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Earlier this year my daughter asked me if I could “write” Happy Birthday on top of her homemade cake, and I practically laughed out loud at the thought of what that would look like. So cake-decorating skills or not…absolutely anyone can make this “tie dye” cake turn out beautifully. And don’t be afraid to switch up the colors. I used peaches and raspberries in the pictured version, but if you want it to be more “boyish” blueberries would add some great color as well.
Before we switched to “real food” I used to make birthday cakes out of a box topped with frosting from a tub mixed with food coloring from little squeeze bottles. I’ve always loved to bake, but I never used to make cakes from scratch because I didn’t have a good “go-to” recipe and I also didn’t know any better! Now that we’ve cut all highly processed food from our diets I prefer a cake made from scratch with only a few simple ingredients when it comes time for those special celebrations. No matter how much we say junk food is okay in moderation I almost never want the highly processed, factory-made, artificial version anymore. So as I mentioned in my previous whole-wheat chocolate chip cookie recipe, this cake “breaks the real food rules” a little, but I would much rather you make this for your next celebration instead of relying on Betty Crocker (or worse – your grocery store bakery)! Feel free to check out the ingredient list for those options if you don’t believe me that this is a much better choice. :)
Whole-Wheat Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole-wheat flour (organic pastry or white winter wheat recommended)
- 1 cup all purpose flour ((or cake flour) organic recommended, or can sub whole-wheat flour)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I recommend Hershey’s Special Dark)
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ¼ cups sugar (organic recommended)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups water
- 2 eggs (organic recommended)
- 2/3 cup coconut oil (or melted butter (1:1))
- 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
- butter (for greasing pans)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Generously grease two 9-inch round cake pans or other sized baking dish.
- In a large bowl whisk together dry ingredients including flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, sugar and salt.
- Make a well (hole) in the middle of the dry ingredients and drop in the water, eggs, oil, and vanilla. Mix by hand with whisk until well blended.
- Distribute batter evenly into the two cake 9-inch pans and bake for 18 – 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center comes clean. Let cool before adding frosting.
Notes
We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.
Nutrition Facts
Whipped Cream Frosting and Berry Sauce
Ingredients
- 3 cups heavy whipping cream (organic recommended)
- 3 tablespoons sugar (organic recommended, to taste)
- 1 ½ recipe berry sauce (with water, reduced in half (subbing either frozen or fresh organic fruit for desired topping color for e.g. raspberries = bright red, peach or mango = orange, blueberries = blue, cherries = dark red). See link below.)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whip cream and sugar together using an electric mixer.
- Meanwhile prepare berry sauce(s) with desired fruit for topping. Let sauce(s) cool.
- Turn out one of the cooled cake rounds onto serving platter. Cover the top (that used to be the bottom) with whipped cream frosting. Lay second round cake layer directly on top of first frosted cake layer. Now cover the entire exposed cake with frosting including sides.
- Put berry sauce into a squeeze bottle or alternatively you can try to drizzle sauce onto cake with a spoon. I used a “ketchup-style” squeeze bottle with the tip cut off to make the opening at the top a little wider.
- Make colored circles on top of cake using berry sauce (pictured).
- Using toothpicks start in the center of the cake and drag through the sauce to the edge. Repeat until desired look is achieved.
- For best results serve within a few hours. Keep leftovers refrigerated.
Notes
Nutrition Facts
Related Posts: Whole-Wheat Chocolate Cookies
I just made this cake and it looks perfect and yummy. I used strawberries and blueberry berry sauce. But, I did it a day early, our party is tomorrow and I just needed to get something done today. Do you think I should cover it when I put it in the fridge overnight?
Hi Karema. It can take us over a week to respond to comments as our volume is pretty high. Hope the party went well! ~Amy
Hi Melissa. So happy you are enjoying the blog! The cake batter was whisked by hand but an electric mixer was used for the whipped cream. You certainly could make the cake the day before but prepare the whipped cream and the berry sauce right before the event. Happy celebrating! ~Amy
Thanks for clarifying…I have make whipped cream by hand before its not easy but it is possible…I will make just before serving…can the fruit sauce be made ahead and refrigerated?
