Many vegetarians and vegans often miss out on holiday cakes because they are made with eggs. Here is a wonderfully simple recipe for an Eggless Chocolate Cake submitted by Ekta, one of our viewers. You won’t even miss the eggs! It is also great for those watching their cholesterol. It’s perfect for the holidays…enjoy!
Ingredients:
All-Purpose Flour – 1.5 cups
Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – 3 Tbsp, sifted
Baking Soda – 1 tsp
Sugar – 1 cup
Salt – 1/2 tsp
Oil – 5 Tbsp
White Vinegar – 1 Tbsp
Vanilla Extract – 1 tsp
Cold Water – 1 cup
Method:
- In a mixing bowl, add Flour, Cocoa Powder, Baking Soda, Sugar and Salt. Mix well.
- Add in Oil, Vinegar, Vanilla Extract and Water.
- Mix the wet and dry ingredients together with a hand blender until there are no more lumps.
- Pour batter into a greased 9 inch by 9 inch baking pan, two inches deep.
- Bake at 350 degrees F (approx 180 degrees C) for about half an hour. Poke a toothpick or fork into the center. If it comes out clean, the cake is ready.
- Remove pan from the oven and cool for about 5 minutes before flipping it over onto a platter.
- Cool completely if you want to apply frosting, else serve with a dollop of whipped cream or chocolate sauce.
Tips:
1. For a variation, we used Mango pulp (10tbsp) instead of the cocoa and vanilla essence….and it was just divine! Cooking time :33 minutes.
Hi Anuja/Hetal,
I tried this recipie twice but somehow didnt turn well although I used the same measurement as mentioned on the website.
I dont have a electric oven which makes noise after reaching to a particular temp. whereas I have a gas oven. I preheated it at 350F for about 10 min (the only way I generally assume the oven has reached at a particular temp. is when flame stops at the bottom) and then switched it off and placed the cake inside. My cake did fluffed up a bit but it neither cooked well in the centre nor it came out good when I tried taking out from the pan. It was all the more sticky as well.
Reading all my explanation can u make out where I went wrong. Would appreciate if you could reply me ASAP as my husbans’s b’day is next week and I m planning to make it on his B’day.
Thank u
Aanchal
Hello Aanchal,
I am pretty sure Hetal or Anuja will answer you as well but there was one thing I saw in your explanation that could be the problem. You mentioned that you preheated the oven…switched it off and then placed the cake inside. Baking a cake for 30 minutes means preheat time + 30 minutes with the oven on. The problem is probably that the cake only cooked part-way through due to the residual heat from preheating. You need to leave the oven on for the full 30 minutes (or as needed).
Hi Aanchal,
Hope it’s not too late 🙁 We have been out on vacation and trying to respond to all the questions that were asked while we were out… but thank you Stem Cell for answering!
Aanchal, Stem Cell is right on, it is pre-heat time (approx 10min) and then put the cake in the oven and cook for 30 min.
Wish your husband a very Happy Birthday from us 🙂
Dear Hetal and Anuja,
I tried this chocolate cake twice by now. Both times it turned really good. My husband liked it. Thank you! so much for sharing this recipe.
Is it possible to share the recipe of Eggless strawberry cake? Can you just guide me how to make it and what are the ingredients needed in that? It will be a great help.
Love,
-Veena
Hi Veena,
Thanks for the compliments and we are glad that you and your hubby are enjoying SMTC recipes 🙂
We will add Strawberry Cake to our (ling) list, thanks for your feedback 🙂
can we skip vanilla extract from this cake recipe?
You can skip it but it does provide a really nice flavor.
Hi
is vanilla extract and vanilla essance same? Kindly reply.
Vanilla extract is made from pure vanilla beans, vanilla essence is an imitation product that tastes like vanilla. You can substitute one for the other.
Can I use Icing Sugar instead of normal sugar for all the cakes prepartions.Do I have to cut down on the volume of icing sugar as compare to normal sugar.And also can I use Baking Powder instead of baking soda.
Hi Aarti,
When baking, it is very important to follow the recipe. Icing sugar has corn starch in it so it may alter the texture of the cake. Also, Baking powder is different than baking soda…you should use the soda. Please see out tip tuesday video for more details: https://34.233.61.50/tips/baking-soda-vs-baking-powder-tuesday-tip.html
Thanks dear.I tried the cake with icing sugar..it was great..I used baking soda only..
