No Added Sugar · One Bowl · Sheet Cake, Layers or Cupcakes
Sugar Free Chocolate Cake (Moist, Rich & Easy)
Dark, tender and properly moist, made with a 1:1 sugar substitute and finished with a sugar-free chocolate frosting. Pick your sweetener, your pan and your frosting below.
- 50 minutes
- Serves 12
- One bowl
- Printable card
Two tender layers and a thick swirl of sugar-free chocolate frosting.
This sugar free chocolate cake is the one to bake when you want a real slice of chocolate cake, not a compromise: a homemade cake that actually tastes amazing. It is one bowl, deeply chocolatey and nobody at the table will guess there is no sugar in it.
The trick is moisture. Sugar is what keeps a normal cake soft, so when it comes out, something else has to do that job; here it is oil, Greek yogurt and a cup of hot coffee. Below you will find which sweetener to use and how much, pan sizes from a 9×13 that serves 12 to a two-layer birthday cake, three sugar-free frostings and every baking swap.
Which Sugar Substitute to Use in Chocolate Cake
Any granulated sweetener that bakes like sugar works in this cake, but they are not all used in the same amount. The amounts below are for a full batch, replacing 1½ cups of sugar. Tap the one you have:
Monk fruit and erythritol blend (our pick)
Use 1½ cups. These blends measure cup-for-cup like sugar, so they drop straight into the recipe. In a chocolate cake you will not notice any aftertaste; the cocoa covers the slight cooling note erythritol can have.
It is the easiest one to find and the one the recipe card is written for.
Allulose (the softest crumb)
Use 2 cups. Allulose is about 70% as sweet as sugar, so you need a little more. It keeps the cake softer for longer and never turns crunchy in the fridge.
The catch: it browns faster than sugar. Bake at 325°F and allow 5 to 10 extra minutes.
Pure erythritol
Use 2 cups. On its own it is less sweet than sugar and has a more noticeable cooling taste. It can also form tiny crystals as the cake sits.
Half erythritol and half allulose is a good way to use up a bag.
Stevia baking blends
Check the bag. Some stevia baking blends measure 1:1 like sugar; others are twice as sweet, so you would use ¾ cup. Follow the sugar equivalent on the label.
Pure liquid stevia or sweetener drops do not work here on their own. A cake needs the bulk that granulated sugar gives it, and drops only add sweetness.
One to keep away from the dog. Xylitol also measures 1:1 like sugar and bakes well, but it is extremely toxic to dogs, even in small amounts. If you have pets, choose one of the four above.
Sugar Free Chocolate Cake Recipe
Choose your pan and the amounts and bake time on the card change to match.
Sugar Free Chocolate Cake
A moist, rich, one-bowl chocolate cake with no added sugar, finished with a sugar-free chocolate buttercream. Choose your pan and the amounts and bake time change to match.
Choose your pan
Ingredients
- ¾ cup + 2 tbsp (110 g)1¾ cups (220 g)1¾ cups (220 g)1¾ cups (220 g) all-purpose flour
- 6 tbsp (32 g)¾ cup (65 g)¾ cup (65 g)¾ cup (65 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¾ cup1½ cups1½ cups1½ cups granulated monk fruit and erythritol sweetener (1:1 sugar replacement)
- ¾ tsp1½ tsp1½ tsp1½ tsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp1½ tsp1½ tsp1½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp1 tsp1 tsp1 tsp fine salt
- ½ tsp1 tsp1 tsp1 tsp instant espresso powder (optional)
- 1222 large eggs, room temperature
- ¼ cup½ cup½ cup½ cup plain full-fat Greek yogurt
- ½ cup1 cup1 cup1 cup milk
- ¼ cup½ cup½ cup½ cup neutral oil
- 1 tsp2 tsp2 tsp2 tsp vanilla extract, or alcohol-free vanilla
- ½ cup1 cup1 cup1 cup hot coffee or hot water
- ¼ cup½ cup½ cup½ cup sugar-free dark chocolate chips (optional)
- ¼ cup½ cup1 cup¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup1½ cups3 cups2¼ cups powdered sugar-free sweetener
- ¼ cup½ cup1 cup¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp¼ cup½ cup6 tbsp heavy cream
- ½ tsp1 tsp2 tsp1½ tsp vanilla extract, or alcohol-free vanilla
- a pinch salt
Instructions
Heat the oven and line the pan
Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease your pan and line the bottom with parchment, or line a muffin tin with paper cases for cupcakes.