Hi. It should be fine if you make it ahead and keep in refrigerated. ~Amy
Hi, i’m looking for cake ideas for my son’s 2nd birthday… we made a ‘fruit cake’ for his 1st birthday-literally a watermelon cut into the shape of a cake and decorated with berries, kiwi etc- anyhow, this year i wanted to make a more traditional cake but without all the processed crap and this looks perfect. I’m wondering if you mixed the batter by hand or with a beater (i don’t have a beater) also, given the whipped cream icing, i’m wondering if this is a make ahead cake or if it would be better to make the cake part a day ahead and then ice just before? I’ve started meal planning thanks to your site- got me off on the right foot and gave me some inspiration, saves so much time and money! Thanks~melissa
Curious what fruit was used for the red sauce in the picture. I am guessing rasberry? I want to make a sauce for “elmo red” for cupcakes. Maybe strawberries would work? Any suggestions would be great. I made this into cupcakes for my moms bday and I’m making them again they were soooo good!
Hi Kris. Lisa used peaches and rasberry for the colorful toppings in this recipe. Strawberry would work, though the color would likely be less vivid. Enjoy. ~Amy
Hi Allison. Absolutely. Enjoy. ~Amy
Can these be made into cupcakes?
I’ve gotten rid of all my refined sugar and do not want to buy any, as I fear that will start the junk-food cycle again. So, I was wondering if honey or maple syrup or some sort of fruit juice could be substituted in this recipe without it turning out strange?
Hi Laura. I so respect that perspective…the whole slippery slope thing. I think Lisa mentioned that this was a cake that breaks the rules a bit but it is far superior to reverting to a boxed mix. I imagine she chose sugar because that is what worked. You, however, can experiment with the recipe in any way you choose. Good luck and let us know how it turns out. ~Amy
Have you considered Xylitol? It is natural, plant-derived, and low on the glycemic index. It can be powdered and substituted for sugar.
Hi Melissa. We’ve not experimented with xylitol because we do not consider it a real food. We are aware, however, that many find it a good and sometimes necessary alternative to using sugar. ~Amy
I just slightly adapted this amazing recipe to make it vegan (which I’m doing for lent) by replacing the eggs with chia seed gel and whipping up some coconut cream for the whipped cream. It tastes REALLY great! Oh, and I made cupcakes instead of a whole cake and used beet juice to color the whipped cream. So much fun! Thank you for so much inspiration!
Made this for my twins 8th birthday today…minus the berry sauce. I put fresh raspberries on in the shape of their initials. They said it was the best cake ever and to make it every year for their birthday. This is coming from kids who previously have had store bought cakes. Thank you for the recipe!
Made the cake today and overall it is delicious and pretty – a few things to note, it took about 25 minutes to bake and I only needed 2 cups of whipping cream to decorate. If I had used the 3 cups called for (I didn’t read that until after my trip to the store) then I would have added more to the middle layer. I followed a few other posts and used 1/2c applesauce and 1/4c coconut oil and decorated with shaved chocolate.
Has anyone tried a mostly-whole-wheat “yellow” cake? We haven’t introduced chocolate to my will-be-turning-2-year-old, and from how wired chocolate cake makes her older sister, I don’t want to start just yet.
Alternatively, has anyone tried this recipe with all whole wheat pastry flour? My plan was to try a yellow cake recipe switching out the flour to ww pastry, and the sugar to sucanat/rapadura. I’d welcome advice if any one has any!
Hi was wondering if this cake could be made and then frozen? I used to freese my other non whole wheat from scratch cakes just to keep them fresh and moist until I needed them. Usually only a week or so. Also anyone have a good time estimate on cupcakes? Thanks!!
Hi Anna. Yes, I think it could be. I would just wait to frost it until you have thawed it out. As for cupcakes, I would start with maybe 18 minutes, maybe even a little less and then check continuously. Jill
I have a question on this recipe or any other baking recommendations you have. My 8-year old wants me to make cupcakes for his school birthday celebration, and I want to try to make them as healthy as possible. Can this recipe be made 1) without chocolate, ie, a white cake option and 2) can it be made into cupcakes? Or do you have another suggestion for that? We LOVE this site and are so grateful for some healthy ideas!
