March 26, 2016 7:48 pm
Published by Breanne Lovatt
These high protein cake recipes can be thrown together in minutes, and I’m going to show you where to get started.
I’m sure you hate being on a diet or food plan where I have to give up luxuries like cake. I do.
BUT…Eating high protein doesn’t have to mean giving up cake!
You’ll notice that there’s millions of ‘high protein’ recipes on the Internet – so we’ve sifted through the junk and picked the BEST high protein cake recipes that you can get making today!
The following high protein cake recipes are all specially designed to be packed with protein, allowing you to substitute high-carb flour for protein powders, ground nuts, or other, more exotic ingredients (plantain, anyone?) and replacing refined sugar with more health-conscious alternatives that will keep you on track.
Most of them taste just like the traditional version, and the rest are much, much better. Honestly, you’re gonna love them.
Where To Buy The Ingredients?
We buy all our casein protein, dessert protein and whey protein for these recipes from Myprotein.
You can get up to 60% off some of these items if you use a Myprotein discount code listed on our site here.
Let’s get stuck in!
There’s little more indulgent than a lava cake, and this low-calorie, high-protein version packed with protein powder and oats is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth and need for chocolate while bolstering your protein intake. The gooey chocolate centre is sure to make you melt!
These decadent cupcakes aren’t just protein-packed (with yogurt and peanut butter flavoured protein powder) and delicious, they’re also ridiculously easy to make! The frosting requires just two ingredients, and who can resist the combo of peanut butter and chocolate? Combined with yoghurt and almond milk for an extra protein punch, you might just want to make a double-batch of these.
Baking doesn’t get easier than this. Combine your ingredients in a mug, stick it in the microwave, and you can be sitting down to this single-serve, 135 calorie treat in five minutes. The secret is in the whey powder added to the mix, and the well-known magic of mug cakes. This is one dessert you can treat yourself to every day. There’s even an easy vegan option!
4. Pumpkin Protein Squares (5g protein)
When the air outside starts to cool, treat yourself to this delicious, dense pumpkin cake. The secret ingredient is pumpkin puree for that real Fall flavour, and it adds a wonderful moist quality to the finished cake that will leave you coming back for more, and the whey powder gives this seasonal treat a protein boost. Luckily, the recipe comes together quickly and makes a large batch.
If traditional cakes don’t do it for you, this cheesecake might be the dessert you’ve been looking for, with high-protein cream cheese and peanut butter. Highly refined ingredients have all been replaced by healthier alternatives in this recipe, so you get all the benefits of a delicious dessert without any of the guilt! Without the need for baking, this is a great recipe to keep on hand for hot summer days.
This spiced cake goes together in a cinch, using whole wheat to boost the protein content. It looks fancy layered with apples, but it’s a simple recipe that’s sure to impress for afternoon get-togethers and office lunches. Flavoured with cozy cinnamon, it’s lean and low-calorie with an easy gluten-free option, so you can always come back for another slice.
It doesn’t get much more impressive than this! This triple-chocolate recipe is the perfect thing for special occasions (not just birthdays!). It uses beets for body, texture and an undeniably sweet, chocolatey flavour that’s sure to be a hit, and comes together in a blender. Protein powder fortifies the frosting, with egg whites and ground almonds boosting the cake itself. This is one cake that’s sure to put a smile on everyone’s face.
These individual cakes aren’t exactly pretty, but the flavour will more than make up for it. A great way to use up any bananas you might have that are reaching the point of overripe, this cake only uses a handful of ingredients–the main one is whey powder–and would make a great afternoon snack for days when you need a little pick-me-up.
This cake is one for lazy days–it all goes in the slow-cooker, and then three hours later, you’ve got a delicious, fruity cake to enjoy. Almond flour and powdered egg whites give this cake its high protein content, and the use of coconut milk and oil makes it dairy-free as well.
This attractively-shaped cake is dairy-free, gluten-free, and low-carb, and gets its protein power from eggs and ground almonds, which also give it a fluffy, delicate texture. The cinnamon imparts a subtle flavour that would be perfect for special afternoon teas, but there’s no reason you can’t have it for dessert, either!
This simple cake uses greek yogurt as a base for the cake itself and for the glaze, which along with the eggs and almond flour give it its boosted protein content. The light flavour and moist, crumbly texture make it an unusual but delicious choice that will have you going back for just one more slice.
