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Chocolate Yogurt Snack Cakes

This recipe yields delightfully moist and rich chocolate snack cakes, made tender by the addition of whole-milk yogurt. Featuring a blend of bittersweet chocolate, vanilla, and almond extracts, these individual treats offer a perfectly balanced sweetness and profound cocoa flavor, ideal for any time snacking.
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Servings: 4 people
Course: Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 3621.9
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Main
  • 7 ounces 200 grams bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • 1/2 cup 125 ml vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup 125 ml plain, whole-milk yogurt
  • 1 cup 200 grams sugar
  • 3 large eggs at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 1/2 cups 200 grams flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder ( David recommends aluminum-free baking powders
  • 1/2 tsp coarse salt

Equipment

  • 2 Mixing Bowls One large for wet ingredients, one medium for dry
  • 1 Saucepan or Microwave-Safe Bowl For melting chocolate
  • 1 Whisk and Spatula For mixing ingredients
  • 1 Measuring Cups and Spoons For accurate ingredient portions
  • 1 Muffin tin 12-cup, lined or greased, for individual snack cakes

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease and flour.
  2. In a small saucepan over low heat or in a microwave-safe bowl, melt the chopped chocolate with the vegetable oil, stirring until smooth. Let cool slightly.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the yogurt, sugar, room temperature eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract until well combined.
  4. Gradually whisk the cooled melted chocolate mixture into the wet ingredients until fully incorporated.
  5. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder (preferably aluminum-free), and coarse salt.
  6. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two additions, mixing gently with a spatula or whisk until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
  7. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full.
  8. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of a cake comes out with moist crumbs.
  9. Remove the muffin tin from the oven and let the cakes cool in the tin for 5-10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
  10. Serve cooled snack cakes.

Notes

For a truly rich chocolate flavor, use high-quality bittersweet or semisweet chocolate. Ensure eggs are at room temperature to emulsify better with the other ingredients, leading to a smoother batter. The whole-milk yogurt is key for moisture and a tender crumb; do not substitute with low-fat. When combining wet and dry ingredients, mix until just incorporated to avoid overdeveloping gluten, which can result in tough cakes. A pinch of espresso powder can intensify the chocolate notes without adding coffee flavor. Always check doneness with a skewer—it should come out with moist crumbs, not wet batter.