Chocolate Chip Snack Cake

I like to make desserts that are seemingly decadent, but are actually healthy enough to double as snacks, and even breakfast. Behold the perfect example! This cake is light and sweet, but it's got a rich enough taste and texture that you'll swear you're eating a slice of high-fat bakery cake. 

So how is this cake healthier? Many cake recipes call for 1/2-1 cup of butter or oil. I used just 1/4 cup - which is enough to contribute creaminess, not tons of fat and calories. And that 1/4 cup is divided into 12 to 16 servings. Most from-scratch cake recipes also call for milk - and let's face it, full-fat milk delivers the best texture. I was able to cut the butter in half and eliminate ALL of the milk by substituting nonfat Greek yogurt. Although the yogurt is nonfat, it adds an undeniable richness. I also used mini semisweet chocolate chips. If you follow my recipes, you know I do this a lot - that way you can use fewer chips while ensuring there's chocolate in every bite. 

Want to use whole wheat flour? Or make the cake gluten-free? By all means - go ahead! To add whole wheat flour, substitute 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour for 1 1/2 cups of the all-purpose flour (keep 1/2 cup of the all-purpose flour to keep the cake light). For a gluten-free cake, substitute gluten-free baking mix for the flour and reduce the baking powder to 1/2 teaspoon. 

Same recipe, endless cake possibilities: If you want to create a different cake every time, instead of chocolate chips, try using blueberries or mixed berries (fresh or frozen - just keep frozen fruit frozen until ready to use). For a peanut butter cake, swap peanut butter chips for chocolate chips. 

Leftover cake? Although this is highly unlikely, wrap leftover cake tightly in plastic and store at room temperature for up to 5 days. You can also store the cake in an airtight container. Wrapped in plastic wrap and nestled into a freezer bag, leftover cake will last 3 months.

Chocolate Chip Snack Cake

Cooking spray
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar or coconut sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
1/3 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips, plus a few more for sprinkling over top if desired 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. 
In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix well and set aside.
In a mixing bowl, combine the butter and sugar and mix on medium speed until blended. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Beat in the vanilla.
Beat in half of the flour mixture. Beat in all of the yogurt and then remaining flour mixture, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Fold in the chocolate chips. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface. Sprinkle a few extra chips on top if desired. 

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a wooden pick comes out clean or with little moist bits clinging to it.
Cool the cake, in the pan, on a wire rack. 

Cut into 12 to 16 pieces and serve warm or room temperature. 

Serves 12-16