I think your website is just a bunch of crap. Sorry, but I really think you guys are doing a terrible job!! Hahahaha! 🙂
Why do you NRIs need to put on an accent? Oyel for Oil…gosh! Get a life!!
Hello Hetal,
I tried the cake. It was soft. I think the sweetness was ok, I just wanted to find out if I can use condensed milk instead of sugar? can it gel with Vinegar that we are using in this cake?
Hi Veena,
Baking is not as forgiving as normal cooking when you substitute original ingredients. Honestly, we have not tried using condensed milk in this particular recipe so not sure of the outcome. The vinegar reacts with the baking soda so as long as both are present, there should not be a problem. We’d love to hear your feedback if you decide to try it out.
This is a terrible cake. Sorry I don’t mean to offend the recipe contributor or Hetal or Anuja. BUT…first of all it should have more sugar or else sweetened cocoa powder should be used. I do not know how many of you have actually tried this cake….but I have and i would give it 4/10. 4 points for simplicity and texture but -6 for taste. It SMELT and TASTED like soda to me. I would suggest try a Betty Crocker Super moist cake mix for chocolate(the devil’s food one). If one does not want eggs add 1 tbsp milled flax seeds powder(one has to grind the seeds in a mixer or blender)+ 3tbsp water and mix it until the mixture is viscous. This tip is from a book named Vegan Planet by Robin Robertson.
I was really disappointed in this recipe coz I made it yesterday for my Husband’s B’day. Question for Hetal/Anuja… Have you guys tasted this cake? What’s your honest opinion about it?
Regards,
Preeti
maybe you didn’t make it right because a lot of others have given good reviews, you may want to try to make it again.
Hi Hetal And Anuja,
This is the first time I have failed in making some recepie shown on your website 🙁
The cake didnt come out good for me. Few problems I had –
1. Could not get White vinegar (not sure what to get in UK as white vinegar)
2. Substituted vinegar and baking soda with baking powder (read in some comment above)
Result –
1. Cake took more than an hour to bake till the center.
2. By the time the center baked the edge, sides and the top became very hard
3. Its more like a hard chocolate cookie than a cake.
Can you help me in finding why this could have happened ?
Regards,
Bhakti.
Hi Bhakti,
Sorry to hear about your cake…
We’ve made this recipe so many times and it is pretty fail proof. We’ve never substituted baking powder though. Did you use the same amount of baking powder as the required baking soda? You would have to use more baking powder to get the same amount of baking soda. I’ve read somewhere that distilled vinegar is available in the UK…that may work for this recipe.
Hi,
Thanks for your response.
I gave it another try. This time I made following changes –
1. Type of oven from Fan Oven to regular Oven
2. Decreased the temp from 175 Deg Cel to 125-150 Deg Cel
3. Increased time.
The cake turned soft pretty soft this time, a little sticky though.
The problem could be because of type of oven and substitution of Baking soda and vinegar with Baking powder.
Third time I will use Baking Soda and Vinegar 😀
Thanks for your help and I absolutely love your website 🙂
Good luck Bhakti!
Hi,
Attempt # 3
– Used distilled white malt vinegar and Baking Soda.
– Reduced temp to 125- 150 deg cel
– Increased time to 80 mins.
Result
1. Super success !
2. Super delcious cake !!
3. Super happy family !!!
Cheers!
Bhakti.
Hi ladies,
I came across the recipe on youtube, and i tried it 2day.
It did turn out pretty nice, but in turms of taste it tasted awful. I followed the recipe carefully, and it was a bit sticky, had a raw taste and lacked sugar.
It was quick and easy to make, and i would love to make it again if it’ll taste better. Any tips?
Hi Gaya,
Sorry your cake did not taste good. We are really surprised because we have made this cake so many times and it has been a hit every time. If you followed the recipe to the ‘T’ here are some things that might have affected the taste: it was not cooked long enough (sometimes the oven and temperature settings vary in ovens). If you felt that it was not sweet enough, you can always add sugar. Try it again and cook for a little longer and add some more sugar 🙂
Hey Anuja,
i will definitely try again.
thanks for taking ur time to reply my post.
Great work ladies….
P.S-I”m a beginner to the world of cooking 😉
🙂
Hey
awesome cake recipe. made it twice in the past month. everybody just loved it.
i would really appreciate if u post more eggless cake recipes like sponge cakes.
