The best low calorie coffee cake

A soft, moist and delicious cake packed with coffee flavor, what more could you want? This low calorie coffee cake is the perfect sweet treat for a calorie deficit. It has a soft and fluffy sponge topped with a creamy, coffee infused cream cheese frosting. And the best part? Each slice contains just 66 calories, or you can eat the entire cake for just 265 calories!

This post contains affiliate links, to learn more, read my disclosure policy.

Okay so, I know that most coffee cakes don’t actually have coffee in it, but shouldn’t they? I’ve never understood why coffee cake doesn’t have coffee in it as you’d only need a small amount to get the coffee flavor anyway! The original idea was to have a cake that compliments coffee, so coffee cake is supposed to be served alongside coffee. But I don’t see the issue in combining two delicious things to make one super delicious thing! This coffee cake is infused with coffee to give it a delicious coffee flavor with every single bite!

I am obsessed with making low calorie cakes. If there is anything I am going to do well, it has to be making low calorie cakes that taste delicious! The most popular recipes on my blog are always my cakes because they’re so low in calories and taste just like their high calorie counterparts! Ive even been told my 70 calorie chocolate cake tastes BETTER than traditional chocolate cake ;). Anyway, I had a request to make coffee cake on Instagram and I do not need to be asked twice because I LOVE coffee cake, so of course I had to make a low calorie version for all of you!

Low calorie coffee cake

Calling all coffee lovers on a weight loss journey, if you’re ever craving something sweet, this recipe is perfect for you! It is also so so easy to make, you can have it from the kitchen counter to your belly in under 30 minutes!

Why you’ll love this recipe:

• Bakes in just 15 minutes! 
• Easily made in one bowl.
• Each slice has just 66 calories or 265 calories for the ENTIRE cake!
• Requires just 8 ingredients for the cake AND frosting! 
• The sponge is super soft and fluffy with coffee flavor in every bite!
• This recipe can easily be made gluten-free.
• The BEST low calorie coffee cake ever!

Ingredients

Exact ingredient quantities can be found at the bottom of this page.

To make this low calorie coffee cake you will need:

• Egg – This recipe calls for just 1 egg. The egg provides structure for this low calorie coffee cake.
• Stevia or granulated sweetener – Any granulated sweetener will work for this recipe. Stevia is my personal favorite and is the closest in taste to sugar.
• Plain/all-purpose flour – This recipe calls for good ol’ plain or all-purpose flour. For a gluten free alternative, you can use gluten free flour or oat flour.
• Coffee powder – You can either get store-bought espresso/coffee powder or you can easily make it yourself. I used a coffee grinder to make mine but instead of coffee beans, I used instant coffee granules. You can grind your own coffee beans or if you have instant coffee granules, you can use a pestle and mortar if you don’t have a coffee grinder. Or if you would rather not grind coffee to a powder, simply dissolve instant coffee granules in 1 tbsp of boiling water before adding to the batter. Use 1 tsp of water before adding to the frosting.
• Baking powder – Baking powder helps the cake rise. 
• Full-fat yogurt – This recipe contains very little fat and therefore calls for full-fat yogurt. This adds moisture to the cake giving it that classic soft and fluffy texture. You could use low-fat yogurt in a pinch but the cake may be a little dry. 
• Philadelphia lightest – I used Philadelphia lightest for the frosting but you can also use low-fat cream cheese which will only add a few extra calories.
• 0 calorie icing sugar – 0 calorie icing sugar keeps this recipe sugar-free. If you don’t have any 0 calorie icing sugar to hand, regular icing sugar works too but it adds a few extra calories. You can also make your own icing sugar out of 0 calorie sweetener by blitzing it in the blender until it’s fine and powdered.

Espresso powder

Espresso powder is available in most stores but I know it may not be something that everyone has at home. I used instant coffee granules for this recipe and ground them to make a powder. You can do this using a coffee grinder, a blender or even a pestle and mortar! If you would rather not (I get it), you can just dissolve instant coffee then add it to the batter and frosting.

1 tbsp instant coffee granules + 1 tbsp boiling water for the batter

1 tsp instant coffee granules + 1 tsp boiling water for the frosting

How to make low calorie coffee cake

1. Pre-heat oven to 180°C (356°F).
2. Whisk together the egg and stevia until light and fluffy. Whisk in the vanilla and yogurt and combine well. Fold in the flour, baking powder and espresso powder and mix well.
3. Transfer the batter to a 5-inch cake pan and bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
4. Allow the cake to cool. In the meantime, make the frosting by whisking together the espresso powder, 0 calorie icing sugar and cream cheese until smooth and well combined.
5. Once the cake has cooled, add the frosting, cut into four slices and enjoy!

Storage

This cake is best served the day it is made. If you would like to store some for later, place the leftover cake in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.