Whisk the dry ingredients
In a large bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa, sweetener, baking powder, baking soda, salt and espresso powder until even. Press out any lumps of cocoa or sweetener with the back of a spoon.
Add the wet ingredients
Add the eggs, Greek yogurt, milk, oil and vanilla. Whisk for about a minute, just until the batter is smooth and glossy. Do not keep going after that.
Stir in the hot coffee
Pour in the hot coffee or hot water and stir until combined. The batter will be very thin. That is exactly right, and it is why the cake bakes up so moist. Fold in the chocolate chips if you are using them.
Bake
Pour the batter into the pan and bake for the time on the card for your pan size, until a toothpick in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter. If you used allulose, bake at 325°F (165°C) and allow 5 to 10 minutes longer.
Cool completely
Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn layers and cupcakes out onto a rack. A 9×13 sheet cake can stay in its pan. Let it cool all the way before frosting, because a sugar-free cake is very tender while it is warm.
Make the frosting
Beat the butter until creamy. Add the powdered sweetener, cocoa and salt and beat on low, then add the vanilla and cream a little at a time. Beat on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes until fluffy and spreadable.
Frost and serve
Spread the frosting over the sheet cake, fill and frost the layers, or pipe swirls on the cupcakes. Serve at room temperature, when both the cake and the frosting are at their softest.
Roughly, per slice
Based on 12 slices of the 9×13 cake with buttercream and a monk fruit and erythritol blend, not counting the sweetener.
This is an estimate, not a lab analysis. Sugar-free is not carb-free: the flour, milk and cocoa still count.
What Makes This Sugar-Free Cake So Moist
Cocoa, a 1:1 sweetener, Greek yogurt, oil and hot coffee: the moisture team.
Most sugar free chocolate cakes come out dry for one reason: sugar was holding on to the moisture, and nothing replaced it. These five things do.
Oil, not butter
Oil stays liquid at room temperature, so the cake stays soft even straight from the fridge. Butter cakes firm up as they cool.
Greek yogurt
Sugar holds on to water in a normal cake. Without it, Greek yogurt does that job and adds a slight tang that makes the chocolate taste deeper.
Hot coffee
Hot liquid brings out the flavor of cocoa. The cake does not taste of coffee; it just tastes more chocolatey. Hot water works too.
A thin batter
It looks too runny. Trust it. A thin batter is what makes a tender, moist crumb instead of a dry, bready one.
Pull it out on time
Sugar-free cakes brown less, so you cannot judge by color. Use a toothpick and take the cake out when it shows a few moist crumbs.
Sugar Free Chocolate Cake Baking Substitutions
Out of something? These swaps all work in this recipe:
| Instead of | Use | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| Instead ofGreek yogurt | UseSour cream, same amount | What changesJust as moist, very slightly richer. |
| Instead ofGreek yogurt | UseUnsweetened applesauce, same amount | What changesA little denser. Applesauce adds natural fruit sugar. |
| Instead ofMilk | UseUnsweetened almond, oat or soy milk | What changesSwap 1:1. No difference you will notice. |
| Instead ofMilk | UseButtermilk | What changesExtra tender with a slight tang. |
| Instead ofNeutral oil | UseMelted butter | What changesRicher flavor, but firmer once chilled. |
| Instead ofHot coffee | UseHot water | What changesSwap 1:1. Slightly less chocolate depth. |
| Instead of2 eggs | Use2 flax eggs (1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water each) | What changesDenser and moister. Let them sit 10 minutes first. |
| Instead ofAll-purpose flour | Use1:1 gluten-free flour blend | What changesChoose one that contains xanthan gum. Same amount. |
| Instead ofAll-purpose flour | UseAlmond flour | What changesNot a direct swap. Almond flour needs a recipe built for it. |
| Instead ofNatural cocoa | UseDutch-process cocoa | What changesEither works, because the recipe uses baking powder and soda. |
Pan Sizes: 9×13 Sheet Cake, Layer Cake or Cupcakes
A 9×13 cuts into 12 generous squares, which is exactly what the full batch serves.
