Whole Wheat Chocolate-Coffee Cake

This coffee cake is moist, chocolaty, lightly sweet, and has subtle hints of spice and coffee flavor. It's also made with slightly better-for-you ingredients--which is a bonus!

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 50 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins
• Calories: 274 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• ¾ cup chopped walnuts (Optional)
• 1 ¾ cups whole wheat flour
• ¾ cup pure maple syrup
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips
• ¾ cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar, or to taste (Optional)
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom (Optional)
• ½ cup brewed black coffee, at room temperature
• 3 tablespoons instant espresso powder
• 1 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9-inch springform pan.

Step 2

Whisk whole wheat flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt together in a medium bowl.

Step 3

Whisk brewed coffee and espresso powder together in a large bowl. Add Greek yogurt, applesauce, maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla extract; whish until thoroughly combined and no lumps remain. Stir in 1/2 of the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Repeat with remaining dry ingredients. Fold in chocolate chips and walnuts. Pour batter into the prepared pan and place the pan onto a baking sheet.

Step 4

Place both pans in the preheated oven and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Gently run a table knife around the edges of the pan to loosen. Remove the sides of the pan and allow cake to cool completely, 15 to 30 minutes more.

Step 5

Dust with powdered sugar before serving.