Low-Calorie Cake Recipes

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 is the easiest and best-tasting sponge cake you can imagine. It keeps well in the refrigerator or freezer. Spread a thin layer of raspberry preserves between the layers and a light dusting of confectioners' sugar over the top and you'll have a perfect cake for an impromptu tea party.

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.

Translating to three milks cake, Tres Leches Cake is a traditional Mexican sponge cake that's soaked in, you guessed it, three kinds of milk, for the ultimate moist, decadent cake. Think of it as a poke cake that we've lightened up with this easy recipe.

Perfect for birthdays, this basic white cake recipe makes two 8- or 9-inch layers. To finish it off, frost with our Chocolate Frosting or Basic White Frosting (see associated recipes.)

A sweet topping of cocoa powder and cinnamon is baked right into this delicious mocha coffee cake.

This muffin-tin mini cheesecake recipe is an adorable, healthy dessert that's the perfect cute size. If making 2 dozen seems like overkill, the recipe can easily be cut in half. If you avoid gluten, use gluten-free graham crackers to make the crust.

These simple bars are lightened up with pumpkin and fat-free yogurt, but taste as decadent as red velvet cake.

This is your go-to yellow cake recipe. Top it with your favorite frosting and sprinkles for a birthday cake! To lower the sugar, swap out the sugar for sugar substitute blend.

This delicious fruit-topped vanilla cake with coconut-cream frosting is perfect for a birthday or holiday party.

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

This moist cake flavored with cinammon and bananas is the answer to your dessert cravings. Drizzled in Chocolate Ganache, this cake is diabetic-friendly and sure to satisfy any sweet tooth.

This cookie recipe combines classic carrot cake and pumpkin bars--it's a favorite dessert for kids and grown-ups.

Ah, the maligned fruitcake. Many store-bought varieties, stuffed with unrecognizable candied bits, deserve their bad reputation--but not these wonderful cakes, made with a generous serving of dried fruit and candied orange peel in a light batter. There's only one trick: buy the best-quality, moist dried and candied fruit you can afford.

Have your coffee cake and eat it too with this easy gluten-free recipe that tastes just like the real thing. The addition of yogurt and diced apple makes for a wonderfully moist cake with a crumbly topping, perfect for brunch or for a coffee-break treat.

These light, low-calorie cupcakes are frosted with lemon-flavored whipped topping.

This pretty pumpkin-cranberry Bundt cake is a delicious alternative to holiday pumpkin pie.

Light, sweet vanilla cupcakes topped with chocolate cream-cheese frosting will be a hit with your family.

Using a light coffee drizzle in place of frosting adds flavor and moistness to this carb-trimmed cake recipe yet keeps the fat and calories in check.

These no-bake portable cheesecakes are rich and creamy and swirled with fresh strawberries and honey for sweetness--perfect for a picnic or a backyard barbecue! We've used some Greek yogurt to lighten up this healthy dessert.

Sparkling white wine is tossed with fresh melon and served with a light irresistible cake in this special dessert.

This wonderful rich, sweet lemon pound cake is downright zingy and the candied lemon slices are a beautiful bittersweet topping that's better than frosting. The best part, though: when you taste it you won't miss all the butter we cut out compared with a traditional pound cake recipe.

Linzer Tart (or Linzer Torte) is an Austrian specialty: an almond pastry topped with raspberry jam. Here it is reinvented as an American cake: almond-rich layers divided by raspberry jam. It's even better when prepared a day in advance, giving the jam time to soak into the cake. If you like, buck tradition by using strawberry jam and garnishing with fresh strawberries.

This fall treat has reduced fat and calories, but plenty of rich spicy, nutty flavor.