Healthier Chocolate Snacking Cake and Rock the Lunchbox
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Feel good about feeding this snacking cake to your family. It's got whole grains, healthy fats, and a lot less refined sugar. The flavor is so dark, rich and chocolate-y, and it's moist as can be! Easy, one-bowl recipe.
I was gifted product samples from Rock the Lunchbox. All opinions expressed here are straight from my heart.
Hey guys! How's your week going? It's Wednesday and I couldn't be more excited because some of my best bloggy friends will be arriving in just a day or so, to hang with me and my boys and head up to the Big Harvest Potluck, right here in the Philadelphia area! I'm totally psyched to check out this fun event, meet lots of new people I have tons in common with, and learn!
But before I do that, I have to share this cake with you.
Dude. I know it says "Healthier," up there, but this is really good schtuff. Trust me. I cannot tell a lie when it comes to dessert.
I used my favorite cupcake recipe as a starting point, so you know it's super moist and full of dark chocolate flavor. But I really wanted to make it healthier by adding in a little whole grain, some healthier fats, and a bit less refined sugar. It took a couple tries to get it tasting up-to-snuff, but man, when I got it, I GOT IT! My hubby and kids obliterated it before I even had a chance to snap the pics, so I had to make it all over again. But it's all good because the recipe's so quick and easy; it all happens in mere minutes with just one bowl and a couple of measuring cups and spoons to wash.
That little sprinkling of mini chocolate chips and powdered sugar on top just drew them right in. Like moths to a flame, lol! And I really felt good about letting them have it, knowing it was full of good-for-them ingredients like whole wheat flour, Greek yogurt, and applesauce.
I decided to develop this recipe as a part of the Rock the Lunchbox movement. Rock the Lunchbox is a great resource for us parents, with hundreds of better-for-you lunch ideas and tips, plus digital coupons for great food items by brands like Annie's Homegrown, Applegate, Honest Kids, Organic Valley, and Rudi's Organic Bakery. <--This is stuff I buy for my kids all the time anyway, so I knew I could really get behind the Rock the Lunchbox idea!
My 7-year old helped me out with this post by drawing me a pic of his "dream lunch." Not too bad, but I figured I could make it even healthier with a few choice picks from the Rock the Lunchbox family. And this healthier chocolate snacking cake ends the meal on a high note!
He loved it! All yummy noms, and I felt really good about feeding it to him, knowing all the ingredients were so wholesome and organic.
So, if you're looking for some inspiration for healthier, nut-free, gluten-free, or vegetarian lunch ideas, definitely check out Rock the Lunchbox! And give this cake recipe a try- you'll love how easy it is to make and how moist and chocolatey it tastes!
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Ingredients
- ½ cup (62.5 g) cake flour
- ½ cup (43 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (30 g) whole wheat pastry flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 tablespoons (88.72 g) coconut oil
- 2 eggs, (large)
- ½ cup (100 g) Greek yogurt
- ½ cup (122 g) applesauce
- ⅓ cup (78.86 ml) pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (45 g) mini chocolate chips, (optional), for garnish
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar, (optional), for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and lightly mist an 8x8 pan with non-stick spray.
- Place the flours, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.
- Add the coconut oil, and stir on low speed until the mixture resembles damp sand.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until incorporated.
- Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula, and add the Greek yogurt, applesauce, and vanilla extract.
- Mix on low speed for about a minute, to aerate the batter and develop the structure of the cake.
- Pour in the maple syrup and stir just until combined.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until a tester comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Sprinkle mini chocolate chips on the warm cake, for garnish.
- Allow to cool completely, then dust with powdered sugar.
Everything about this post is awesome, Allie! I love that you're promoting healthier eating (Lord knows I could stand to start doing so myself), these photos are gorgeous (love the dark moody atmosphere), the GIF of the powder sugar falling is delightful and this cake. Oh my. I'd have been right in there with your boys, shoveling handfuls of cake into my mouth.
Lol you're the best, Nancy! Love ya girl 😉
How beautiful is that photo and this cake looks insanely amazing! I can't wait to see you tomorrow!
