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WW Recipe of the Day: Hershey’s Low-Fat Chocolate Cake
Do you love chocolate cake, but not all the fat and calories?
Me too.
But it’s possible to have your cake and eat it too if you focus on baking lightened up versions of your favorites.
I’ve gathered my favorite low fat chocolate cake recipes and included more great looking light and recipes for chocolate cakes and cupcakes from other blogs and websites for you.
If you tend to use boxed cake mixes, here are some modifications you can make baking chocolate cakes:
Ideas for Baking Low Fat Chocolate Cakes with a Cake Mix
- Low Fat Chocolate Pumpkin Cake:
Mix one package (18.25 ounce) chocolate cake mix with 1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree and 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce and beat until smooth.Bake at 350F degrees for about the time specified on the box.Mom shared this recipe with me the other day, when I wanted a quick cake for dinner.I baked it in 2, 8-inch square foil pans – one for us and one to share.To make it extra special I sprinkled each cake with about 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips before baking.It turned out moist and delicious. - Low Fat Chocolate Yogurt Cake: Mix one package (18.25 ounce) chocolate cake mix with 1 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt and 1 cup water and beat until smooth.Bake at 350F degrees for about the time specified on the box.
For either recipe, each small serving (1/24th) of recipe has around 100 calories, 3 g fat, 17 g carbs, 1 g fiber, 2 g protein about 3 WW PointsPlus and 5 or 6 WW Points (points will vary depending on cake mix).
Not bad for something so sweet and delicious!
This brief video shows another way to make healthy chocolate cake at home:
My Favorite Chocolate Cake From Scratch
My go to from scratch recipe for chocolate cake is the old time one from the back of the package of Hershey’s cocoa powder. It is the chocolate cake my Mom always made and the one I turn to most often.
Because it is made with cocoa powder and a modest amount of oil, it’s a great way to satisfy your craving for chocolate cake without blowing your calorie bank.
I usually cut the recipe in half (which explains why the amounts look a little funny), but it’s worth it when you have a small family and find it dangerous to have too many tempting sweets around 🙂
How Many Calories and WW Points in this Low Fat Chocolate Cake?
According to my calculations, each slice of cake has about 156 calories.
To see your WW Points for this recipe, track it in the WW App!
(You must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.)
7 SmartPoints (Green plan)
7 SmartPoints (Blue plan)
7 SmartPoints (Purple plan)
4 PointsPlus (Old plan)
If you like this low fat cake, be sure to check out my other WW friendly dessert recipes, including Gluten-Free Microwave Mug Cake, Fresh Apple Cake, 3-2-1 Microwave Mug Cake, Crock Pot 2-Ingredient Black Forest Cake and WW 2-Ingredient Pineapple Cake
If you’ve made this Low Fat Chocolate Cake, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.
Hershey’s Perfect Low Fat Chocolate Cake (Half Recipe)
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup, plus 2 tablespoons, all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup, plus 2 tablespoons, unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup boiling water
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350F degrees. Grease and flour a 9-inch round or 8-inch square baking pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and until well combined.
- Add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla and beat until very smooth.
- Stir in the boiling water. (The batter will be thin.)
- Pour into your prepared pan.
- Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and cool in the pans set on wire racks for 10 minutes and then remove the cakes from the pans and set them on wire racks to cool completely.
Notes
(Must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.) 7 SmartPoints (Green plan) 7 SmartPoints (Blue plan) 7 SmartPoints (Purple plan) 4 PointsPlus (Old plan) Favorite Chocolate Cake Recipe Variations:
- Use low fat buttermilk for the milk
- Try strong coffee in place of the boiling water
- Stir in 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- Stir in a handful of mini chocolate chips
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
More Weight Watchers Friendly Chocolate Cake Recipes
Healthy Chocolate Cake – with applesauce and egg whites. Each serving has 195 calories and 5 WW PointsPlus, 9 SmartPoints. From RecipeGirl.
Weight Watchers Chocolate Sheet Cake – this moist and tasty chocolate cake is perfect on its own or ready for decorating. So much better than a boxed mix. Each serving has 6 WW PointsPlus Values, 11 Freestyle SmartPoints. From Weight Watchers.
Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes – a favorite flavor combination in lighter cupcakes with just 7 SmartPoints per cupcake found at LaaLoosh.
90-Calorie Chocolate Cupcakes – rich and chocolaty and completely satisfying – everything you want in a chocolate dessert without the guilt. From Martha at Simple-Nourished-Living.
Gluten-Free Chocolate Espresso Buttermilk Cake – A moist, dense and chocolatey cake made without eggs and topped with a light layer of frosting.
Double Dark Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake – simple and delicious, yet oh so rich and satisfying with 6 WW PointsPlus Value from Nancy at Skinny Kitchen.
35-Second Mini Chocolate Microwave Cake – for the chocolate cake craving that won’t wait. 3 PointsPlus, 3 Freestyle SmartPoints per serving. From Eating Well Living Thin.
Secret Healthy Chocolate Cake – with shredded zucchini instead of oil to keep it moist. Said to be just 100 calories per slice from Yammie’s Noshery.
Secret Ingredient Chocolate Cake – made with canned beets. 6 WW PointsPlus, 8 WW Freestyle SmartPoints per serving from Alanna at A Veggie Venture.
I just made the cake and it turned out really good though it didn’t rise as high as your photo. That doesn’t take away from the taste and texture. Thank you for a great recipe!
This is the best small simple chocolate cake!!! I used buttermilk instead of milk and applesauce instead of oil. Plus added mini chocolate chips. So so good.
who needs icing?(yum)I often make “icing”i just add very hot water to about one or 2 tbl. cocoa powder, make sure it’s dissolved,(and thick)then I add Splenda to taste–mix it well.it helps to cover and refrigerate it–put it on yogurt, fruit,whatever–or mix with ricotta.–you can always put a mixture of cocoa powder and Splenda on a warm cake,let it melt. later in life,I lost my taste for frosting, and liked the crumb and moisture of the cake itself,the best. you can always just sprinkle on powdered sugar for decoration.
Can’t wait to make this, curious as to the icing pictured on the cake, can you share the recipe?
OMG! This is by far the moistest chocolate cake I ever made at home! Loved it! Loved that it is so delicious and low-fat! I added one teaspoon of vinegar to make it look darker, but maybe it added to the moist too. I don’t know! I get to try it without vinegar too. The recipe is great anyways! Thanks for sharing.
Hi– for the cake mix choc recipe that you are substituting the greek yogurt for do you add eggs as the box says or omit the eggs all together? Please advise– I think that recipe sounds yummy and would like to try it soon.
Hi Annaliese,
For the cake mix chocolate cake recipe, you just use the Greek yogurt and water as I have written it and skip the eggs and oil. The recipe is from Hungry Girl.
Happy Baking!