Chocolate Cake with Streusel – High Protein, Sugar Free

Healthy Chocolate Cake with Streusel topping will blow you away! A high protein, sugar free and low fat chocolate cake with cinnamon crumb topping perfect for a snack, dessert or post-workout!

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Okay I have no words about this chocolate crumb cake recipe – think moist chocolate cake with crunchy cinnamon streusel on top; Just unbelievably beautiful! And the best part is that it was actually sugar free and low fat!

I think I had seen someone on Instagram make a chocolate coffee cake once – not a chocolate + coffee flavored cake; A chocolate cake with the cinnamon crumb topping like a coffee cake. That’s where the inspiration for this recipe came from.

So thank you to whoever you are – this chocolate cinnamon coffee cake was delicious! 

Ingredients for High Protein Chocolate Cake with Streusel

This high protein chocolate cake with streusel is a super simple recipe with really basic ingredients.

• Chocolate Protein Powder needed for a high protein coffee and also replaces the ‘sugar’.
  I used Whey-Casein Chocolate protein powder from Quest Nutrition.
• Unflavored Protein Powder to replace some of the flour (and carbs) in the recipe. Quest Nutrition whey-casein again here.
• Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
• Coconut Flour
• Unsweetened Cocoa Powder 
• Hot Water
• Unsweetened Applesauce
• Some Lemon Juice
• A bit of Melted Butter
• Baking Soda
• Vanilla Extract

For the Sugar-free Cinnamon Streusel:

• More Protein Pancake Mix
• Ground Cinnamon
• 1:1 Zero Calorie Brown Sugar Substitute – I use Lakanto, to keep this recipe sugar free;  (code HAYLSKITCHEN for a discount here too)
• Some cold Cubed Butter

And for the Icing:

• Zero Calorie Powdered Sugar Substitute – I use Lakanto here as well (code HAYLSKITCHEN for a discount here)

How to make Chocolate Cinnamon Crumb Cake

This chocolate cinnamon crumb cake is really easy to make, and doesn’t need any fancy baking skills. Just a couple of bowls and a small food processor. Here’s what you have to do:

1. Whisk all wet ingredients in a bowl – Hot water, applesauce, lemon juice, melted butter vanilla extract.
   Use hot water – it’s needed!
   Use melted butter so that it mixes well into the healthy chocolate crumb coffee cake batter.

2. Whisk dry ingredients – flour, coconut flour, chocolate protein powder, unflavored protein powder, cocoa powder and baking soda.

3. Add dry mix to wet; Whisk until just combined.
   Don’t over-mix or cake will get tough!

4. Taste the batter and see if you need some extra sweetener.
   Use stevia powder to maintain the consistency of the batter and have healthy, sugar free chocolate protein cake.

Make Streusel topping on Chocolate Protein Cake:

5. Combine ingredients in a small food processor – flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and cold butter. Use cold butter, so that you get a crumbly streusel and not melty butter.

6. Process until crumbles just form!
   Over-processing will make the butter melt

Assemble and Bake:

7. Pour batter into baking pan.
   
8. Add sprinkle streusel on top.

9. Bake for 25-30 mins.

10. Stop baking when tester/knife comes out just dry, but moist.
    Don’t over-bake the cake or it will get tough.

Icing:

11. Let cake cool before icing or the icing will melt.

12. Whisk powdered sugar and milk.

Don’t add too much milk in the icing; It will come together quickly.

How to store Chocolate Coffee Cake with Cinnamon Streusel

Store chocolate coffee cake (once cooled) in an airtight container. It should keep on the countertop for 1-2 days or in the fridge for upto 4 days or freezer for 2-3 months. Don’t forget to thaw frozen cake before eating.

Alternatives for Healthy Chocolate Cake with Crumb Topping:

I recommend making this healthy chocolate cake and crumb topping with the ingredients and brands recommended, but here’s some alternatives for you can try:

• Whole Wheat Pastry Flour: Use All purpose flour or 1:1 Gluten Free Baking Flour in the same amount by weight not cups.
• 1:1 Zero Calorie Sugar Replacement: Regular confectioners sugar or coconut sugar (this won’t be sugar free though, and also higher in calories)
• Unsweetened Applesauce: Mashed Banana or Pumpkin Puree
• Melted Butter: Melted Coconut Oil or Dairy Free Butter
• Lemon Juice: Apple Cider Vinegar or White Vinegar
• 1:1 Zero Calorie Sugar Replacement: Regular brown sugar or powdered sugar (this won’t be sugar free though, and also higher in calories)

More Recipes for High Protein Chocolate Cake:

• Chocolate Caramel Protein Cake
• Protein Chocolate Lava Cake
• Chocolate Protein Bundt Cake
• Healthy Kefir Chocolate Cake
• Chocolate Protein Poke Cake

More Healthy Recipes with Cinnamon Streusel

• Coffee Cake with Protien Pancake Mix
• Protein Zucchini Muffins with Cinnamon Crunch Streusel
• Simple Vanilla Protein Cake with Oat Streusel
• Sweet Potato Casserole for One with Bacon Pecan Streusel