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. 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. This recipe had been very popular almost a decade ago and had come in many food magazines and columns.
It turns out very soft, moist, spongy and very light. A simple whipped cream frosting or chocolate buttercream frosting goes well on this cake.
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
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 tsp Baking soda (check expiry date)
- ½ tsp Salt
- 1 cup sugar (organic, or 1.5 cups 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 tbsp Lemon juice (or apple cider vinegar or plain vinegar, use good quality)
- 1 tbsp Vanilla extract (or vanilla powder or essence as needed)
For the chocolate sauce (Frosting 1 – method 1)
- ¾ cup milk
- 2 tbsps cocoa powder
- 4 to 6 tbsp sugar (or powdered jaggery as needed)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
or For chocolate buttercream frosting (Frosting 2 – method 2)
- ¼ cup unsalted butter (soft but cold)
- 3 tbsps cocoa powder (good quality)
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar (or icing sugar)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 to 2 ½ tbsps milk (or whipping cream)
How to make the recipe
Preparation for eggless chocolate cake recipe
- Preheat the oven to 170 C 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 plain flour, cocoa,salt and baking soda. Sieve the mix at least twice to aerate the flour .
- Add 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 in the center. Pour water,oil, vanilla and lemon juice or vinegar.
- Gently begin to mix well. Do not over mix.
- Pour it to the cake pan. Knock it a few times against the kitchen counter.
- 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.
- Allow it to cool down for 8 to 10 mins.
- Invert it 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 milk, cocoa & sugar until lumpfree & smooth. Begin to cook on a low to medium heat stirring constantly until slightly thick & creamy. Taste it and add more sugar if needed. Cool down & pour on the cake. Spread with spatula. For step by step pics, refer this Ragi cake
OR Making frosting for eggless cake (Frosting 2)
- Add butter to a large bowl and beat it until soft and fluffy. You can use a hand mixer or just a whisk.
- Add cocoa and powdered sugar to a 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.
- 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. Do not over beat else the butter begins to melt. If needed you can keep it in the fridge for a while.
- 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.
Video
NUTRITION
Notes
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. If using a aluminum pan, I highly suggest using parchment paper to line the cake tray. If not then the cake may turn bitter due to the soda in the cake batter.
Prepare dry ingredients
2. Place a sieve over a large mixing bowl. Add flour, cocoa, salt and soda.
3. Mix them gently. Sieve them together twice. This aerates the flour and makes the cake 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.
5. Make space for the liquid ingredients in the center.
Mixing dry & wet ingredients
6. Pour water.
7. Pour oil. I have used organic virgin coconut oil. Do use some light oil otherwise the cake may smell oily.
8. Next add vanilla extract.
9. Add freshly squeezed lemon juice or vinegar. Make sure you use a good quality vinegar. I have used organic apple cider vinegar.
10. Mix all these well gently just until well combined.
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.
Baking eggless chocolate cake
12. Pour the cake batter to the pan. Knock it to the kitchen counter a few times.
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.
14. Allow it to cool down for 8 to 10 mins. Invert it on a cake 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.
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.
Anita Sharma says
Can we use salted butter for frosting instead of unsalted one? For frosting 2. Please reply fast 🙂
swasthi says
Anita
I always feel the flavor of salted butter is not good. I don’t suggest
Pooja says
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!
swasthi says
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.
🙂
Kristy says
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
swasthi says
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.
🙂
Vidisha says
I love the way you pay attention to details and explain the logic behind every step. Love your blog!
swasthi says
Thank you so much Vidisha
swasthi says
Hi Yashica
I don’t know what a log microwave is. This recipe is not tested for that kind of oven.
Gargi says
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?
swasthi says
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.
A V S says
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!!
swasthi says
Hi A V S,
Very happy to know the cake turned out good. Thank you so much for the comment.
🙂
A V S says
Can i use American Garden apple cedar vinegar.. im confused as there were more types in the market?
swasthi says
Yes You can use. You can also use lemon juice
A V S says
Does this need to be refrigerated or can be kept outside and will still be good?
swasthi says
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.
A V S says
Thank you
Sonali says
Hi
I wanted to know if this can be made in a pressure cooker.. will it be still soft n moist?
swasthi says
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
Savita Fishlock says
How many grams is 1 and half cup
swasthi says
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.
Sheeja says
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.
swasthi says
Hi Sheeja
Thanks for trying. Yes you can use milk or fresh cream. Both will work.
Sheeja says
Thank you madam. I’ll try with fresh cream tomorrow.
Nandini Krishna says
Really yummy cake…very soft and moist. And the frosting was great…thank you.
swasthi says
Welcome Nandhini
Thanks for the comment
Amrita says
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.
swasthi says
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
Jyoti says
Hello! I tried this cake today and it was absolutely fantastic. My friends and amily loved it and so did i. Thank you!
swasthi says
Welcome Jyoti
Nildeep says
Nice recipe turned out good
swasthi says
Thanks for comment
Sindhu says
Pls upload a black forest cake recipe..
swasthi says
Hi Sindhu,
Yes I will share after Diwali. Thank you
Nelisha Hosein says
hi. can this be doubled or tripled? thanks. made it already as is…. i was blown away with how moist and tasty it was.
swasthi says
yes it can be. Thanks for trying
Anu says
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 🙂
swasthi says
Hi Anu,
You are welcome. So glad to know your first cake turned out good. Thanks a lot for the comment.
🙂
Chilly says
Hello,
Can we make a vanilla cake using the same recipe by replacing coco powder with maida…
swasthi says
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.
Sindhu says
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…
swasthi says
Welcome Sindhu
Yes more soda in the recipe can make the cake bitter. Glad you figured out.
🙂