Healthy Chocolate Cake Recipe

Rich and gooey, this healthy chocolate cake recipe is perfect for special occasions. Try it for birthdays or Valentine's Day.

I make this chocolate cake every year, on Valentine's Day and for birthdays. I first made this cake for a friend who can't eat dairy products.

Running my eye down the list of ingredients, I didn't have very high hopes - with no butter and no eggs, was this really going to be a cake worth eating?

The answer was a resounding 'Yes!' The cake is wonderfully dark, rich and delicious, as well as being very quick and easy to make. To make the recipe even healthier, substitute apple puree for the oil.

You can leave it unadorned, and it makes an excellent dessert or lunchbox cake. For a special occasion, decorate the top with whipped cream and fruit. For Valentine's Day, the kids arrange sliced strawberries in a heart shape on top.

HEALTHY CHOCOLATE CAKE RECIPE

Heat the oven to 350F/180C/gas 4.

Sift together 250g (1 1/2 cups) plain flour, 4 tbsp cocoa powder, 250g (1 cup) caster sugar, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) and 1/2 tsp salt.

In a separate bowl, mix together 5 tbsp (1/3 cup) of vegetable oil or apple puree, 1 tbsp vinegar, 1 tsp vanilla essence, 250ml (1 cup) warm water.

Mix these into the dry ingredients until just amalgamated. Do not over mix.

Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 30-35 minutes until the cake has risen and springs back when pressed.

Serve the cake just as it is, or to make it extra special, top with Greek yogurt and raspberries.

For more inspiration on the delightful art of healthy cake eating, see Healthy Cake Recipes.

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