Hi Tricia. I have not tried it without the chocolate, but, give it a try if you like…I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. And, yes, you can make this recipe into cupcakes, you’ll just need to adjust the baking time. Jill
Hi Tricia – wondering if you tried this without the chocolate and how it turned out? Wanting to make this for my son’s 1st birthday but we’re not big chocolate cake fans.
Just used this recipe to make my daughter and son’s birthday cake today. Took me a while to figure out that I had to use the hand mixer for about 8-10 minutes for it to reach the whipped cream consistency. Wish that was in the directions. Anyway, instead of doing the “tie dye” look, I mixed the berry sauce with some extra whipped cream and used that to decorate the cake (write happy birthday and make flowers around the edges). It turned out really pretty! Definitely going to use this recipe again for my 10 year old’s birthday in March. Now that I know how to do it, it should take me a lot less time!
I would love to make this cake for a special event coming up but was wondering if there are any dairy-free alternatives to the frosting? Is my only choice to make traditional frosting with massive amounts of powdered sugar?
Hi Anna. You can actually make whipped cream from coconut milk (which is non-dairy). Check out this post that our friend Carrie did over at Deliciously Organic that walks you through how to do it…http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-whipped-cream-from-152490. Jill
We just made this tonight for my baby’s 1st birthday tomorrow. My husband thought we should do a practice run just in case whole wheat cake is gross. It is wonderful. I only used whole wheat flour and honey instead of sugar. My husband, children and I love it. Thanks for sharing! I was worried about what we were going to do about birthday cake. :)
Cake was amazing, guests didn’t realize it was whole-wheat. :)
I am using this recipe for my daughter’s birthday this weekend, but she really wants cupcakes instead of a cake. Has anyone tried this as a cupcake recipe before? How should I adjust the cook time?
Thanks!
Katy, did you try this? My son wants the same thing for school birthday party. Let me know! He also wants them white so not sure if I can just leave out the cocoa or what.
This cake was awesome and the whole family loved it! I used all organic ingredients and substituted applesauce for oil. I was short a tablespoon of vanilla but it still tasted great. I followed the whipped cream recipe (took approx 10-11 min w/hand mixer for a good consistency)Instead of berry sauce, I shredded 65% organic dark chocolate on top for decoration.
I love this chocolate cake, it is delicate in taste and is not overwhelmingly chocolaty. Instead of making the frosting I topped my cake with Nutella hazelnut spread and some chopped walnuts. My mother loved it, the consistency of the cake isn’t moist but it is delicious! I am certain this recipe is enjoyable by fans of dry cake and moist cake alike. Second time I have made it this week and it is delicious.
PS: It looks great as a bundt cake!!
Making this tonight for my son’s sixth bday tomorrow. Has anyone tried it with coconut sugar?
I made this and its good! Any tips on how to make it more moist?
Hi TKD. You might try adding a little unsweetened applesauce. Jill
I was wanting to make cake balls for my daughters birthday using this recipe. Has anyone tried this? I’m wondering if there is an organic dipping chocolate (store bought or homemade) you could use to cover the cake balls.
Hi Jamie. Here is a chocolate sauce recipe from Delicously Organic http://deliciouslyorganic.net/chocolate-sauce-syrup-hersheys-recipe/#s.abxgpx6yibaaa. Not sure if you could somehow thicken it up to use it as more of a dipping chocolate. Just a thought. Jill
Thanks Lisa for the wonderful recipe. I made a smaller cake by halving most of the ingredients except for the eggs, and added few chocolate chips. I also substituted oil with 1/2 cup apple sauce + 1/4 cup oil (for half the quantity mentioned in the original recipe). The outcome was awesome. Thanks once again for posting such a healthier version of choc cake.
Made these today as cupcakes for my hubby’s birthday with dark chocolate whipped icing sooooo yummy :)
Making this now for my sons first birthday. :) Is it really 2 TABLEspoons of vanilla? That’s not a typo right? Just wanted to double check! :)
Hi Catherine. No, that’s correct. Jill
If you wanted to make this with honey instead of sugar, you could try these recipe adjustments I found in How To Cook Everything by Mark Bittman. It says that you can replace sugar with honey in any recipe by reducing the amount by 1/4 (because honey is sweeter), adding 1/2 teaspoon baking soda for every cup of honey ( to balance the acidity of honey), and in quick breads, cookies and cakes, reducing the heat by 25 degrees to prevent over browning. Also, cookies spread more with honey, so leave extra room.
