Chocolate. Oh, chocolate. Many of us really enjoy it in all of its forms including hot chocolate, candy bars, ice cream, and cake. Can you believe that at one point in my life I didn’t care for chocolate at all? I must admit that it’s still not my favorite dessert, but every now and then, I simply want a slice of chocolate cake. So I decided to make a small six-inch cake that would be easy to make and not filled with fat and sugar, especially since I’m on a journey to a better me. This meant that I’d have to forgo chocolate frosting.
After searching online for a not-too-entirely-bad-for-me cake recipe, I found and adapted Yummy Healthy Easy’s recipe for . I was happy that the recipe uses Greek yogurt and applesauce to replace the oil and butter that would typically be included in a decadent chocolate cake. It’s especially nice that these leftover ingredients will give me yogurt-based smoothies in the mornings, and applesauce as mid-day and late night snacks. Win-win.
I’m all about making a cake look beautiful on the outside, and was a bit concerned that the cake looked…well…naked. But I thought to myself, that’s what I wanted — simple cake without a layer of frosting to cover up what’s underneath. In the end, I was fine with my decision to let the cake be naked and daring in all of it’s chocolate glory.
After tasting the finished cake, I’m happy that I didn’t add frosting. It had a smooth chocolate, not-too-sweet taste, thanks to the chocolate pudding and dark chocolate chips. The highlight for me was the addition of the raspberry filling, which gave it a bold sweet and tart flavor that paired well with the chocolate cake. Enough from me about the cake. I hope you’ll give this Naked Chocolate Raspberry Cake a try too!
Let’s Make the Cake
This recipe can make 1) two 6″ two-layer cakes, 2) one 8″ two-layer cake, 3) a bundt cake, or 4) a 9×13 inch sheet cake.
Ingredients
- 1 Devil’s Food Cake Mix (I used Duncan Hines)
- 1 small package sugar-free instant chocolate pudding (I used Jello-O brand)
- 1 cup low-fat Greek yogurt
- 4 eggs
- ½ cup natural applesauce
- ½ cup warm water
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350º F. Grease and flour your pan (pans if you’re making layer cakes).
- Mix the devil’s food cake mix, pudding, yogurt, eggs, applesauce, water and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl for 3 minutes. Mix in chocolate chips and pour into the prepared pan(s).
- Drop the pan on the countertop or tabletop a few times to get rid of as many air bubbles as possible, and place in the preheated oven.
- Bake for 40 minutes if using layer cake pans or 45 minutes for a bundt pan.
- After the cake has cooled for 15 minutes, tip over the pan and let the cake out onto a cake plate.
- If making a layer cake, you’ll want to use a large serrated bread knife to cut the uneven top of the bottom cake layer. This will help the top layer lay flat and even as possible.
- Spread the raspberry filling (recipe below) evenly over the bottom layer of cake and place the remaining layer of cake on top. Garnish with berries. If making a bundt cake or sheet cake, simply top with drizzled chocolate and raspberries.
NOTE: Remember, I decided to forgo adding extra chocolate to the cake, so I only added raspberries with a few dashes of cocoa powder. - Cut the cake immediately and serve, or refrigerate until ready for serving. The remaining cake should be refrigerated and eaten within 3-4 days of making it.
Raspberry Filling
The raspberry cake filling recipe below will be enough for one 6-inch layer cake. If you would like to use the filling for an 8-inch cake, double the amount of ingredients below. Mix the ingredients together in a medium bowl, and add to prepared cake or refrigerate until needed.
- 1½ cup of raspberries, mashed (mashed strawberries or pitted cherries would also be good)
- 2 tbsp of agave nectar (or honey)
- 1 tbsp of corn starch
The cake should still be fresh and good to eat
