This cake.
I am sorta kinda totally obsessed with it.
It’s fabulous for so many reasons!
The first being is that… well, the beauty of a Naked Cake. You can see the fluffy whipped cream and glorious fresh fruit and sweet drizzle of a rich chocolate sauce.
The second is that is it low in processed sugar. Chocolate and fruit are the main flavor contributors, meaning I can enjoy a piece, or two, without the guilt.
Skinny Chocolate Cake
This cake.I am sorta kinda totally obsessed with it.
Ingredients
Skinny Chocolate Cake
- 1/2 c coconut oil
- 1/2 c brown sugar
- 1/4 c applesauce
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 c vanilla yogurt you can use Greek yogurt
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 c whole-wheat flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 c good-quality cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 3/4 c milk I prefer whole, but skim milk will work fine
- 1 c mini semisweet chocolate chips
To Decorate Cake:
- 1/2 pt fresh strawberries
- 1/2 pt fresh blackberries
- 1/2 pt fresh blueberries
- 2 big bunches of green or red grapes
- 1 pt raspberries
- 1 homemade whipped cream recipe you can decrease sugar if you prefer
- Store-bought chocolate syrup
- 1 tbsp. confectioners’ sugar optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and prepare (spray or butter and flour) two 8-inch round cake pans.
- Warm the coconut oil in microwave for up to 30 seconds; you want it softened or even melted (but not hot to the touch).
- Pour coconut oil into stand mixer with paddle attachment.
- Add in brown sugar, applesauce, eggs, yogurt and vanilla extract, and mix until combined.
- In a separate bowl sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder.
- With mixer on low, slowly add a third of the dry ingredients into the applesauce mixture, alternating with the milk. Keep alternating until the dry ingredients and milk are gone.
- Remove bowl from stand mixer and fold in chocolate chips by hand.
- Divide batter between two cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 22 to 26 minutes or until an inserted toothpick is removed clean. (Cooking times can vary depending on quality of ingredients and weather conditions.)
- Cool cakes in pan for 5 minutes and then transfer to wire rack.
To assemble cake:
- Rinse all fruit so that it is shiny and clean.
- Prepare whipped cream (and prepare chocolate sauce if you are making from scratch).
- Place one cooled layer of cake on cake stand and cover in about 3/4 cup of whipped cream.
- Place a strawberry that is a about 1 to 1 1/2 inches high in the center of the cake, upside down. This will help the whipped cream to not schmoosh out when you place the next layer on.
- Now take some of your fruit and spread it around the edges of the cake. Because this is a naked cake, you will want to pay attention to how you place the fruit on the edge.
- Once cake is covered in fruit, place next layer of chocolate cake on top. Starting with a bunch of grapes that are still attached to the vine, place grapes on cake and then start building up around them. Fill in with blueberries, raspberries and blackberries, and place a few more grapes around to balance the color.
- Finally, place some strawberries around the edge and maybe even one on top.
- Drizzle chocolate sauce over cake and chill until ready to serve. If you want to add confectioners’ sugar, sprinkle immediately before serving.
Did you make this recipe?
Thank you for making my recipe! You took pictures, right? Well go ahead and post them on Instagram! Be sure to mention me @iambaker and use the hashtag #YouAreBaker.
UPDATED:
I have turned this recipe into a Surprise-Inside® Cake!! See how I make it here:
That is one gorgeous cake – and the photos of it are amazing too!
Thank you!
This cake is making my heart skip a beat. STUNNING!
My goodness you are the sweetest ever. 🙂 Thank you!
THIS CAKE! I’m kinda obsessed with it too! Soooo pretty and yummy sounding!
Wow – this cake is STUNNING. Love the fruit, and that it’s skinny! Pinned, and totally popping over to get that recipe.
This absolutely gorgeous!
Anything with “skinny” and “chocolate” in the same title immediately grabs my attention. And when they’re followed by cake, it makes me want to eat the whole thing all by myself! It looks absolutely gorgeous as always, Amanda! Pinned!
Oh I’m all about the naked cakes. They are stunning. And I’m just dying over yours! And lower in sugar so I will definitely be having 3 pieces please!
I’m pretty sure I’ve never seen a more gorgeous cake!!
Uhhh….. I am kind of obsessing over this cake, too! I looooove naked cakes because they match my cake frosting skill level and they are gorgeous to look at. I am so excited that you turned this cake into a skinny cake because that means more cake for me and that’s always a good thing! I want to get into the kitchen and make this right now!
This is insane Amanda! I have no idea how you had the courage to resist eating this before photos. So gorgeous!
Have a lovely weekend!