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About This Recipe
This Healthy Yellow Cake is HANDS DOWN the best cake recipe I have ever made. It’s so buttery, moist & flavorful, and every bite melts in your mouth, leaving behind delicious sweetness!
Seriously, it MELTS in your mouth! And paired with homemade chocolate frosting? You guys. I can’t. It’s so FREAKING GOOD!
We all know that eating boxed cake isn’t the healthiest way to enjoy dessert. But I love it so much that I needed to figure out a way to lightened it up.
I LOVE to enjoy this cake in the refrigerator overnight and enjoying the next day. The flavors meld together so much more and it just tastes better cold, in my opinion. I feel like all desserts do. 😂
Simon, however, prefers this cake at room temperature (like he does for all desserts), so there is no wrong way! Enjoy it however you prefer.
This Healthy Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting is guaranteed to be your new favorite go-to cake recipe! And if you love this cake and want more awesome healthy cake recipes, don’t miss my Strawberry Crunch Cake, Pumpkin Coffee Cake or Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting!
Why You’ll Love This Healthy Yellow Cake With Chocolate Frosting
- It’s tender, fluffy, and OH so moist! Melts right in your mouth!
- Pairs so well with sweet and creamy chocolate frosting.
- Lightened up to fit a macro-friendly lifestyle, but you’ll never taste it.
- Perfect for get-togethers, celebrations or plain old dessert!
- Your new go-to cake recipe!
- Butter – I used unsalted butter. Feel free to use dairy-free butter to make this recipe dairy-free and vegan. You can also use light butter to bring the fat down some.
- Sweetener – I used monk fruit classic sweetener but you can sugar, coconut sugar, Truvia, Swerve – any type of sweetener here!
- Brown sugar– I used golden monk fruit sweetener. But you can use brown sugar or more classic sweetener/regular sugar here.
- Cake batter extract – I usually get mine from Amazon but I’ve seen it at some grocery stores too. This extract REALLY enhances that delicious yellow cake flavor!
- Vanilla extract
- Egg – or 1 flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flax mixed with 2.5 tablespoons water) to make vegan.
- Unsweetened applesauce
- Yellow cake mix – I used Betty Crocker. Use a gluten-free cake mix if needed.
- Flour – I used all purpose flour. You can use Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free Baking Flour to make gluten-free.
- Protein powder – I used PEScience (code laurenfitfoodie to save!) If you need to sub, please make sure it is a protein powder you know bakes well, ideally a whey + casein blend. Vegan works too! You can also omit entirely and replace with extra flour.
- Cocoa powder
- Confectioner sweetener – I used powdered monk fruit sweetener but you can use regular as well.
- Milk – I used unsweetened almond milk. Any milk works.
- Syrup – I used pure maple syrup.
How To Make
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 8×8-inch baking dish with parchment paper and/or spray with cooking spray.
- Add butter, brown sugar, sweetener, and cake batter extract to a large bowl. Beat with a hand mixer or whisk until smooth.
- Next, 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.
- Pour batter into the prepared dish and spread evenly so the top is smooth. 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! The cake will still bake in the hot dish when removed from the oven. Let the cake cool to room temperature before frosting.
- Now, we’ll make the frosting. Combine all ingredients with a hand mixer or in the bowl of a standing mixer until smooth. Add frosting to the cake soon after mixing. It will stiffen up the longer it sits and also when you place it in the fridge.
This cake is best eaten chilled in my opinion, but Simon prefers it best at room temperature. Do what suits your liking!
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.
- Store at room temperature and your cake will last 1-2 days.
- Put the cake in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- You can freeze this cake for up to 4 months.
What makes this yellow cake healthier than boxed cake?
To make this healthier yellow cake, I reduced the amount of cake mix, reduced the amount of butter and replaced some with unsweetened applesauce. I also used monk fruit sweetener instead of sugar which doesn’t spike blood sugar levels as much.
Do I have to add the protein powder?
Nope! If you want to leave out, just replace with an extra 1/4 cup of flour.
How should I store the chocolate frosting?
If you have any extra frosting, keep it stored in the refrigerator. Note that the frosting will stiffen up after being chilled, so it’s best to leave it out at room temperature for a bit if you plan on using it again. It won’t have the same texture as the original frosting, but it will be spreadable again.
At what temperature should I serve this cake?
You can serve it either at room temperature (my husband Simon’s favorite) or chilled. I prefer it chilled, but enjoy it however you like!
Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure leave a review, tag me on Instagram or TikTok at @LaurenFitFoodie or hashtag #LaurenFitFoodie so I can see your creations!
Healthy Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting
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
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 8×8-inch baking dish with parchment paper and/or spray with cooking spray.
- 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.
- Pour batter into the prepared dish and even out so the top is smooth.
- 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:
- 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!
Equipment
Notes
• 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
Nutrition is hand-calculated and accurate. No autocalulations! However, note that values can vary based on the brands you use and if you substitute ingredients.