Unlike regular cheesecakes, which use cream cheese as their base, this recipe combines high-protein cottage cheese and greek yoghurt to make a more health-conscious version of this favourite dessert recipe. Topped with fresh blueberries, it looks striking and tastes amazing, perfect for those who prefer a fruity, tangy dessert to a chocolatey one.
This quick-and-easy mug cake has a scoop of peanut butter in the centre for a delicious surprise treat. Using chocolate-flavoured protein powder, yogurt and egg whites to keep the protein levels up, it comes together in just minutes in the microwave and tastes just like its namesake!
This clever cake is made out of a stack of pancakes, so it’s nice and easy to make–or excusable to eat for breakfast! The protein in these comes mainly from the protein powder, egg whites, oats and greek yogurt in the recipe, but you could always throw in a handful of ground almonds for an extra kick if you like! Alternatively, you could Buy MyProtein’s protein Pancake mix and just add water.
These delightful little cakes get their protein from egg whites and yogurt, and the recipe has been specially developed to be lower-fat and fluffier than a standard butter cake. The addition of mango gives these an unusual (but still delicious) flavour that makes them the perfect cake to snack on throughout the day.
Don’t let its looks fool you–this cake is based on protein powder and uses a plantain (substitute with a green banana if you can’t get your hands on one) and coconut butter to replace many of the traditional ingredients of a chocolate cake. It comes together easily in the blender and stores well in the fridge.
This mug cake uses protein powder, greek yogurt and quest bar to pack the protein in, and it’s just as easy and convenient as all other mug cakes, with a delicious cookie dough flavour to boot. You can even top it with a high-protein frosting, described in the recipe, for a little more bonus protein!
This gluten free-cake replaces flour with whey powder and almond flour for a big protein hit. Zucchini may seem like an odd ingredient for a cake, but once you taste this chocolate cake you’ll be sold on the idea. You could always use some chocolate protein powder in the glaze if you want to take the protein content up a notch.
Angel food cakes are known for their delicate, lighter-than-air texture (hence the name) and this one lives up to it in the protein stakes as well, packing a whopping total of 57 grams of protein into this otherwise unassuming dessert. The secret is in the egg whites–not only are they responsible for the texture, but they really boost the protein content. The flour is replaced with vanilla protein powder, too.
At 32 grams of protein per slice, this dense, chocolatey cake may be slightly higher protein than a steak. It uses whey powder and ground cashews to achieve this impressive feat and is topped with cacao nibs for an extra touch of luxury. In the protein stakes, at least, the devils beat out the angels this time.
This cake uses both rice and whey powder as well as egg whites to achieve its protein content and combines this with cornmeal and almond flour for a unique texture and a cake that isn’t too sweet but showcases the delicious sugar plums that are the star of the whole recipe. It will store well in the fridge and makes a large batch, so it’s the perfect thing to have on hand for snack time.
Whey protein, egg whites and mascarpone cheese lend a high-protein punch to this cake, which looks and tastes much more complicated than it really is. Tiramisu makes a perfect grown-up dessert because of the coffee and can be made well ahead if you plan on entertaining. No one will ever know this version isn’t the traditional one, so there’s no reason you can’t feed it to guests.
With a large number of egg whites and the added boost of almond power, the chocolate-and-coconut combination is but high protein and delicious. The mousse frosting uses healthy oils and raw ingredients, making this decadent, occasion-worthy cake practically a health food!
This indulgent cake uses protein powder, egg whites and yogurt to achieve its protein content, and is free from gluten and refined sugars. Instructions for a vegan option are also included, so this may well be the perfect cake to make everyone at your next gathering happy.
These delightful little individual cakes make inventive use of vanilla and chocolate flavoured protein powder to make a decadent dessert that isn’t just high protein–it’s also raw! Ideal for both people trying to stick to a raw food diet and people who aren’t big fans of baking. All you need to do is combine the ingredients and leave to chill!
These quick-and-easy microwave cakes make use of vanilla protein powder as one of a small handful of ingredients. If you need a sweet fix fast, these are an ideal choice, and with their attractive marble pattern, there’s no reason you couldn’t serve them to company, too.
This gorgeous red velvet cake recipe uses all the tricks in the book to pack the protein in–protein powder, egg whites, greek yogurt and ricotta cheese–as well as beets to bring up the colour and a combination of coconut flour and buckwheat to limit the empty carbs. This is a recipe to keep on hand for when you need something really special.
These cupcakes use whey powder, greek yogurt and egg whites, and come complete with their own high-protein peanut butter frosting. The recipe makes eight, but you might just want to go ahead and double it. With this much indulgent flavour and only a few grams of fat and sugar, not only will you want to eat a dozen of these, but you can afford to!
