Home › Desserts › 13 Easy Whole Wheat Cake Recipes to Try

13 Easy Whole Wheat Cake Recipes to Try

Even the most sweet-toothed dessert fiend will find these healthier whole wheat cake recipes delectable.

Who said cake can’t be good for you? Er… better for you. 

Not to mention, whole wheat adds fantastic heartiness to these cakes.

So, they’re more soul-soothing than your average gateau. Plus, they taste fabulous. 

Sweet Apple Sauce Cake with Powdered Sugar
WANT TO SAVE THIS RECIPE?
Enter your email below & we'll send it straight to your inbox.

Whole wheat flours contain more nutrients than its white, all-purpose counterparts.

So, you’ll consume protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals in every bite of your scrumptious cake. 

Basically, you can have cake for breakfast, totally guilt-free. I certainly will! 

Check out these 13 amazing whole wheat cake recipes!

1. Cinnamon Swirl Apple Coffee Cake (Whole Wheat)

There’s something so classic about an apple cinnamon coffee cake.

I can’t quite put my finger on why it’s so darn good.

And this whole wheat version might actually be my favorite. Every bite is rich and decadent.

It features soft-cooked apples and a tender cake run-through with a fragrant cinnamon swirl.

Cinnamon-spice streusel covers every inch of the top. 

Finish it off with a simple sweet icing for the perfect bite. 

Just imagine sitting near a window, the morning sunlight streaming through and coffee in hand.

WANT TO SAVE THIS RECIPE?
Enter your email below & we'll send it straight to your inbox.

On your plate is a thick slice of this delicious cake. 

That’s the kind of morning I want every morning. Now, it can be yours, too!

2. Healthy Chocolate Cake (Whole Wheat, with Gluten-Free and Vegan Options)

Have you been looking for a solid chocolate cake recipe to impress all your people? Well, you just found it. 

Often, chocolate cake is dry and quite frankly, lacking in chocolate. But this cake is different.

It’s rich, moist, chocolatey, über decadent, and kinda-sorta good for you.

Honestly, everything about it is fantastic. And you can feel really good about serving it to others. 

As the title points out, there are vegan and gluten-free options included in the recipe.

It even has a variety of frosting options! You must try the chocolate avocado frosting. 

3. Applesauce Whole Wheat Cake

This cake is moist, dense, and super yummy! And classic spices make it taste just like the holidays. 

It features applesauce and raisins, which add sweetness and moisture to it.

This also allows you to cut the overall sugar content in the cake. I think that’s a good thing!

Don’t worry my sugar-loving friends, there’s still some sugar in this recipe. Brown sugar, to be exact.

And it makes everything taste rich and delicious. 

4. Banana Cake

One bite of this cake, and you’ll go bananas for the flavor. Even though it’s vegan, all your non-vegan friends will love it, too. 

This recipe features four bananas for optimum flavor. It’s also loaded with walnuts for maximum texture. 

Whole wheat flour and a bit of vanilla take the flavors to a whole new world. 

5. Apple Cinnamon Cake (Whole Wheat Flour)

This delectable apple cinnamon cake tastes exactly like fall feels.

It’s seriously cozy. Whether you enjoy it warm or cold, it’s fabulous. 

It’s loaded with apples, cinnamon, and walnuts so the texture is amazing. 

6. Carrot Cake

If you were to describe a cake as hearty, it would be carrot cake. Maybe it has to do with the veggies inside.

Or maybe it’s the warm spices, dense texture, and delicious extras. 

In this recipe, I think it’s also the addition of whole wheat flour.

It elevates the flavor and adds an earthiness that’s so comforting. 

Classic cream cheese frosting ties everything together for the perfect slice. 

7. Whole Wheat Vanilla Birthday Cake

I’ll admit, I tend to find vanilla kind of plain. I know that technically, it’s a very complex flavor.

But it just doesn’t taste that way to me, especially when chocolate is an option. 

However, this vanilla birthday cake recipe might just change my mind. 

The nuttiness of whole wheat complements and enhances the vanilla flavor.

There’s a splash of almond for extra oomph. Together, it tastes almost like caramel. 

Coconut cream frosting tops each layer, so every slice is mouthwatering.

8. Healthier Lemon Loaf Cake

You can’t go wrong with a good lemon loaf. They’re light, bright, and scrumptious. 

