Healthier Chocolate Pound Cake Recipe | Barbara Bakes (2024)

Healthier Chocolate Pound Cake from a mix is a lighter version of your favorite dense chocolaty dessert. It’s lightened up with unsweetened applesauce and Egg Beaters, plus you get a head start on this easy recipe with the help of chocolate fudge cake mix.

Chocolate cake is a go-to birthday treat at my house. I love dressing it up with homemade frosting, decorations, and candles. It always makes a show-stopping presentation.

And while once-in-a-while celebrations are perfect for sweet cakes like that, this Healthier Chocolate Pound Cake is the perfect dessert to enjoy the rest of the year!

Bake this cake in a bundt pan for a beautiful ring-shaped presentation. Add a drizzle of homemade shiny chocolate glaze to elevate this healthier chocolate cake so it’s ready for a celebration, even on a weeknight.

Update: Since writing this recipe several years ago, this healthier chocolate pound cake has become one of my favorite go-to quick and easy desserts. I’ve updated the post with helpful hints and new photos of this fabulous cake. Enjoy!

The recipe is adapted from the Chocolate Cake Mix Doctor’s Good-For-You Chocolate Pound Cake, and it is so easy! I’m not too sure it’s really good for you, just lighter most cakes.

How To Make Healthier Chocolate Pound Cake

Not only is this better-for-you chocolate pound cake moist, decadent, and lower in fat than your average cake, it’s also a short-cut recipe that starts with chocolate fudge cake mix.

That means this cake recipe is only four ingredients: chocolate cake mix, water, unsweetened applesauce, and Egg Beaters.

You only need a half cup of applesauce for this recipe. So if you don’t want to open a large jar, you can use a snack-size 3.9-ounce container.

For the fudgiest, chocolatiest flavor, use chocolate fudge cake mix for your cake batter.

How To Prepare Your Bundt Pan For Healthier Chocolate Pound Cake

It’s very important to thoroughly grease and flour your bundt pan for this cake recipe. You can use cocoa powder instead of flour, which won’t be as visible on the finished product.

Be sure to coat all of the creases and crannies of your bundt pan. Then add a small scoop of flour or cocoa and shake the pan around (over a sink to catch falling flour) to ensure the entire pan gets a good coating.

Make sure to bang the pan a few times to get out any excess flour or cocoa that doesn’t stick to the surface.

You can also use non-stick baking spray with flour, such as Baker’s Secret. Just be sure and use a paper towel to spread the spray into all the creases as well.

Removing Chocolate Cake From A Bundt Pan

If you did a good job greasing and flouring the bundt pan, removing the cake will be, well a piece of cake.

To be extra sure your cake will release easily, you can gently run a knife along the inside of the bundt pan. Don’t forget the inner circle too.

Because the cake is so moist, the bottom can be a bit sticky. It’s best to avoid moving the cake multiple times, so for ease, turn your cake out of the bundt pan directly onto your serving plate.

Can I Make the Cake Ahead of Time?

This cake is moist and tender and it will keep well covered on your counter for several days. If you plan to make the cake in advance and freeze it, let it cool fully before wrapping it tightly in plastic wrap and putting in the freezer.

When freezing the cake, glaze the cake just before serving.

Making Shiny Chocolate Glaze

To top off this lightened up chocolate bundt cake, make a simple shiny chocolate glaze. In fact, this glaze is a great recipe to top any baked-good.

To make the glaze, simply combine chocolate chips, butter and light corn syrup in a saucepan. Melt the chocolate and add just enough water to bring your glaze to a thin consistency that can be easily poured over your cake.

It’s important to stir the glaze regularly with a whisk while cooking to ensure the ingredients are fully combined and don’t burn.

To apply the glaze to your cake, you can drizzle it on with a spoon, or fill a piping bag (no tip required) or a Ziploc bag with the still-warm glaze. Cut one corner off of the bag and drizzle the glaze over the cake.

Note that the shiny chocolate glaze sets up quickly. Therefore, use it when it’s still warm. The glaze will cool right away on the cake, so it’s not very spreadable after you drizzle it on.

I like the drizzly look of the glaze poured directly over the cake anyway!

More Fun Bundt Cakes To Try

Don’t put away that bundt pan just yet! If you and your family love this better-for-you cake, try these other beautiful bundt cake recipes:

• Best Ever Coconut Bundt Cake certainly deserves its name. It’s incredibly moist and full of coconut flavor.
• Caramel Apple Bundt Cake from Taste and Tell Blog is a bundt cake made for the fall: it’s filled with warming apple flavor and topped with a decadent caramel glaze.
• Lemon Bliss Bundt Cake is light, lemony, and perfect for an afternoon pick-me-up.

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