Hi Hetal , Anuja,
Thank you both very much for this wonderful eggless recipe ! Could you please clarify the cups you use for measuring flour and sugar…meaning 1.5 cups of flour would be how many grams ? Thanks again !
Hi Surya,
Generally speaking, for all purpose flour, 1 cup equals 128 grams. So 1.5 cups would be approx 192 grams.
Hi Heetal & Anuja,
I am Shrihari. i wanted to ask that does baking in an OTG oven and a microwave makes a difference because whenever i make cake in my microwave it tends to crack a bit in the middle. can u please tell me the reason why that happens? waiting for your reply.
Thanking You.
Hi Shrihari,
Regular ovens and microwaves work very differently. This recipe is specifically for the oven, not the microwave. Some people do manage to bake in the microwave, but the recipe would be different.
hi….i like ur show very much…one doubt all purpose flour means maida or rice flour….please show how to make birthday cakes….
Hi, Valentine’s day is around the corner. Can u pl show black forest cake? or a cake with good icing for valentine’s day
Thanks,
Priya
Hi Hetal & Anuja
I tried some of your recipe’s and they came out very well and i received appreciations for those recipe’s ,Thanks alot for your great work .
My hubby is great fan of cakes but he is not comfortable with butter and clarified butter smell (actually all dairy products).
Previously i tried the cake with butter on his B-DAY that came out very well but i only ate entire cake :).
I tried with veg oil for replacement of butter it was flopped like any thing.
After going through you r recipe i want to try this because no butter.
and i have 8X8x2 glass bake ware can i use that pan other wise how can i alter my ingredients ratio .
and one more request do u know how to prepare plain vanilla cake,as per previous comments i came to know we can prepare banana cake.
please reply me ASAP ,I want to surprise him for feb 14th .
Thanks in advance
Chuymuy
.
Hi Chuymuy,
Your 8×8 pan will make a slightly thicker cake and may take a few additional minutes to bake (same temperature). Just to be sure, check on it as your timer comes close to the end. If a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, it is ready.
We are working on a plain vanilla cake recipe.
Thank you Hetal.
Yes you are right it took around 37 min.
it came very moist ,fluffy and top of that i added your’s Tres leches milk . it came out very well.
once again thanks .
Regards
chuymuy
Hi anuja/heetal,
this site seems to be divine 🙂 thanks for the videos which makes it easier for us to learn.
Have one quick question, is it not required to pre-heat the oven ? If so for how long ? Please let me know. Many Thanks 🙂
Hi Kamala,
Yes, you have to preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bake it at 350F for about 1/2 hour. Most ovens will beep when the preheating temp has been reached. You can put the cake in as soon as it reaches 350F.
Hi Hetal and Anuja,
After reading the comments, can I please confirm that ‘all purpose flour’ refers to self raising flour and if I want to use baking powder, I will have to omit the vinegar and baking soda.
Thanks in advance
Hi Shruti,
All purpose flour is not the same as self rising flour. All purpose flour is plain flour and self rising flour is all purpose flour with added leavening agents. Theoretically, you could use baking powder instead of vinegar and baking soda, but we have not tried this recipe like that.
Hi Hetal
Thank you for your reply. I already tried the cake with self-raising flour (but it may have a different definition in Australia) and the baking powder minus vinegar and baking soda. It turned out really well and thanks so much for the recipe
Can I use butter, instead of oil?
Hi Hetal,
The cake turned out to be absolutely amazing….although, my only problem was that the centre of the cake fluffed up too much…..it was almost broken at the centre also the top was pretty hard….could you please explain why that happened…i had followed the recipe as mentioned above….Thankyou:)
Hi Reema,
Sometimes the cake will split at the top and that is ok. However, you don’t want it to be hard. All ovens are different so your’s may have needed less time to bake. You can always check to see if a cake is done by inserting a toothpick in the center of the cake. If it comes out clean (no batter stuck to it), then the cake is done.
is the sugar used in this recipe castor sugar?
Hi Reema,
No, it is plain table sugar.
You ladies are awesome. Thanks for the recipe.
Three questions.
1) I don’t have sift, can I instead use dry mixer to first grind it so that it can be mixed thoroughly and then I will add wet ingredients to it and then will use wire whisk to mix it to dry ingredients. I will get sifter while I go to India, but as of now, I don’t have many options.
