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Eggless chocolate cake recipe | How to make eggless cake

By swasthi , on August 17, 2019, 325 Comments

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Eggless chocolate cake recipe with video & step by step photos – This simple moist, soft chocolate cake has no butter, no eggs, no milk in it except for the frosting which uses little butter & milk. This cake is made with almost very basic ingredients and is popularly known as wacky cake or depression cake.

eggless chocolate cake

It was born during the world war 2 as a result of introducing the rationing system by the British government to overcome the food shortages.

This cake was baked during those times as it needed only the basic ingredients like flour, oil, soda and sugar. Ingredients like eggs, milk and butter which were in shortage were not needed.

Eggless chocolate cake is one of the quickest and can be made even by a beginner without any hassles. It turns out very soft, moist, spongy and very light.

A simple chocolate syrup, whipped cream frosting or chocolate buttercream frosting goes well on this cake.

This eggless cake recipe & a no bake biscuit cake recipe had been very popular almost a decade ago and had come in many food magazines and columns.

eggless chocolate cake recipe

Faqs on eggless chocolate cake

1. Can maida/ all-purpose flour be replaced with wheat flour?
Yes, But the cake turns dense and the flavor alters too. If you like to try, use very fine ground wheat flour. Next add in 1 to 2 tbsp more of water.

2. Can I use butter instead of oil?
Yes oil can be substituted with melted unsalted butter. But oil makes the cake more moist.

3. Can I replace water with milk?
Yes I have made this cake many times using full fat milk. The texture turns slightly dense.

4.Can I use baking powder instead of baking soda?
No, Baking powder cannot be used to make this eggless chocolate cake recipe. Baking soda & baking powder are different.

5.How to bake this cake without a oven?
If you do not have a oven you can also bake this cake in a cooker or a heavy bottom pot. You can check this post on How to make cake in cooker.

6.Can I make this cake with dry fruits & nuts?
Yes you can use about half cup fine chopped tutti fruttis or mixed dry fruits. Toss them in 1 tbsp flour and gently stir them with the prepared batter at the last step.

7.What adjustments should I make if using wheat flour, butter & milk?
To make this eggless chocolate cake with wheat flour, butter & milk just use little more water or milk. Then to improve the taste & texture pour some sugar syrup over the cake to keep it moist.

For the sugar syrup, boil 2 tbsps sugar in 4 tbsps water until the sugar dissolves and begins to boil well. Cool this and pour over the cake after cooling completely. Go ahead frosting the cake.

Tips to make the best eggless chocolate cake

1. Test the baking soda before use: Make sure you use good quality baking soda. To test it, add 2 tbsps of lemon juice or vinegar to a bowl. Add half tsp baking soda & stir. If it is fresh then it will bubble & fizz immediately.

Next if the mixture does not bubble & fizz up it indicates the baking soda is not good so replace it with a new bottle of soda.

If your baking soda is not good then the cake will turn flat and will not turn spongy.

2.Quantity of soda: Do not increase the quantity of soda as it may leave a bitter taste.

3. Vinegar: Use good quality vinegar that is meant for cooking. If possible use apple cider vinegar. Good quality acidic ingredient will help the baking soda to react well and will make the cake light & spongy.

4. Vanilla flavor: I use vanilla extract for most of my bakes. You can also replace it with vanilla powder or vanilla essence. Often readers ask me if extract & essence are same. They are not same.

Vanilla essence is an artificial flavoring agent so you will have to use only a few drops in the recipe.