And although this recipe is healthier, it tastes just as good as any lemon loaf!

My favorite part is the lemon glaze. It’s like fresh lemons are dancing across your tongue. 

P.S. It’s a Starbucks copycat! 

9. Lemon Olive Oil Cake

Take your tastebuds on a trip to Italy with every bite of this cake.

Rich, fruity olive oil and vivid lemon are common ingredients in Italian cooking. And this cake is full of them. 

It’s moist, decadent, and incredibly tasty. 

10. Whole Wheat Olive Oil Tea Cake (Vegan)

Many cultures around the world have dedicated time to enjoying tea (or coffee) and treats. It’s practically a ceremony in and of itself. 

The U.S. doesn’t often do this and that should change.

Because what’s not to love about warm beverages and delicious cakes?

If creating dedicated time for talking, drinking, and cake sounds good, go for it!

You can start by serving this delicious tea cake. It has a sweet, lemon-scented flavor that’s to die for.  

11. Healthy Blueberry Cake

If you’re a fan of dessert for breakfast, then you’ll love this healthy blueberry cake.

It’s healthy enough for breakfast and delectable enough for dessert. It’s the best of both worlds. 

A combo of whole wheat and oats will give you energy and keep you full.

Blueberries add a sweet-tart flavor and loads of antioxidants. Yogurt and eggs add moisture and protein. 

Every ingredient works double-duty (at least) in this cake! 

12. Eggless Whole Wheat Strawberry Cake

This is the kind of cake that makes you feel like enjoying an English cottage garden. It’s rustic, beautiful, and totally Austen-worthy. 

It’s also absolutely delicious. It’s perfectly moist, bursting with strawberry sweetness, and feels incredibly homey. 

Typically, cakes contain eggs because they affect taste, texture, moisture levels, and the cake’s structure.

However, you can totally use substitutions if you have allergies. 

And that’s what this recipe does.

Yogurt, citrus, multiple leavening agents, milk, and oil perform similar functions as eggs when combined. The result is really quite fantastic. 

13. Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Taste a bit of the American south with this delicious pineapple upside-down cake.

However, in a very un-southern twist, this version has no butter. In fact, it’s vegan! 

And guess what? It’s absolutely delicious. It has everything you want in a pineapple upside-down cake. 

The cake is moist and spongy, with a light, sweet, gently tropical flavor.

Most importantly, it features a delicious, juicy, and caramel pineapple top. It’s out of this world.

This is the perfect treat for a warm, summer evening with friends.

13 Easy Whole Wheat Cakes

These whole wheat cake recipes are too good to pass up! From chocolate to banana to carrot, these healthy cakes are where it’s at.

Ingredients

  • Cinnamon Swirl Apple Coffee Cake (Whole Wheat)

  • Healthy Chocolate Cake (Whole Wheat, with Gluten-Free and Vegan Options)

  • Applesauce Whole Wheat Cake

  • Banana Cake

  • Apple Cinnamon Cake (Whole Wheat Flour)

  • Carrot Cake

  • Whole Wheat Vanilla Birthday Cake

  • Healthier Lemon Loaf Cake

  • Lemon Olive Oil Cake

  • Whole Wheat Olive Oil Tea Cake (Vegan)

  • Healthy Blueberry Cake

  • Eggless Whole Wheat Strawberry Cake

  • Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Instructions

  • Select your favorite recipe.
  • Organize all the required ingredients.
  • Prep a whole wheat cake in 30 minutes or less!
Whole Wheat Cake Recipes

Did you like the recipe?

Click on a star to rate it!

Average rating 5 / 5. Vote count: 3

No votes so far! Be the first to rate this post.

Thanks!

Share on social media:

We are sorry that this post was not useful for you!

Let us improve this post!

Tell us how we can improve this post?

author avatar
Haley van der Ploeg
Haley van der Ploeg is a food writer and content creator for Insanely Good Recipes, where she authors blog posts, creates recipes, and crafts tantalizing photos.

Haley is passionate about food and its ability to gather people across cultures, languages, and generations. She believes everyone can learn to cook.

Most days, you can find Haley reading, baking elaborate cakes, and hosting get-togethers for friends and family. If Haley isn't home, she’s probably on a plane jetting off to exciting adventures and new cuisines.

She lives with her husband in the Netherlands and has taught him that vegetables *can* taste good.

Leave a Comment