Low Sodium Chocolate Cake Recipe

okay so. low sodium chocolate cake. not gonna lie, sounds like a sad idea on paper. like “wow, a cake with no salt, what joy” — but this one?? it works. moist, dark, has that cocoa kick without tasting like health food. you could trick someone with it. plus it’s easy and kind of comforting, like old-school boxed cake but smarter.

Ingredients Needed

• 1¼ cups all-purpose flour: nothing fancy, just basic structure.
• ¼ cup cocoa powder: use the good stuff if you can.
• ½ tsp baking soda: gives the rise, no salt involved.
• ½ tsp sodium-free baking powder: crucial for true low sodium.
• skip the salt
• ½ tsp espresso powder (optional): makes the chocolate pop.
• ¼ cup unsalted melted butter or coconut oil: keeps it soft.
• ¾ cup coconut sugar: more mellow than white sugar.
• ½ cup unsweetened applesauce: keeps it moist and light.
• ½ cup plain Greek yogurt (no salt added): thickens, adds protein.
• 2 eggs: binds everything together.
• ½ cup whole milk or unsweetened almond milk: go low sodium.
• 1 tsp vanilla extract: for flavor.
• ¼ cup mini chocolate chips (optional): use unsalted or just skip ‘em.

How To Make Low Sodium Chocolate Cake

Mix the dry stuff:
Flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder (sodium-free), espresso powder if you’re feeling it — toss it all in a bowl and stir.

Whisk the wet stuff:
In a bigger bowl, dump in the melted butter, sugar, eggs, applesauce, yogurt, milk, and vanilla. Whisk till it’s kinda smooth but don’t overdo it.

Combine the bowls:
Pour dry into wet. Stir until it’s just combined — no need to beat the life out of it. If you’re adding chips, do it now.

Bake the cake:
Split into two greased 6-inch pans lined with parchment. Bake at 350°F for 25–30 mins until a toothpick comes out clean-ish.

Cool & chill:
Let them cool in pans for about an hour. Then pop ‘em out, peel the paper, and let them fully chill before frosting (or not frosting, your call).

Recipe Tips

• Don’t forget: use sodium-free baking powder or this whole thing’s a lie.
• Applesauce keeps it moist so you don’t need extra fat.
• Freeze cake layers before frosting — helps avoid crumbs in your icing.
• No frosting? Dust with cocoa or a little powdered sugar and pretend it’s fancy.

How to Store & Reheat

• Room Temperature: 1–2 days wrapped tight.
• Fridge: up to 7 days in a sealed container.
• Freezer: freeze slices or layers for 2 months. Thaw overnight — no microwaving, it ruins the crumb.

Nutrition Facts (Approx. per slice)

• Calories: 164
• Sodium: ~90mg (with unsalted swaps)
• Protein: 4g
• Fat: 6g
• Carbs: 24g
• Fibre: 1g
• Sugar: 11g

FAQs

Low Sodium Chocolate Cake Recipe

Recipe by Evelyn ReedCourse: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

12

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

30

minutes

Calories

164

kcal

A moist, cocoa-rich chocolate cake with zero added salt — rich flavor, soft crumb, secretly heart-smart.

Ingredients

• 1¼ cups all-purpose flour

• ¼ cup cocoa powder

• ½ tsp baking soda

• ½ tsp sodium-free baking powder

• ½ tsp espresso powder (optional)

• ¼ cup unsalted melted butter or coconut oil

• ¾ cup coconut sugar

• ½ cup unsweetened applesauce

• ½ cup no-salt plain Greek yogurt

• 2 eggs

• ½ cup low sodium or dairy-free milk

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• ¼ cup mini chocolate chips (optional)

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350°F, grease and line two 6” pans.
• Mix flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and espresso powder.
• Whisk melted butter, sugar, eggs, applesauce, yogurt, milk, and vanilla.
• Stir dry into wet just until mixed. Add chips if using.
• Divide batter between pans, bake 25–30 mins.
• Cool completely before removing and frosting.

Notes

• Use unsalted ingredients everywhere you can.
• Sodium-free baking powder is key.
• Skip frosting or make a low sodium version.
• Store cool slices in fridge or freezer for longer freshness.