Healthy Chocolate Cake (whole wheat, gluten-free, vegan options)
A moist and rich chocolate cake made with wholesome ingredients, suitable for various dietary preferences including vegan and gluten-free.
Ingredients
Sweeteners
- 1 cup honey or coconut sugar or granulated sugar (Choose one sweetener)
- 1.75 cups whole spelt flour or gluten-free baking flour (Use gluten-free flour for GF version)
- 0.75 cup cocoa powder (Dutch-process preferred)
- 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
- 1.5 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs or chia eggs (Use chia eggs for vegan option)
- 1 cup milk of choice
- 0.5 cup olive oil (or neutral vegetable oil)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup boiling water (Not a typo!)
Additional cocoa and flavoring
- 0.5 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 0.5 cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 0.25 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons refined coconut oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 °F (175 °C) or 325 °F (167 °C) if using honey. Line pans with parchment and grease.
- Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil, vanilla, and honey if using; beat for 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water until batter is thin.
- Divide batter evenly into prepared pans.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick comes out moist with crumbs.
- Cool completely before frosting. Store at room temperature for 2 days or refrigerate up to 3 days.
Notes
You can substitute ingredients to suit dietary needs, such as vegan eggs or gluten-free flour.