I saw a blog post on chocolate cupcakes on this site. Could this recipe be used to make cupcake or was that a different recipe? Thanks!
Hi Jennifer. I don’t see why you couldn’t make cupcakes with this, you would just need to adjust the baking time. Let us know how it turns out. Jill
I just made this today for my 3 yr old’s birthday party cake! We are thrilled. The cake is really light and I didn’t get the layers on evenly but just made up for it with extra whipping cream. So great! Thanks for the recipe – I never bake cakes from scratch.
what about subbing apple sauce I know that you can sub apple sauce in for sugar in for a lot of recipes?
Hi Ericka. I have not tried substituting the applesauce in this recipe, but, give it a try if you like! Good luck. Jill
Hello,
I need to make a cake for my daughter’s 7th birthday next week. I’d like to use your whole-what chocolate cake recipe but I have two questions. First, can I substitute honey for the sugar? We have tried in the past three weeks to completely eliminate sugar from our diet. Secondly, if not, is there a ‘healthier’ sugar you recommend to buy? I’m thinking the kind I’ve bought in the past at the grocery store can’t possibly be the best choice and is highly processed. Thanks for your help. -Kathie
Hi Kathie. I have not tried substituting the honey. As for the sugar, you could try Sucanat, a whole cane sugar. Unlike refined and processed white cane sugar and brown cane sugar, Sucanat retains its molasses content. It is essentially pure dried sugar cane juice. Good luck. Jill
I am making this cake, this weekend for my son’s 3rd birthday. You say to use whole-wheat flour, organic pastry or white winter wheat recommended. I currently use the King Arthur white whole wheat that you normally use. Is that what you used in this recipe? Thanks very much! I love your blog!
Hi Brittany. There is one cup of whole-wheat flour which should either be whole-wheat pastry flour or white winter wheat (I used the pastry flour) and then 1 cup of all purpose flour which I think is what you are referring to below. Hope that helps. Jill
I am making this as a sheet cake for a home school open house tonight. I’m not into the whole foods movement, mostly, I was trying to find a cake recipe for things I already had on hand…the batter sure tastes good:)
I am fairly new to real food. I am an avid baker and am yearning for a resource with lots of baking recipes. Does anyway have a resource for BAKING? My daughter’s first birthday is next month, and I’d love to pick from some recipes to see what to make.
Thanks!
Hi Samantha. In addition to the recipes on our blog, you should check out the cookbooks on the kitchen essentials page which you can find here: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/my-kitchen-essentials/#books. I know the Deliciously Organic cookbook has some great dessert recipes. Good luck. Jill
Oh my!! Made this tonight and it is better than any boxed cake ever! My husband, who doesn’t have a big sweet tooth, commented on how good it was. This is so birthday/special event worth! We didn’t even use any frosting or topping. I have made cakes from scratch and they are usually on the dry side but not this cake, a keeper for sure!
I haven’t tried this cake, but I recently made homemade whipped cream with organic heavy whipping cream, maybe 1 tablespoon of local honey and a dash of cinnamon. It was SOOOO good, and no sugar!
Made this with homemade strawberry preserves mixed into the whipped cream. Yummy!
Wow, my son’s birthday party is in 3 days and I want to try this. Can I make the cake the day before? If yes, how do I store it?
I made this today and it was a big hit. I used coconut oil and would personally skip it next time because I could taste it in the cake and I’n not a huge fan of coconut. I made strawberry and blueberry sauces and everyone was very impressed with the design. This was my first attempt at making a birthday cake and I was pretty happy with myself. Thanks for sharing!
I just read this article to my 7 year old daughter who will be celebrating her 8th birthday in less than 2 weeks. I was able to “talk her into” a homemade party. The menu is a taco bar with grass fed ground beef with homemade taco seasoning, corn shells, WW tortillas, cheese, sour cream, tomatoes, and lettuce. I will also make refried beans and red beans. She wants a giant chocolate chip cookie so I have to research that. LOL Thank you for the inspirational article.
Sounds like the party planning if off to a great start!
I put all my pictures on facebook…