Low-Calorie Chocolate Cake Recipes

Using a light, sweet cocoa sprinkle in place of frosting adds flavor and moistness to this carb-trimmed cupcake recipe, yet keeps the fat and calories in check.

These appealing diabetic-friendly cupcakes are super easy to serve anytime. But when you want a real show stopper, try the Dark Chocolate-Peppermint Layer Cake option.

No ordinary chocolate cake, this family pleaser gets its exquisite flavor from buttermilk and two kinds of ginger.

No ordinary chocolate cake, this family pleaser gets its exquisite flavor from buttermilk and two kinds of ginger.

Espresso coffee powder and bittersweet chocolate make this dense cake an extra-rich dessert.

Not just for breakfast, granola adds a nice crunch to the top of these chocolate cupcakes.

This make-ahead chocolate dessert recipe is spectacular, yet has under 100 calories per serving.

We use nonfat chocolate frozen yogurt and peppermint extract to create a flavorful and light ice cream cupcake with a chocolate cookie crunch that captures the classic mint chocolate chip ice cream combination.

Antioxidant-rich cherries and chocolate chips are folded into creamy frozen yogurt and layered on top of a crunchy cookie crust in your muffin tin for this twist on the classic Black Forest cake.

Sheet cakes are a potluck dream: the baking pan holds the cake and makes it wonderfully portable. This one is accompanied by an almond “cream” made from heavy cream and reduced-fat sour cream. Together, the cake and cream replicate the taste of Mexican chocolate with its undertones of almond and cinnamon. Or make cream cheese frosting and add 1/4 teaspoon almond extract.

These healthy chocolate cupcakes get a soft, moist texture from their not-so-secret ingredient: beets. The beets act as a natural red food dye, plus they bump up the fiber. Use red beets to give the cream cheese frosting a vibrant pink hue.

A bûche de Noël--a cake decorated like a yule log--is a traditional dessert served around Christmastime in France, Belgium, Canada and some other French-speaking countries. Our gluten-free recipe, which is just as tasty served cold as it is at room temperature, is lighter than air. The chocolate brown-butter génoise cake is easy to roll up and it's covered with a billowy espresso-spiked 7-minute frosting. We've substituted agave nectar for white sugar in the frosting. It's pretty garnished with meringue mushrooms and sugared rosemary.

When you have a craving for a comforting dessert, try this pudding cake, which forms its own rich-tasting sauce as it bakes. The coffee flavor is subtle, but it adds complex depth to the cake's flavor.

Sometimes we even stun ourselves. This ultra-rich and creamy chocolate cheesecake has less than 10 grams of fat per slice, making it one of our all-time best successes. We replaced the full-fat cream cheese in the original with pureed cottage cheese and reduced-fat cream cheese. To achieve a rich chocolate flavor, we used cocoa powder enhanced by a small amount of high-quality chocolate instead of 12 ounces chocolate chips.

Serve this dense, fudgy pudding cake with vanilla frozen yogurt.

The surprise ingredient in this chocolate cake--mashed potatoes--keeps it exceptionally moist.

Serve this chocolate angel food cake with low-fat frozen yogurt and fresh fruit.

A bûche de Noël--a cake decorated like a yule log--is a traditional dessert served around Christmastime in France, Belgium, Canada and some other French-speaking countries. Our recipe, which is just as tasty served cold as it is at room temperature, is lighter than air. The chocolate brown-butter génoise cake made with whole-grain flour is easy to roll up and it's covered with a billowy espresso-spiked 7-minute frosting. We've substituted agave nectar for white sugar in the frosting. It's pretty garnished with meringue mushrooms and sugared rosemary.

Inspired by the old-school, ultra-rich, mousselike chocolate cake that usually called for a whole pound of chocolate, half a dozen eggs and lots of butter, this enlightened rendition has deep bittersweet chocolate flavor and dense melt-in-your-mouth texture. No one will guess it's healthier. The secret is excellent natural cocoa powder and good-quality bittersweet chocolate, preferably with 70% cacao. Although the cake can be eaten once it's completely cool, it comes out of the pan much easier and even tastes better if it has been chilled at least overnight.

This chocolate cake is sophisticated, rich, moist and even a bit gooey, with a slightly crusty top. If you have grappa, use it instead of the rum. The cake can be served once it's completely cool, but for the best flavor and texture, make it the day before you plan on eating it. Serve with a sprinkling of confectioners' sugar or a dollop of whipped cream.