One batch of batter fits all of these. Bake at 350°F (175°C), or 325°F with allulose, and start checking at the low end of the time.
| Pan | Batter | Bake time | Serves |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pan8-inch square | BatterHalf batch | Bake time30–35 min | Serves9 |
| Pan9×13-inch | BatterFull batch | Bake time30–35 min | Serves12 |
| PanTwo 8-inch rounds | BatterFull batch | Bake time32–38 min | Serves12–14 |
| PanTwo 9-inch rounds | BatterFull batch | Bake time28–32 min | Serves12–16 |
| Pan10-cup Bundt pan | BatterFull batch | Bake time40–45 min | Serves12–14 |
| PanCupcakes | BatterFull batch | Bake time18–22 min | Serves24 |
Baking for a first birthday? Our sugar-free smash cake is the little version, made for one small person to dig into.
Sugar-Free Chocolate Frosting, Three Ways
A good chocolate cake deserves good chocolate icing. All three of these are sugar-free, and each one is enough for a 9×13. Tap to choose:
Sugar-free chocolate buttercream
The one on the recipe card. Use a powdered sweetener, not granulated, or the frosting will feel gritty. If yours is only sold granulated, blitz it in a blender for 30 seconds.
Beat it for a full 2 to 3 minutes. That is what makes it light and fluffy instead of dense.
Chocolate cream cheese frosting
Beat 8 oz softened cream cheese with ¼ cup softened butter until smooth. Add 1 cup powdered sugar-free sweetener, ¼ cup cocoa and 1 tsp vanilla (or alcohol-free vanilla) and beat until fluffy.
Enough for the top of a 9×13. Double it for a layer cake, and keep the frosted cake in the fridge.
Sugar-free chocolate ganache
Pour ½ cup of steaming hot heavy cream over 1 cup of sugar-free dark chocolate chips. Leave it for 3 minutes, then stir slowly until glossy and smooth.
Pour it warm for a shiny glaze, or let it cool for 20 to 30 minutes and spread it like frosting. It covers a 9×13 or the top of a layer cake.
No frosting at all
Dust the cooled cake with powdered sugar-free sweetener mixed with a spoonful of cocoa, or top each slice with whipped cream and fresh raspberries.
Double Chocolate, Birthday and No-Sugar-Added Versions
Double chocolate
Fold ½ cup of sugar-free dark chocolate chips into the batter and finish the cake with the ganache. It is the richest version of this cake.
Dark chocolate
Swap ¼ cup of the cocoa for Dutch-process or black cocoa and use the full teaspoon of espresso powder. Deep, dark and almost brownie-like.
Sugar-free birthday cake
Bake two 8-inch layers, make a double batch of frosting, then fill, frost and top with fresh raspberries or sugar-free chocolate shavings.
No sugar added (with dates)
Replace the sweetener with 1 cup of smooth date paste and cut the milk to ½ cup. This version is not sugar-free: dates are naturally high in sugar. It just has none added.
Gluten-free
Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend that contains xanthan gum, in the same amount. Check your cocoa and chocolate chips are labelled gluten-free.
Love chocolate cake with a topping? Try our sugar-free German chocolate cake, with its classic coconut frosting.