2) Google gives confusing answers when you search for tbsp and tsp. So, just want to confirm if in your recipe, 3 tsp = 1 tbsp?
3) Also, I see in the comments that some people get hard cake instead of soft one, can you please give me tips on how to avoid such things? and what can be potential reasons for that? Can you please also tell me which one will be softer and easier for beginner (chocolate or date cake)?
Please answer ASAP, as my husband’s birthday is on November 5 and I want to surprise him. Please. Please.
Thanks
hi there,
i have posted the comment here long time back but have still not got ur reply. i tried the cake for the third time, n the results r still bad. plz guide me.
looking forward to ur reply.
priti
How should one store this cake?Or what is the shelf life for this kind of cake?
Hi Rasika,
You can store this cake in a container with a tight fitting lid in the refrigerator. It will stay fresh for up to a week. When serving, you can warm it in the microwave for about 10-15 secs.
also, i had spread oil on the pan before putting the batter but the cake didnt come out smmothly at all.
shud i use the proper metal pan instead of the disposable one? n shud i avoid pre-heating?
hi hetal n anuja,
i tried the eggless chocolate cake after seeing the recipe on ur site. i had tried a similar recipe in india( with slight variations, eg. i put some dahi in the batter), n had baked it in microwave( but i dont remember the temperature). now i m in US n the problem is that i dont have a microwave here yet. when i made the cake batter, it tasted perfect. i put it in oven after the prep-heating as u have suggested. i had used a disposable pan( round pan, approx 12-13 cm in diameter). but after the required time, the cake didnt turn out well at all. it was extremely crusted on the upper surface n probably not baked at all inside.
where cud i ve gone wrong? plz lemme know coz i really wanna make this cake. we r pure veggies n a recipe like this is really helpful here.
thanks.
Hi Hetal and Anuja,
Thanks for this wonderful recipe! I made this chocolate cake and it came out fantastic. The only variation I made was poured it into muffin tins with the muffin papers. It was so fluffy, cute and delicious. I served it with whipped cream on top. 🙂
Do these need to be refrigerated or can we store it in room temperature for some days?
Hi Jithiks,
We’re so glad you enjoyed the mini cakes! It is best (especially in the summer) to store the cake in a tightly covered container or ziploc bag in the refrigerator.
Hi Hetal,
Thanks for your swift reply!
Two more doubts, is the all-purpose flour (maida)sold in Indian grocery stores same as the all-purpose flour sold in American stores? Since it says maida within brackets on the packets, I had this doubt.
Because of this, I bought the Pillisbury flour from the baking aisle at Walmart to be on the safer side.
Second question:
When my mom came from india, she mentioned that the maida we get here is quite different from the maida we get in india. She felt this when we were making Poli. :)What is your opinion on this?
Thanks!
hey I tried this cake and it turned out good. just wondering can i replace the cocoa powder with same amount of maida and make it plain cake with vanilla flavour as i would like to make eggless vanilla flavor cake….
Hi Nusrat,
Though we’ve never tried this recipe without the cocoa powder, it should work. Some viewers have even add mango, pineapple and other flavors to make this cake. Let us know if you try it and how it comes out.
Hi Hetal/anuja
we recently moved to the new apartment… i really dunnot how our oven works.. wat is the maximum time of oven for this cake irrespective of wat kind of oven we have……
Hello, I would like to know what can be used instead of eggs for ready to make, cake mixes available. Your help will be great. Thanks for all the wonderful receipes. I am sooo inspired to cook looking at your videos.
Try this:
For eggless cakes, you can try using flax seed powder as an egg replacer. 1 tablespoon of ground flax seed powder + 3 tablespoon of water is equivalent to 1 egg. Set this aside for 15 to 20 minutes to get consistency of egg white.
Continued..
And now i went and saw the cake. 3/4 of it came off. But the remanin is sticking to the base. 🙁
Where would have been the mistake? Im just unable to figure out. My hubby asked me to make this for a trip that we are going tomo. I really dont know what he is gonna do if i tell him what happened! Earlier when i made, he really liked it so asked me to make.
help please!!
Hi Priya,
We really don’t know what is going on…especially if you’ve made the cake before and it’s worked. Maybe you can try to grease the bottom of the pan and then lightly dust it with some all-purpose flour. Be sure to shake off the excess (without touching it). If this is your 3rd attempt, we’d suggest you give it a break and try again some other time.
hi hetal didi,
Just saw ur reply.
