Low Sugar Chocolate Cake

Total time1 hr 40 min

Prep time20 min

Cook time35 min

This is a proper layer cake, deep and dark from a generous dose of unsweetened cocoa powder, with applesauce and buttermilk keeping the crumb impossibly moist and tender. A splash of hot water thins the batter right before baking, which is exactly what gives these layers their soft, fine texture once they puff up golden around the edges. The two rounds cool completely before getting sandwiched and coated in a rich, fluffy frosting built on softened butter and a full 3 minutes of beating, so it whips up light instead of dense. Cocoa powder and a splash of heavy cream round out that frosting into something glossy and spreadable, easy to swirl generously over the top and down the sides. It's a genuinely celebration-worthy chocolate cake, and it fits neatly into a rotation built around cutting added sugar. Slice into it once the layers are fully cooled for the cleanest, most stacked-looking pieces.

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Ingredients

12 servings

For the cake

2 cups all-purpose flour
King Arthur Baking Company Unbleached All-Purpose Flour Gold Medal Flour All-Purpose Unbleached - 5 Lb Bob's Red Mill Organic All Purpose Unbleached White Flour - 5 Lb Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Unbleached White Flour - 5 Lb Pillsbury Best Flour All Purpose - 5 Lb
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2 cups granulated sugar
Chef's tip
Use the same volume. Baking behavior varies by blend: some brown faster or stay softer, while others brown less. Follow the package's baking guidance and start checking a few minutes early.
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup buttermilk
½ cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp white vinegar
1 cup hot water

For the frosting

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
Chef's tip
Follow the package's conversion to powdered sugar. In frosting or glaze, add liquid gradually - replacements can absorb it differently.
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ cup heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp salt

Instructions

1
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 9-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper, and grease the parchment.
2
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined.

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