Storing and Freezing Sugar-Free Chocolate Cake
| Where | How long | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| WhereRoom temperature | How longUp to 2 days | What to knowUnfrosted, or with buttercream or ganache. Keep it covered. |
| WhereRefrigerator | How longUp to 5 days | What to knowAny cake with cream cheese frosting. Let slices sit out 30 minutes before eating. |
| WhereFreezer | How longUp to 3 months | What to knowWrap unfrosted layers or slices well. Thaw in the fridge overnight. |
Why the frosting can turn crunchy in the fridge. Erythritol can recrystallize when it is cold. Let slices sit out for 30 minutes and it softens again, or make the frosting with powdered allulose, which never crystallizes.
Save the pin so the sweetener amounts and pan chart are there next time.
Sugar Free Chocolate Cake FAQs
Can you make a chocolate cake with no sugar?
Yes. A granulated sugar substitute such as a monk fruit and erythritol blend does the job of sugar in this cake, measured cup for cup. Oil, Greek yogurt and hot coffee keep it moist, since sugar normally holds on to moisture in a cake.
What sugar substitute is best for chocolate cake?
A monk fruit and erythritol blend that measures 1:1 like sugar is the easiest, and the cocoa hides any aftertaste. Allulose gives the softest, moistest crumb but browns faster, so bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Stevia baking blends work if you follow the sugar equivalent on the bag. Pure liquid stevia does not work on its own.
How do you make a sugar free chocolate cake moist?
Use oil instead of butter, add Greek yogurt or sour cream, use hot coffee or hot water as the liquid, and make a thin batter. Most importantly, do not overbake it: take it out when a toothpick in the center shows a few moist crumbs.
Is sugarless chocolate cake okay for diabetics?
This cake has no added sugar, but sugar-free does not mean carb-free. The flour, milk and cocoa still add carbohydrates, roughly 20 grams per slice by our estimate. Portion size matters, and anyone managing diabetes should check with their doctor or dietitian about how a slice fits their own plan.
How many people does this sugar free chocolate cake serve?
A 9×13 sheet cake serves 12. Two 8-inch layers serve 12 to 14 as a birthday cake, the batter makes 24 cupcakes, and a half batch in an 8-inch square pan serves 9.
How do I make sugar free chocolate icing?
Beat half a cup of softened butter until creamy, then beat in 1 and a half cups of powdered sugar-free sweetener, half a cup of cocoa, a pinch of salt, a teaspoon of vanilla and about a quarter cup of heavy cream until fluffy. Always use a powdered sweetener, or the icing will be gritty.
Why is my sugar-free frosting gritty?
It was made with a granulated sweetener. Use a powdered one, or blend granulated sweetener for 30 seconds until it is fine as dust. Erythritol can also form crystals in the fridge, so let the cake come to room temperature before serving.
Why does my sugar-free cake have a cooling aftertaste?
That is erythritol, which feels cool on the tongue. Cocoa hides most of it. If you notice it, swap half the sweetener for allulose, or use allulose entirely and bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
Can I use stevia in sugar free chocolate cake?
Yes, a stevia baking blend works if you follow the sugar equivalent on the package. Some blends measure 1:1 and others are twice as sweet as sugar. Pure liquid stevia on its own does not work, because the cake needs the bulk of a granulated sweetener.
Can I use almond flour instead of all-purpose flour?
Not as a direct swap. Almond flour has no gluten, absorbs liquid differently and needs more eggs to hold together, so it needs a recipe written for it. For a gluten-free version of this cake, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend instead.
What is the difference between sugar free and no sugar added?
Sugar-free means the cake is sweetened with a substitute that adds no sugar. No sugar added means nothing sweet was added on top of what is naturally in the ingredients, so a cake sweetened with dates or bananas has no sugar added but is not sugar-free.
Can you freeze sugar free chocolate cake?
Yes. Wrap unfrosted layers or slices tightly and freeze them for up to 3 months. Thaw them in the refrigerator overnight, then frost and serve at room temperature.
Related Reads
More sugar-free cake recipes and snacks from our kitchen.
A 1:1 sweetener, oil, Greek yogurt, hot coffee and a toothpick test instead of a timer. That is the whole secret.
Pin this sugar free chocolate cake so the recipe and the frosting are there for the next birthday.