Same here Jocelyn, and thank you!!!
Love the cake! can I replace the coconut oil with another one? Thanks!!
Hey Martha! If you check out the original recipe from which this was adapted (link is within post) you'll see that I normally make it with butter. It's really good! Other than that I haven't really tried any other kind of oil but I'd be real curious to hear about the results if you want to give it a try! Let me know and thank you for reading and for the great question! 🙂
Thank you for your answer! love you blog!!
Of course! I'm so happy to hear that. Thank you so much for reading, Martha!
Absolutely love this cake, Allie! And it's even better that it's healthy. I can't wait to try it 😀
As healthy as chocolate cake can be, I guess! Lol it's all relative, right? Thanks Jen!
SO excited to meet you at BHP!! And this cake. Whoa. It is SO chocolatey! I can't believe it's healthy to boot!
Yay! Me too, Joanne! Thank you so much! Safe travels; see you soon!
I love the name 'snacking cake'. It's like a license to nibble on bits of it when hunger strikes! The healthy ingredients in your version sound beautiful... I've become a big fan of apple sauce to add moisture and flavour, and the yoghurt and coconut oil sound like wholesome and delicious ingredients too. I'm going to try this as soon as I get home! Thanks Allie! x
Oh yay! I hope you enjoy it as much as we did, Laura. The applesauce was the magic ingredient I think. Added a little sweetness and made it so moist. Thank you!
This chocolate cake looks delicious and the best part about it is that it's so healthy! Definitely a recipe I need to recreate, thanks Allie!
Thank you, Thalia! I hope you enjoy! xoxo
This cake looks delicious. Have fun at the Big Harvest Potluck. I'm totally jealous (by the time I tried to get tix it was sold old!). Can't wait to hear about it!
Oh I know the tickets sold like hotcakes! I'm so sorry you didn't get one 🙁 Maybe next year! It's right by my house so I'll probably go again 😉
A healthier chocolate cake has my ears all perked up. This is just about heaven for me!
Yay! I'm so happy you like it Mallory! I don't think my kids had any clue it was better for them 😉
Oh, this cake! It looks so good, and I can't wait to try it. I've got pumpkin in the fridge and think I may sub that out for the applesauce this time!
Great idea Marcie! I bet that would be wonderful! Good luck and enjoy- and thank you for the sweet comment!
Yum! My kids would love this cake in their lunchboxes. I'm excited to try it, especially since it includes the maple syrup, applesauce and yogurt. Pinned to make! 🙂
Hooray! Thanks so much for the pin, Jill, and I hope you and your family enjoy the cake!
Hi Allie! Is it crazy that I've never heard of cake flour?
Not crazy at all! It's definitely a specialty flour, but the good news is, you can get it at the regular grocery store. It's usually on a high shelf, right above the regular all-purpose flour. I usually buy Swans' Down or Softasilk. It's just got a little bit of a lighter texture than regular flour. Thanks for the great question, Lindsay! See you around town 😉
This cake looks amazing Allie! Love the sound of the Rock the Lunchbox program and that they involve your kids to draw out their dream lunch. This lightened up cake is perfect with the Greek yogurt, coconut oil, applesauce and maple syrup. Pinning! Since it healthier, that means I can have more right?? 🙂
Absolutely, Kelly! That's what I kept telling myself, anyway 😉
what a sweet picture your little guy drew!! I totally love this snack cake too-the fact that it's healthier AND looks so insanely delish is amazing!
Thank you so much, Kayle! It was a lot of fun getting him involved in the post, and we both really enjoyed the cake! 😀
The potluck sounds so so fun - take pictures, I can't wait to see!
I sure will! Looking forward to it; thanks dear!
Love that this is a healthier cake Allie and it looks SO decadent and delicious!
Thank you Jessica! It really did taste decadent- just those few little chocolate chips on top made me feel like it was a real indulgence 😉
Whew that looks good! No surprise your family gobbled it right up! You sneaky lady sneaking them some health in chocolate form 😉 Loved your son's sweet drawing!!!
Aw thanks Lina! He was so happy to be able to help me with a post. And he loved the cake too! Take care dear! xo