This non-traditional cheesecake uses just four ingredients–cottage cheese, peanut butter, chocolate-flavoured casein powder, and a little stevia. There’s no baking, either–just put everything in a blender, mix, and freeze (or eat straight away if you can’t wait!)
The dense texture and unmistakable vanilla flavour of this pound cake makes it just like the traditional version, but this one uses vanilla protein powder, egg whites and–wait for it–steamed cauliflower. It sounds ridiculous, but it turns into a sweet and delicious pound cake that no one would believe was made mostly of vegetable!
Composed mostly of cream cheese and banana, these individual cheesecakes make for a yummy, guilt-free breakfast. Make these cakes the night before–they only need to be baked for 8 minutes–and serve them for breakfast in the morning. You’ll be the most popular chef in the house when you set these out on the table.
This buttery, sweet cake that evokes the very best choc-chip muffin is made with high-protein soy flour and soy milk, so would be easily converted to a dairy-free recipe as well, if you chose dark chocolate instead of milk (and you should, it’s much better for you). This one would even be a hit with the kids!
This cheesecake isn’t even a cheesecake–it’s made with yoghurt as the base, with whey and casein powder to boost the protein content. It still bakes up with the texture of a regular cheesecake, and there’s no shame at all in eating two or three of these at once–they’re practically fat-free and have just a handful of calories each!
This loaf cake would be a welcome addition to any afternoon tea, packed full of pears and chocolate, it’s sure to satisfy any sweet tooth. The protein in this recipe comes from oats and whey powder, and though it’s not quite as high-protein as other recipes on this list, but the flavour more than makes up for it.
This chocolate cake is the perfect post-workout treat, containing a solid 20 grams of protein to aid your recovery, which comes from black beans, cottage cheese, egg whites and whey powder for a much healthier take on something between a mouse cake and a crustless cheesecake. Don’t worry about the beans–you won’t taste them in the final cake, but they’ll really boost the chocolate.
They call this cake ‘devotion’ because you’ll be devoted to it once you try it. With eggs, ground almonds and protein powder it packs in way more protein than it looks like it should, and it’s also free from added refined sugars, so this is one cake you can eat without a care in the world.
Perfect paired with coffee–morning or afternoon, we won’t tell–this cake uses oat flour, greek yogurt and whey powder for its protein content and isn’t overly sweet without the clever icing, which is made with just protein powder and water!
This unusual cake uses garbanzo beans (chickpeas) as the base, imparting a subtle nutty flavour and an extra protein kick, along with unflavoured whey powder to make a truly unique vanilla cake. This is one recipe that’s definitely worth trying once–you never know, it could become a new favourite!
When you’re after something subtly sweet, this vanilla cake with little bursts of blueberry throughout is bound to satisfy. Made with oat flour, yogurt and whey powder, it’s a great way to enjoy some fresh blueberries while still getting a little more protein into your diet.
40. Victoria Sponge Protein Cake (28g protein)
The final place on this list goes to perhaps the most impressive recipe of all–a traditional Victoria sponge, with added protein! Victoria sponges are naturally high in protein owing to their high egg content, but this one takes it up a notch by adding quark and almond or oat flour to the mix, plus casein powder to the frosting. It all comes together to make a cake truly fit for a queen!
These chestnut protein cakes look incredible. Moist, thick and oozing with Nutella, they’re protein packed. Viviane has done an incredible job with these – and the photos are of top-notch quality too.
Almond milk, coconut flour, and plenty sprinkles! Manda threw this recipe together as a birthday treat – and whilst these bites technically aren’t cakes, they’re certainly good enough for us. We like quick and easy – and not having to switch the oven on certainly helps!
Yellow cake is widely common, but this protein yellow cake of Nicolette is a killer! With egg whites, almond milk and it’s icing, this will surely delight your day. Plus, it’s naturally yellow from the carrot puree and red palm oil.
Did I Miss Something?
If I’m missing an absolute peach of a recipe from this post, drop me a comment below and let me know.
If you’re planning on giving one of these recipes a bash, let me know. I’d love to hear from you!
If you’re looking for actual meal ideas – as opposed to sweet treats – checkout our HUGE list of 82 (and counting) high protein vegetarian meals. Everything has been categorised by main ingredient, so you’re bound to find some healthy ideas quickly.
Got a Cake-Obsessed, Sweet-Toothed Friend? SHARING IS CARING…!
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This post was written by Breanne Lovatt