I also use this recipe to make the base for Eggless black forest cake

For more Cake Recipes, you can check
Eggless vanilla cake
Sponge cake without eggs
Eggless fruit cake
Eggfree carrot cake
Apple cake – eggless
Chocolate banana cake without egg

Eggless chocolate cake recipe

eggless chocolate cake recipe

Eggless chocolate cake

Eggless chocolate cake that’s vegan, called as wacky cake or depression cake. It turns out soft and moist. To make the cake rich use milk and melted butter. Eggless chocolate cake with 2 delicious frostings.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Servings8
AuthorSwasthi

Ingredients (1 cup = 240ml )

Ingredients for eggless chocolate cake

  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour or organic maida or wheat flour (180 grams)
  • ¼ cup cocoa powder (use good quality cocoa)
  • 1 teaspoon Baking soda (check expiry date)
  • ½ teaspoon Salt
  • 1 cup sugar (organic, or 1.5 cups grated jaggery)
  • 1 cup Water (use milk to make rich cake)
  • 1/3 cup oil or 80 ml (coconut or canola or light olive oil or melted butter)
  • 1 tablespoon Lemon juice (or apple cider vinegar or plain vinegar, use good quality)
  • 1 tablespoon Vanilla extract (or vanilla powder or essence as needed)

For the chocolate sauce (Frosting 1 – method 1)

  • ¾ cup milk
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 4 to 6 tablespoon sugar (or powdered jaggery as needed)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

or For chocolate buttercream frosting (Frosting 2 – method 2)

  • ¼ cup unsalted butter (soft but cold)
  • 3 tablespoons cocoa powder (good quality)
  • 1 ½ cups powdered sugar (or icing sugar)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 to 2 ½ tablespoons milk (or whipping cream)

How to make the recipe

Preparation for eggless chocolate cake recipe

  • Preheat the oven to 170 C or 340 F for at least 15 mins. 
  • Grease a 8 or 9 inch round cake pan & drizzle some flour on it. or Line with a parchment paper. Set aside.
  • Mix 1 ½ cups flour, ¼ cup cocoa powder, ½ tsp salt and 1 tsp baking soda.
  • Sieve the flour mix at least twice to aerate the flour. This makes the cake light.
  • If using wheat flour then sieve four times.
  • Add 1 cup sugar and mix it well. I use fine sugar.
  • If you are using coarse one then you can also dissolve it in 1 cup water (called for the recipe) and pour it in the next step.

How to make eggless chocolate cake

  • Make a well (space) in the center. Pour 1 cup water, 1/3 cup oil or melted butter, 1 tbsp vanilla extract and 1 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar.
  • Gently begin to mix well from the liquid ingredients in the center.
  • Mix just until the flour is combined well with the wet ingredients. Do not over mix.
  • The batter will be runny. Pour it to the cake pan.
  • Knock it a few times against the kitchen counter to release air bubbles.
  • Bake for 25 to 28 mins. Check after 23 mins. To check if it is completely baked, insert a skewer in the center of the cake and check. It must come out clean.
  • Keep the cake pan on a wire rack and allow it to cool down for 8 to 10 mins in the pan.
  • Invert eggless chocolate cake gently on a wire rack. Allow it to cool completely.
  • You can frost the cake if you like or just sprinkle some powdered sugar.
  • This eggless chocolate cake tastes best the next day.

Making chocolate sauce (Frosting 1)

  • Mix together ¾ cup milk, 2 tbsps cocoa, 1 tsp vanilla extract & 4 to 6 tbsps sugar.
  • The mixture must be lump free & smooth.
  • Begin to cook on a low to medium heat stirring constantly until slightly thick & creamy. 
  • Taste it and add more sugar if needed & boil. Cool down completely.
  • Place the cake on a plate or a tray that can hold the excess dripping from chocolate sauce.
  • Pour the chocolate frosting on the cooled eggless chocolate cake.
  • Spread with spatula. For step by step pics, please refer this Ragi cake.

