Easy, from-scratch chocolate cake with a fudgy, silky frosting.

This chocolate cake is made with simple ingredients and topped with a rich and creamy chocolate ganache (which is made with a secret ingredient). It’s moist, without being dense, and has the perfect balance of sweetness and rich chocolatey flavor.

The secret ingredient that brings it all together… chickpeas! We know what you’re thinking: Why are beans in my chocolate cake?! BUT this is one recipe you have got to try! The creamy chickpea chocolate ganache uses no heavy cream, which cuts the calories of your chocolate cake in half.

Family-friendly

My husband (Erich) has always been the biggest chocolate lover that I know. So much so, that it’s not uncommon to catch him in the pantry door with a big smile on his face and a handful of chocolate chips. It came as no surprise that he requested a homemade chocolate cake for Father’s Day this year, rather than a gift. Because boxed cake mix often contains an array of unhealthy, heavily processed ingredients, I wanted to create a healthier version on my own. I love a good challenge, and after a little bit of tweaking, this recipe was born.

I decided to create a silky chickpea frosting to amp up the nutritional benefits while preserving the sweet flavor of a traditional frosting. The truth is, once he tasted it, he couldn’t believe that it was made with chickpeas rather than heavy cream… it was THAT GOOD!

Next time you or the ones you love are craving a creamy, moist chocolate cake, treat them to this decadent cake. Trust us, they’ll love it!

REAL-food ingredients

When it comes to cakes, we are big proponents of from-scratch, as opposed to box mixes. Packaged versions are generally made with refined sugar, refined white flour, hydrogenated fats, additives, preservatives, artificial colors and flavoring. Some of these ingredients, such as tartrazine, have even been linked to ADHA disorders.

This home-baked from-scratch cake is made with FfL-friendly, REAL food ingredients. It’s far healthier than most commercial mixes because it uses half the amount of sugar and less than half the amount of oil. Don’t worry, it’s still bursting with delicious flavor!

Why does this recipe use WHITE whole-wheat flour?

If you’ve spent time perusing FULLforLife, then you know the recipes you’ll find here use real-food, minimally processed ingredients whenever possible. Because white flour doesn’t fall into the realm of real food, this recipe uses white whole-wheat flour, which does. By using white whole-wheat flour, you’ll achieve fluffy chocolate cake, while still receiving all the nutritional benefits whole-grain flour has to offer.

Why not whole-wheat flour?

Because white whole-wheat flour doesn’t have the bitter tannins of regular whole-wheat flour, it yields a lighter, fluffier batter with a mild natural sweetness. This means you still get all the benefits of 100% whole-grain flour, without the bitterness.

How to freeze your chocolate cake

This cake freezes incredibly well for up to 3 months. Wrap unfrosted cake (or slices) in aluminum foil and store in an airtight container. Store your frosting in a separate airtight container. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, frost and serve at room temperature.

Vegan-friendly

For a vegan variation, simply swap out the egg for a chia egg (1 Tbsp. chia seeds + 2 Tbsp. water).

For a layer cake

For a two-layer cake, simply double the cake recipe and triple the ganache frosting.

Bake your cake layers and let them cool completely. Use a serrated knife to level the top of each cake. Place a small dollop of frosting on your cake stand. Place the first cake layer (top-side down) on top of the frosting to secure it. Apply a layer of frosting on top of your cake and smooth to coat. Top with the second layer of cake, leveled/top-side down. Finish the cake with a thick layer of frosting, starting at the top and working your way down the sides of the cake.

Pro Tip: Cold cake makes fewer crumbs. Refrigerate your cake for an hour or two just prior to frosting it. This helps the cake not to crumble as you frost it.

A few helpful tips

• If possible, allow the egg or milk to come to room temperature before making your cake batter (just get them out of the fridge a few minutes ahead).
• Use high-quality vanilla (we prefer to make our own), It saves money and makes a huge difference in flavor!
• If you’re using hot coffee rather than room temperature or chilled, add it to your cake mixture AFTER you’ve combined wet and dry ingredients. Because there is egg in the wet ingredients, it’s best not to add hot coffee or you may end up with scrambled eggs in your batter!