 100 calories for how big of a slice? Did I miss the number of servings?

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  20. I want to say that was for 1/12 of the cake, but I don't remember for sure. haha. :)

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  21. Healthy chocolate cake - that sounds like a contradiction doesn't it? However, you would never know this was "healthy" in the sense that many foods that are in the "healthy" class do not taste very good, but my entire family LOVED it! Woot! I'm happy I found ya!

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  22. Hi there- I tried this and i put it in for 45 mins, let it cool, and went to turn it over to take it out- big mess. Regardless, it tasted delish and got put in a Tupperware container to be eaten occasionally:) any suggestions? How can I firm this up for the next time?

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  23. Well, over-baking it could cause the edges of the cake to bake onto the pan more. I would suggest using round cake pans and lining them with parchment paper if you want to be absolutely sure that it will come out nicely.

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  24. ok if you put some betty crocker fattening frosting on it.

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  25. I just made this and it is delicious!

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  26. Can I ask what kind of lens you use? Is it a macro? Your close ups are so much butter than mine! I need to make this cake... with a hint of healthy, love that!

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  27. It's not a macro. I use a f/1.4 35mm. But if I chose one now I would probably go with a 55mm and get some cheap lens extenders for closeups.

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  28. But actually when I took these pictures I guess I was still using the zoom lens that came with my camera. I guess the key is good lighting. :)

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  29. This is all I needed to make it ok to eat the whole cake myself in a few days! Thanks sweetie!!

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  30. This was delicious! It tastes way better the next day. I skipped the glaze and the cake is great on its own.

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  31. Making it now for the kids for dinner!! Love your blog!!

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  32. Can this be made into a vanilla cake as well? Can I just omit the Cocoa powder?

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  33. Sure! I would add a little more flour though. It would be a little more like zucchini bread because the chocolate wouldn't be hiding the flavor of the zucchini.

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  34. I just made this today for a me and a few friends and it was DELISH! I used carrots instead of the zucchini and I could not taste them at all! She figured the points since we are on WW and it was 3 points per slice when cut into 12 slices which is plenty, but of course I could have eaten the ENTIRE cake. We just sprinkled a little powdered sugar on top and it was perfect! Thanks so much for this great recipe!

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  35. Oh my gosh I just made this it is so good. I am about to "ice" it with some nutella, but even without, it tastes decadent.

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  36. Hi, I just wanted to give a thanks for your blog! I have never been confident in the kitchen both in cooking & baking but recently (thanks to discovering super yummy food blogs like yours!) I've started get a bit more experimental in trying to cook & bake new things! You're blog has been wonderful, I've saved a bunch of recipes and plan to slowly make my way through a bunch of them! This is the first one I tried and it was super easy AND delicious! I just wanted to say thanks for all your hard work and posting all these stories & recipes, this blog is amazing and inspiring! :)

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  37. Do you think I could make it into cupcakes?
    Have a baby show to go to and promised cupcakes!

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  38. Looks good but where is the nutritional information? I bet it is still high in calories. Just because i]they say it's "healthy" doesn't mean it's not loaded with calories and not suited for those with diabetes.

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  39. Jen, you can definitely make these into cupcakes! Just crank it up to 375º and shorten the cook time. I would start with about 7 minutes and keep checking with a toothpick after that until they're done.

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  40. Hi Yammie. I recently stumbled on your site. SO love it, and can't believe I haven't found you before. Just wanted to say "thank you" and also let you know I made your amazing Secretly Healthy Chocolate Cake for a potluck dinner last night. I'll be posting the recipe on my site today, and linking to your post. Best wishes, and thanks for your amazing recipes and inspiring photos!!!

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  41. Whoever thought that chocolate cake could be healthy?? When I first found your blog I did not think it was possible, but I was wrong!! I made this only recently since I had just found your site recently. It is REALLY good! You can't tell it is healthy as in the way health foods used to taste! Two thumbs up!! :)

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  42. Made this the other night. Really yummy and super
    Moist and easy to make :)

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  43. Can you make this into a sheet cake?

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  44. This cake is delicious. Very moist. Made it for my daughter's 2nd birthday and she loved it. Hubby who doesn't eat veg (sigh) never noticed the difference. When testing for readiness my skewer never came out clear so baked for about 45 mins until cake was coming away from sides of tin

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  45. Hi - I was just wondering what size tin this cake would fit into if you dont have a bundt tin???

    W

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