OR Making frosting for eggless cake (Frosting 2)

  • Ensure the butter is soft yet cold. When you press down the block of butter, it must dent easily yet hold shape without melting.
  • Add butter to a large bowl and beat it until soft and fluffy. You can use a hand mixer or just a whisk.
  • Place a sieve over the butter bowl. Add cocoa and powdered sugar to the sieve. Sieve it well.
  • Pour vanilla and 2 tbsps milk or cream. Mix them up lightly.
  • Then whisk or beat until everything turns smooth fluffy and light. It must be of spreadable consistency. 
  • If it is too thick, then add another half to 1 tbsp milk or cream. Beat well until it reaches a good consistency.
  • Do not over beat else the butter begins to melt. 
  • If needed you can keep it in the fridge for a while.
  • Spread a tbsp of frosting on your cake stand. Place 4 – 2 by 8 inch parchment paper strips across the four sides of the cake stand. 
  • Place the cake over these papers with the frosting beneath the cake.
  • Scoop off a good amount of frosting to the cake. Begin to spread from the center and then towards the sides. 
  • Place the cake in the fridge for about 40 mins. Then smoothen the cake with a spatula. Remove the parchment papers gently.
  • Eggless chocolate cake is ready. Slice & serve. 

Video

NUTRITION

Calories: 422kcal | Carbohydrates: 68g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 308mg | Potassium: 99mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 47g | Vitamin A: 175IU | Vitamin C: 0.7mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 1.7mg

Notes

Notes on eggless chocolate cake recipe
If using jaggery / palm sugar / coconut sugar, do use one without soda content. Dissolve it in water and then filter it.
To make the cake rich, you can use melted butter and milk.
If you intend to use whole wheat flour, you can use 1:1 ratio wheat flour & all purpose flour for best results.

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How to make eggless chocolate cake

1. Preheat the oven to 170 C. Grease a cake pan and drizzle some flour all over on the sides and bottom. Invert it & pat it off over the kitchen sink to remove the excess flour.

I highly suggest using parchment paper to line the cake tray. This way the eggless chocolate cake comes out of the pan easily.

Prepare dry ingredients

2. Place a sieve over a large mixing bowl. Add flour, cocoa, salt and soda.

adding dry ingredients to bowl to make eggless chocolate cake

3. Mix them gently. Sieve them together twice. This aerates the flour and makes the cake light.

sieving dry ingredients to make light

4. Add sugar and mix well. I used organic fine sugar. If using coarse sugar then you can also dissolve it in 1 cup water (called for the recipe) and use in the next step. If using jaggery, dissolve and filter it.

adding sugar to make eggless cake batter

5. Make space for the liquid ingredients in the center.

making well in the center to make

Mixing dry & wet ingredients

6. Pour water.

pouring water to make eggless cake batter

7. Pour oil. I have used organic virgin coconut oil. Do use some light oil otherwise the cake may smell oily.

pouring oil to make

8. Next add vanilla extract.

adding vanilla for eggless cake recipe

9. Add freshly squeezed lemon juice or vinegar. Make sure you use a good quality vinegar. I have used organic apple cider vinegar.

adding lemon juice for

10. Mix all these well gently just until well combined.

mixing ingredients to make batter

11. You will notice that the cake batter begins to bubble up. The acidic ingredient vinegar or lemon juice begins to react with the baking soda. Do not over mix at this stage, it may make the cake dense.

bubbling batter to make

Baking eggless chocolate cake

12. Pour the cake batter to the pan. Knock it to the kitchen counter a few times.

pouring batter to pan to make eggless chocolate cake

13. Bake it in the preheated oven for 25 to 28 mins. Check after 25 mins. The timings may vary depending on the oven. So bake it until the skewer inserted comes out clean.

bake eggless chocolate cake in oven for 25 mins

14. Allow it to cool down for 8 to 10 mins. Invert it on a cake rack.

cooling then inverting eggless cake on rack

15. Remove the parchment papers. Cool it completely. If you prefer to frost you can do a chocolate frosting or you can just dust some powdered sugar and some sprinkles.

cool completely

This eggless chocolate cake tastes best the next day. It keeps good at room temperature for 2 days and in the fridge for 6 to 7 days.

I made a super quick chocolate buttercream frosting, please follow the recipe card for details.

