This cake, though…
It’s quick, hassle-free, light, and SO YUMMY!
I seriously can’t get enough of it. I make it at least once a week for my after-dinner chocolate fix, including on busy weeknights! Yep, you can have a whole chocolate cake all to yourself and be completely cleaned up in 15 minutes. Not kidding.
If you’ve looked around on Pinterest or Facebook, you’ve probably seen some form of “mug cake,” and may have caught on to the trend. There are tons of recipes out there, many of which include heaps of unwanted sugar, butter/oils, and refined grains. Don’t get me wrong: There are definitely a host of great versions with clean ingredients as well. But even if you use healthy oils and whole-food sources of sugar, it’s easy to go overboard on calories and sugar content.
Wouldn’t you just LOVE to have a big, moist chocolate cake all to yourself, any time, and it be 1) made with healthy ingredients and 2) light enough to be an all-the-time sorta thing?
Yeah, me too. So begins the story of this chocolate cake.
The ingredients are simple, preparation is beyond easy, and OMG is it scrumptious! I probably won’t bake a big chocolate cake again–stick a candle in this for my birthday!
Bonus: Only 162 calories for the whole cake PLUS frosting!
Just mix up all your ingredients:
- 1 tsp avocado oil: My favorite new cooking oil! Stands high heat; neutral and incorporates well with any flavors; and healthy fats from avocado. 🙂
- 2 tsp applesauce: Keeps it light, but you could replace with 1-2 tsp additional oil.
- 2 Tbsp 1% milk: Or your milk of choice.
- 1/8 tsp espresso powder: Intensifies the cacao for a deep, rich flavor. (You can’t taste coffee at all.)
- Monk fruit or sweetener/sugar of choice: Opt for a natural, calorie-free sweetener to keep sugar in check. I like to use monk fruit extract in modest quantities because it’s natural and found to be completely safe and healthy. (There is ongoing debate about various artificial sweeteners, and even stevia–although natural–presents uncertainty.)
- Whole wheat pastry flour: Makes this cake 100% whole grain but still light and fluffy! If you can’t find whole wheat pastry flour, use white whole wheat flour, which also works really well in this recipe.
- Cacao Powder: A necessity, am I right? Also a superfood in my book. I use Navita’s Naturals Raw Cacao Powder, but feel free to sub your favorite.
- 1/4 tsp baking powder: For the rise. If you want to get fancy, try a combo of baking powder and baking soda.
- Small pinch sea salt and 1/4 tsp vanilla extract: For the BEST flavor.
If you want to do the cake in one dish, grease a microwave-safe mixing vessel (small dessert bowl or mug) first; then mix the ingredients and microwave the cake right in that dish.
For aesthetic purposes, I like to grease a separate bowl and pour the mixed batter in. I love these little things because the cake fits perfectly, and the shape provides plenty of surface area for FROSTING–a thick layer that survives until the end. (If eating top-to-bottom, all my frosting will be gone in the first two bites…and that just won’t do.)
The frosting mixture is so simple!
- 1/2 Tbsp reduced fat cream cheese
- 5 g (about 1/2 Tbsp) mini dark chocolate chips
- 1/2 tsp maple syrup
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Just microwave about 10 seconds and stir!!! Yep, it’s that easy.
- 2 (heaping) tsp unsweetened applesauce
- 1 tsp oil (avocado or melted coconut)*
- 2 Tbsp 1% milk
- 1/8 tsp espresso powder
- 2 packets monk fruit extract**
- 14 g whole wheat pastry flour***
- 7 g natural/raw cacao powder****
- 1/8 tsp baking soda
- 1/8 tsp baking powder
- Small pinch salt
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 Tbsp reduced fat cream cheese
- 5 g dark chocolate chips (Lily's brand)
- 1/2 tsp maple syrup
- In a small mixing bowl, add applesauce, avocado oil*, milk, and espresso powder. Mix thoroughly.
- Add monk fruit/sweetener, flour, cacao, baking powder, salt, and vanilla. Mix well to combine, removing any visible lumps.
- Rub a small, shallow microwave-safe bowl with oil (or line with parchment paper if removing cake before eating). Pour batter into greased bowl.
- Microwave cake on high 57-60 seconds (depending on microwave strength).
- Meanwhile, combine frosting ingredients in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave 7-10 seconds and stir. Spread over cake.
- Enjoy!
- *If using coconut oil, one way to keep it liquid is to microwave the oil, applesauce, and milk in a small microwave-safe bowl 10-15 seconds until the coconut oil is melted, and stir well. Then continue with remaining ingredients.
- **Or 2 packets stevia, or equivalent to 4-6 tsp sugar.
- ***You can sub white whole wheat flour for a very similar result. The whole wheat pastry flour just allows for a lighter texture.
- ****I use Navita's Naturals Raw.