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    Home » Recipes » Dessert

    Healthier Chocolate Pound Cake From A Mix

    Published by Melissa on May 3, 2020 | Updated June 10, 2022 | 5 Comments

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    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. 

    A chocolate bundt cake with drizzle of chocolate frosting

    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. 

    Good-For-You-Chocolate-Pound-Cake

    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.

    A collage of five photos - one showing the ingredients to make the cake, one showing the ingredients in a mixing bowl and one of the unbaked cake in the bundt pan, one photo of the baked cake in the bundt pan and the final photo is of the bundt cake un-molded on a parchment paper.

    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.

    A chocolate bundt cake with drizzle of chocolate frosting

    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. 

    A collage of 3 photos showing the ingredients and mixing the shiny glaze for the chocolate cake

    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. 

    Top shot of a chocolate bundt cake with drizzle of chocolate frosting

    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!

    A slice of chocolate bundt cake with drizzle of chocolate frosting on a plate with cake in the background

    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. 
    A chocolate bundt cake with drizzle of chocolate frosting
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    Healthier Chocolate Pound Cake

    Lightened Up Chocolate Pound Cake with a shiny glaze made with unsweetened applesauce and Egg Beaters is just as fudgy as a classic chocolate cake, plus it has a head-start from chocolate cake mix! 
    Course: Cakes
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: better-for-you chocolate cake from a mix, chocolate pound cake, healthier chocolate cake
    Servings: 12 Servings
    Author: Barbara Bakes LLC
    Prevent your screen from going to sleep

    Equipment

    • Nordic Ware 50342 ProForm Bundt Pan with Handles, 12 Cup
    • OXO Good Grips Cooling Rack

    Ingredients

    • 1 package 15.25-ounces chocolate fudge cake mix
    • 1 cup water
    • ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
    • ¾ cup Egg Beaters

    SHINY CHOCOLATE GLAZE

    • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
    • 2 tablespoons butter
    • 5 tablespoons light corn syrup
    • 2 – 3 teaspoons water

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 325°F. Lightly grease a 10 or 12-cup Bundt pan with vegetable oil spray, then dust with flour.
    • Place the cake mix, water, applesauce, and Egg Beaters in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping down the sides again if needed. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing it out with the rubber spatula. Place the pan in the oven.
    • Bake the cake until it springs back when lightly pressed, 37 to 40 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes. Run a long, sharp knife around the edge of the cake and invert it onto a rack or serving plate to cool completely, 20 minutes more.
    • Meanwhile, prepare the Shiny Chocolate Glaze. Place the chocolate chips, butter, and corn syrup in a small saucepan over low heat and stir until the chocolate and butter melt, about 2 minutes. Add water, ½ teaspoon at a time, until the glaze is a pourable consistency.
    • Pour or drizzle the glaze over the cake. To drizzle, put the glaze in a pastry bag without a tip or a Ziploc bag and cut open one corner. Note that the glaze will not be spreadable after it’s drizzled onto the cake. 

    Notes

    Note: recipe slightly adapted from Chocolate Cake Mix Doctor

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    A chocolate bundt cake with drizzle of chocolate frosting
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    about us

    About Melissa & Barbara

    As of June 2022 Melissa Griffiths now is the one adding recipes. So think of it as Barbara Bakes, and Melissa too! Melissa and Barbara have been blogging friends for over 10 years and when Barbara was ready to retire and spend more time with her family, Melissa took over the site. Read more...

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Kathleen

      July 28, 2014 at 11:49 am

      I made bundt cakes for my son’s wedding rehearsal dinner and glazed them with this recipe. I made a chocolate bundt cake with vanilla glaze — used this recipe but used white chocolate instead of chocolate — and made a yellow bundt cake with the chocolate glaze. People loved them. My younger son said he’s never been crazy about bundt cakes before but with these glazes, he really enjoyed them this time. The glaze recipe that Barbara has posted is not just easy to make, but pretty (very shiny and stays shiny) and delicious!

      Thank you, Barbara.

      Reply
    2. Sally T.

      April 05, 2014 at 10:32 pm

      looks so good

      Reply
    3. Barbara Bakes

      March 11, 2010 at 4:38 am

      I haven't made this for a while. I need to make it again soon!

      Reply
    4. Barbara Bakes

      February 14, 2008 at 4:30 am

      Thanks Jenny – I’m planning on making your coconut cupcakes to take to an upcoming meeting. I really enjoy your blog.

      Reply
    5. Jenny

      February 12, 2008 at 4:25 am

      Yum!! I’ll have to try that healthier version. Looks chocolatey and beautiful

      Reply

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