You can also make a chocolate sauce frosting with very few ingredients. Please check the recipe card.

how to make eggless chocolate cake
Eggless chocolate cake - soft, moist and delicious wacky cake or depression cake. One of the best eggless cake recipe that\'s vegan too. #egglesschocolatecake #egglesscake #wackycake #eggless #chocolatecake #vegan #cake

Filed Under: Cake Recipes, Latest Recipes, Popular Indian recipes, Recipes for kids, Sweet Recipes, vegetarian recipes

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About swasthi

I’m Swasthi shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthis recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthi’s Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills.
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Reader Interactions

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Comments

  1. Narmadha says

    February 9, 2019

    Hi Swasthi, I tried your chocolate cake recipe n it turned out to be awesome.. but I got a dome shaped on the top….please share some tips on how to get a flat top.

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      February 9, 2019

      Hi Narmadha,
      A dome on top is due to wrong size of the pan (too small). It can also be due to the pan sides being too high, meaning the pan is too deep. The one i have used in this post is also a deep one – 3inch but since the size is correct i didn’t get a dome. Just use a 2 inch deep pan. You can check this post to understand Apple cake. I have used a 2 inch deep pan there.

      Reply
  2. Anita Sharma says

    February 3, 2019

    Can we use salted butter for frosting instead of unsalted one? For frosting 2. Please reply fast 🙂

    Reply
  3. Pooja says

    January 28, 2019

    5 stars
    Hello Swathi. Thank you for sharing such an easy recipe. I tried to bake a cake for the first time yesterday. It came out quite nice except the ends got a bit hard. I wonder why that happened.
    Going to try again very soon!

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      January 28, 2019

      Hi Pooja,
      You are welcome. It happens if the pan is over greased. Excess oil on the pan can leave crusty edges. Or even over baking can be the reason. Thanks for rating the recipe.
      🙂

      Reply
  4. Kristy says

    January 27, 2019

    Hi I’m fairly new to baking. I made this cake and it has sunken slightly in the middle. What did I do wrong 😂 ? Tastes amazing though

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      January 27, 2019

      Hi Kristy,
      Here are the most common reasons for the cake to sink in the middle
      1. Too hot oven
      2. over mixing the cake batter
      3. under baked cake – Bringing the cake out of the oven too early.
      4. Opening the oven door too many times to check if it is done.
      I think these points should help you to figure out. Most often it is the over mixing to break up the lumps. If this is the reason probably next time add the flour in 3 batches. Hope this helps.
      🙂

      Reply
  5. Vidisha says

    January 8, 2019

    5 stars
    I love the way you pay attention to details and explain the logic behind every step. Love your blog!

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      January 18, 2019

      Thank you so much Vidisha

      Reply
  6. Gargi says

    December 23, 2018

    5 stars
    Hii!! The cake turns out awesome everytime I bake it! But I made the frosting today, and it was a little bitter. Also, what to do with the leftover frosting?

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      December 23, 2018

      Hi Gargi
      Thank you so much for rating the recipe. Which frosting did you try? If it is the first one, then it just needs more sugar. I will update it in the recipe card. You can refrigerate and use it upto a month. It goes great as topping with pancakes, ice cream, cupcakes etc.

      Reply
  7. A V S says

    December 17, 2018

    5 stars
    Turned out amazing Swasthi!! Thank you for the amazing recipe. It was a moment of joy seeing it come out complete and intact on the cake rack. My first time baking a cake.
    And the taste is yumm!!

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      December 17, 2018

      Hi A V S,
      Very happy to know the cake turned out good. Thank you so much for the comment.
      🙂

      Reply
  8. A V S says

    December 17, 2018

    Can i use American Garden apple cedar vinegar.. im confused as there were more types in the market?

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      December 17, 2018

      Yes You can use. You can also use lemon juice

      Reply
  9. A V S says

    December 16, 2018

    Does this need to be refrigerated or can be kept outside and will still be good?

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      December 16, 2018

      It depends on the temperature where you live. The cake without frosting keeps good without refrigeration for 3 days. If frosted it is good to refrigerate.

      Reply
      • A V S says

        December 17, 2018

        Thank you

        Reply
  10. Sonali says

    December 8, 2018

    Hi
    I wanted to know if this can be made in a pressure cooker.. will it be still soft n moist?

