This beautiful healthy chocolate birthday cake is a dream come true. Inspired from my viral Healthy Extra Moist Chocolate Cake (over 1 million views on Youtube), this fantastic chocolate cake is flourless, butter-free, and naturally sweetened with fruits. Yet, it’s incredibly moist and loaded with chocolate flavors – you will never believe it’s healthy! It comes with a simple cream cheese frosting, very lightly sweetened with maple syrup.
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I’ve baked this healthy chocolate cake for my son’s 1st birthday and it was incredible. I was looking for a recipe that was not a smash cake (not my thing). Plus I wanted the cake to actually taste good for everyone, not only my baby, while still be on the healthier side. I had baked a Unicorn Cake for my daughter just a few weeks before, so this time I wanted to satisfy my chocolate cravings (I LOVE chocolate cake)!
It didn’t take me long until I decided to bake my healthy extra moist chocolate cake x3 to make a tall layer cake. I then filled it and covered the sides with a simple cream cheese frosting lightly sweetened. Then, I made it a Bear Cake as my son’s middle name is Björn (which means “bear” in Swedish), adding some small bear figurines on top and some forest elements too (mostly pine tree leaves).
Why is this chocolate birthday cake healthier than a classic version:
- Flourless, which also makes it gluten-free
- Butter-free (but not dairy-free, unless you use dairy-free cream cheese for the frosting)
- Naturally sweetened with dates (no refined sugar)
- Topped with a cream cheese frosting, lightly sweetened with maple syrup
What’s inside this chocolate cake?
Dark baking chocolate + unsweetened cocoa powder. This healthy chocolate layer cake features some real baking chocolate AND unsweetened cocoa powder, bringing some deep chocolate flavors to the cake. I usually recommend 70% dark baking chocolate rather than unsweetened chocolate, but both work.
Pitted dates. They replace refined sugar, sweetening the cake naturally. You need about 8 to 10 pitted dates for each cake, depending on how sweet you want your cake to be.
Coconut oil. It is used in replacement of the butter, making the cake dairy-free.
Eggs. They act as a binding ingredient and as such are very important to the recipe.
Baking soda. This is what makes the cake rise – even without the use of flour! In fact, you’ll never notice there is no flour in the recipe.
How to make a healthier cream cheese frosting
Start with bringing the cream cheese to room temperature (I usually remove it from the refrigerator the night before). Then, add some maple syrup, and combine with an hand mixer, until slightly fluffy.
For the marble effect, add about 1 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder to half of the cream cheese mixture, keeping the other half plain.
How to assemble this healthy chocolate birthday cake
- First, cut off the top of the cakes if necessary. Using a serrated knife, slice a thin layer off the top of each cake.
- For assembling, place one chocolate right side up, then spread a thick layer of the plain frosting on top. Place the second cake upside-down, and add the remaining plain frosting. Now place the third cake upside-down.
- For the crumb coat. Spread the chocolate frosting on top and on the sides into a very thin layer. This step is called a “crumb coat” and consists in catching any loose crumb. Chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
- For the final frosting. Spread the remaining chocolate frosting on top and on the sides, using an offset spatula and scraping as you go to keep the “naked cake” effect on the sides only.
Make it a bear cake!
For a baby or a kid birthday party, I suggest you top this chocolate cake with decorations of choice. Since it’s a chocolate cake, I found that the bear theme was just perfect – and it also suits Vancouver so well. I purchased 3 small bear figurines of different sizes (they were also part of the birthday gift) and placed them on top of the cake. Then, I added some pine tree leaves here and there to re-create the forest, put a candle in the center, and that was it!
A chocolate cake that suits any occasion!
You don’t need to have a birthday coming soon to make this healthy chocolate layer cake. You can make just a single cake, rather than a layer cake, by following this Healthy Extra Moist Chocolate Cake.
Or you can make the chocolate layer cake for Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, a baby shower, a graduation party, a moving-in party… The list goes on and on. Don’t make this chocolate cake for a special occasion, create the occasion to bake this cake!
Storing instructions
Keep the chocolate cake leftovers in the refrigerator, in an airtight container or under a dome. Remove it 30 minutes before serving, to allow a moist crumb to form again in the center.
You can also freeze this healthy chocolate layer cake together with its frosting. Place generous slices in an airtight container, and freeze for up to 3 months. Allow the cake to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before serving. Still delicious as if it was the first day!
More sugar-less cakes you’ll love
- Healthy Whole Wheat Apple Bread
- No-Bake Chocolate Cashew Cheesecake
- Sugar-Free Almond Butter Banana Muffins
- Check also these Sugar-Free and Naturally Sweetened Desserts
Healthy Chocolate Birthday Cake
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 10 servings 1x
- Category: Cakes
This beautiful healthy chocolate birthday cake is a dream come true. This fantastic chocolate cake is flourless, butter-free, and naturally sweetened with fruits.
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Ingredients
For the chocolate cakes (x3)*:
Important note: the quantities mentioned below are for one cake. Remember to multiply all of the quantities x3 to create 3 cakes.
- 7.5 oz (200g) unsweetened baking chocolate or at 70% cocoa**
- 1 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ¼ cup (200g) pitted dates, or about 10 dates
- 3 large eggs
- ¼ cup (60ml) coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the cream cheese frosting:
- 8 ounces (225g) cream cheese frosting, softened at room temperature
- 3 Tablespoons maple syrup (or agave syrup)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
Instructions
For the healthy chocolate layer cake:
- For each cake (x3). Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C), and grease the bottom and sides of a 6-inch (15 cm) springform. In a food processor, pulse chocolate, cocoa powder and baking soda until texture of coarse sand. Pulse pitted dates, then eggs, coconut oil and vanilla. Transfer the batter into the prepared springform. Bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Allow to cool completely. Repeat with the 2 other cakes. - For the cream cheese frosting. In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese with a hand mixer on medium speed, until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the maple syrup and vanilla extract, and beat for 1 more minute. Transfer about ¾ of the cream cheese frosting to a separate bowl. Add the unsweetened cocoa powder to the remaining ¼ cream cheese frosting, and beat again, until completely incorporated.
For assembling the cake:
- If the chocolate cakes are not completely flat, slice a thin layer off the tops of the cakes to create a flat surface, using a large serrated knife. Discard the scraps (or eat them, they’re so good!).
- Assembling. Add a drop of cream cheese in the center of a cake stand. It will serve as glue to ensure the cake stays in place in the center. Place one chocolate cake right side up on top. Using an offset spatula, evenly spread a thick layer of the frosting over the cake. Add the second cake and spread another thick layer of frosting. Place the last cake upside-down, so the top of the cake is smooth and flat.
- Crumb coat. Spread a thin layer of the chocolate frosting over the top and around the sides as a crumb coat (to help catch any loose crumbs before the final frosting). You should be able to see the cake through the frosting. Chill in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes until the frosting is set.
- Final coat. Spread the remaining chocolate frosting on top of the cake. Smooth out the top, then scrape the sides, using an offset spatula to create the “naked cake” effect rather than covering the cake completely. Decorate the cake or keep it as is. Enjoy!
Notes
* You could also triple the recipe ingredients all at once, but I like to make the cake preparation separately to ensure an even distribution of the cake batter for each layer. It’s up to you to decide which option works best for you.
** I usually prefer using 70% dark baking chocolate rather than unsweetened chocolate. If doing so, keep in mind the 70% dark baking chocolate contains small amounts of sugar.
Did you make this recipe?
Lastly, if you make this Healthy Chocolate Birthday Cake, be sure to leave a comment and give this recipe a rating, letting me know how you liked it. And of course, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Thank you and enjoy!
