Healthy Chocolate Berry Cake

When craving chocolate this cake hits the spot! With Valentine’s Day approaching this is a cake to consider making for your loved ones to help warm their heart! It is moist, has a rich chocolate flavor and a good dose of sweet and juicy berries. I love pairing berries with chocolate, the color contrast and freshness helps lighten up a rich dessert.

This cake is moist yet low in saturated fat with only 1 gram per serving. Most chocolate cake servings contain anywhere from 6 to 10 grams of saturated fat. Cakes often contain a lot of butter and oil to keep them moist. Here I used a nut oil or canola oil, which contains the heart healthy mono and polyunsaturated fats. I cut back on the amount of oil used by substituting in some applesauce. A little buttermilk also helps with this cakes moisture. I like to keep the powdered buttermilk on hand which has a longer shelf life, as I do not use it that often. You can usually find this item in the baking section of your grocery store.

Fresh or frozen berries can be used in this recipe. Here I used a mix of raspberries and blueberries but any kind of berry will work. I used frozen berries that my family and I picked last summer. When produce is at its peak I like to freeze to enjoy later when it may be hard to find at the grocery store. To freeze fresh berries simply place the berries on a baking sheet with parchment paper and place in the freezer. Once they are frozen I place them into zip top containers or bags. This helps to keep them from sticking together once frozen. The berries will last for several months in the freezer.

This cake is super easy to make and is a showstopper with the bright contrast of the berries and chocolate. This cake will last several days at room temperature.

Healthy Chocolate Berry Cake

Author: Brittany Sparks

Makes 14 Slices

Prep: 10 min

Cook: 30 min

Total: 40 min

Notes:

If using frozen berries there is no need to thaw for this recipe.

Ingredients

• 1/4 Cup Walnut or Canola Oil

• 1/3 Cup Granulated Sugar

• 4 oz (113g) Unsweetened Applesauce

• 1/2 Cup Low fat Buttermilk

• 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract

• 1 Large Egg

• 1/4 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

• 1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour

• 1/2 Tsp Baking Powder

• 1/2 Tsp Baking Soda

• 1/4 Tsp Salt

• 2 Tbsp (28 g) Mini Chocolate Chips

• 1 ½ Cups Fresh or Frozen Berries

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 Degrees. Prepare a 9 inch baking pan with cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl add the sugar, oil and applesauce. With a hand mixer, mix until combined. Add in the buttermilk, vanilla extract and egg and mix.

3. In another bowl sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Slowly add to the wet ingredients. Stir with a spatula until combined.

4. Pour the mixture into the 9 inch pan. Place the berries on top and gently press into the cake. Sprinkle with the chocolate chips. If using frozen berries there is no need to thaw before using.

5. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes at 400 degrees or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the cake.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size (1 Slice):

Calories 115, Total Fat 5.3 g, Saturated Fat 1 g, Monounsaturated Fat 1.3 g, Polyunsaturated Fat 2.7 g, Sodium 127 mg, Total Carbohydrate 16 g, Dietary Fiber 2.7 g, Protein 2.5 g, Potassium 97 mg, Phosphorous 65 mg