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      December 8, 2018

      Hi Sonali
      Yes this will turn soft and moist even in cooker if you use the right pan. This recipe is for a 8 or 9 inch cake which rarely fits in a cooker. So halve the recipe and make in a 6 inch pan. To make a double layer cake, halve the recipe and make 2 – 6 inch cakes. Hope this helps

      Reply
  11. Savita Fishlock says

    December 3, 2018

    How many grams is 1 and half cup

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      December 4, 2018

      Hi Savita
      It is 180 grams. For this recipe you don’t need to measure flour by grams. Just spoon the flour to a 240 or 250 ml cup and level it.

      Reply
  12. Sheeja says

    November 9, 2018

    Hello madam, I have tried this cake. It turned out good. Just wanted to know if I can use fresh cream instead of whipped cream or milk for frosting.

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      November 9, 2018

      Hi Sheeja
      Thanks for trying. Yes you can use milk or fresh cream. Both will work.

      Reply
      • Sheeja says

        November 9, 2018

        Thank you madam. I’ll try with fresh cream tomorrow.

        Reply
  13. Nandini Krishna says

    November 8, 2018

    5 stars
    Really yummy cake…very soft and moist. And the frosting was great…thank you.

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      November 8, 2018

      Welcome Nandhini
      Thanks for the comment

      Reply
  14. Amrita says

    November 6, 2018

    Hi Swasthi,
    I have the following questions :
    1. Can I use baking powder instead of the baking soda and do I still need to use lemon juice if I can use baking powder.
    2. Can I use self raising flour instead of the regular flour to make the cake more fluffy and light ? Do I need to make any changes to the baking soda/podwer measurements if I use self raising flour ?

    Thanks.

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      November 7, 2018

      Hi Amrita
      This recipe works best with baking soda & all purpose flour. You will need to use about 4 tsps baking powder which is a lot and will alter the taste of the cake. The cake is as is very light so all purpose flour works well. I haven’t tried with self raising flour. I guess it alters the taste again as it has baking powder in it and not soda. Hope this helps

      Reply
  15. Jyoti says

    October 25, 2018

    Hello! I tried this cake today and it was absolutely fantastic. My friends and amily loved it and so did i. Thank you!

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      October 26, 2018

      Welcome Jyoti

      Reply
  16. Nildeep says

    October 22, 2018

    5 stars
    Nice recipe turned out good

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      October 23, 2018

      Thanks for comment

      Reply
  17. Sindhu says

    October 22, 2018

    Pls upload a black forest cake recipe..

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      October 23, 2018

      Hi Sindhu,
      Yes I will share after Diwali. Thank you

      Reply
  18. Nelisha Hosein says

    October 21, 2018

    4 stars
    hi. can this be doubled or tripled? thanks. made it already as is…. i was blown away with how moist and tasty it was.

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      October 21, 2018

      yes it can be. Thanks for trying

      Reply
  19. Anu says

    October 15, 2018

    5 stars
    Thank you , I baked for the first time and it turned out to be so good. I dont eat eggs but this cake was so good. Thank you very much 🙂

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      October 15, 2018

      Hi Anu,
      You are welcome. So glad to know your first cake turned out good. Thanks a lot for the comment.
      🙂

      Reply
  20. Chilly says

    October 13, 2018

    5 stars
    Hello,
    Can we make a vanilla cake using the same recipe by replacing coco powder with maida…

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      October 13, 2018

      Hi Chilly,
      I am not sure if it works. You can try this vanilla cake. You can replace yogurt with water + 1.5 tsps of oil.

      Reply
  21. Sindhu says

    October 11, 2018

    Tried again came out well…thank you…before I did one mistake as I took one tbsp baking soda instead of one TSP..that’s y I got biteer taste I guess…

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      October 12, 2018

      Welcome Sindhu
      Yes more soda in the recipe can make the cake bitter. Glad you figured out.
      🙂

      Reply
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