Ill try dust my baking pan. My mom did tell that before but i never did it since mine was a non stick baking pan.
Ill shall try it and definetly let u know the results.thanks for the reply!
Hi didi,
Im really upset. I have made this cake when i was in Portland many times. Now, i have trying trying…for the third time..i m not getting it right.
The problem is that, it doesn leave the baking pan. also, mine does bake in 30 mins in oven. 🙁 It takes around 40 mins minimum.
Today, the first one got wasted. Now tried second same day, again it is not coming out.
I have greased the baking pan well with oil with my hands. I don have a spray.
Pl help.
Im ur sincere viewer and have tried many of ur recipes.
Pl help me.
Thanks! Will re-try!
Hi Jacqueline,
It may be the white wine vinegar you used. It should be plain white vinegar.
Oops! The cake smelt bad! Was it the wrong type of soda or vinegar (white wine vinegar)?
Hi Kareena,
We used Canola Oil and White Vinegar.
hello anuja and hetal
great chocolate cake receipe, i was thinking of trying this receipe. Please could you tell me which oil and vinegar you used? e.g cider, white wine vinegar etc…. thanks K
Hi Aysha,
You can pre-heat your oven to 180 C. Most ovens make a beep sound when it reaches the correct temperature. If you’re does not, then 10 minutes pre-heating should be fine.
Then, put your pan in and bake it until done (approx 30 minutes).
Can i preheat my oven at 180 degree for 10 mins
Hi hetal ,
can i preheat my oven at 180 degree celcius and then put the baking pan in convection mode at 180 degree celcius until is it done .
hetal can you send me a simple pineapple cake recipe my mother just loves it .. plzz i need u to help me out a clean sweet spongy pineapple cake recipe .. plzz help me 🙂
Hi Aysha,
If your oven doesn’t have the 350 degrees F setting, then we’d suggest you bake at 300 for a little longer (until a tooth pick comes out clean if you poke it in the middle of the cake). Definitely bake it on the convection only mode, not microwave.
Preheating an oven means to turn the oven on and get it to the right temperature BEFORE putting your cake pan in to bake. The timing should start when the pan goes into the oven.
Hope that helps.
hi hetal,
I baked a chocolate cake 400 degrees for 40 mins and my cake was ruined it became so hard i couldnt even eat it .. i dont know what is the best temperature to bake a chocolate cake i have a microwave+ convection mode, convection only its a combi microwave oven. DO i need to a bake a cake in convection mode only or both microwave+convection . How many minutes do i need to bake and on which suitable tempearture
could you please suggest me which temperature should be the best .. i dont understand what is preheated oven the cake gets crusty .. i want to make a soft sponge cake .. Pls help me 🙁
Hi Hetal,
I am not much of a cook and dont really like cooking coz nothing turns out as it should be. M thankful my husband is not too fussy and we generally eat out. Since I have started visiting your site I have become interested in cooking. Actually I love to bake and make desserts. But my cakes never come out well. If you could post a simple egg cake it would be gr8. M going to India for sometime and would appreciate if you could also include some sandwiches, pastas and salad recipes.
Must say great site and a must view for ppl like me
hi hetal,
I baked a chocolate cake 400 degrees for 40 mins and my cake was ruined it became so hard i couldnt even it .. i dont know what is the best temperature to bake a chocolate cake i dont have 350 degrees of temperature in my oven i have 300 and 400 and 450 and so on.
could you please suggest me which temperature should be the best .. i dont understand what is preheated oven the cake gets crusty .. i want to make a soft sponge .. Pls help me 🙁
Aysha,
You have increased both the temperature and the duration. That’ll not work! Try baking at 300 degress for 40 min or 400 degrees for 20 min. Keep an eye on the cake while it is baking (Remember the toothpick test??). Good luck!
Hi Jaya,
You can use a 9 1/2 inch round cake pan and use a whisk to mix the ingredients (even a spoon will work with a little more effort). The brand of vinegar does not matter as long as it is white and we usually use canola oil for most of our recipes.
Hi,
Thanks a lot for posting this wonderful recipe. I have a doubt Can i use 9*1.5″ round cake pan to make this? Also wanted to know if i can use a whisk to mix the dry & wet ingredients as i don’t have a hand blender.Also do let me know which brand white vinegar to use for the recipe & where can i buy . I live in Bay area, US. Also is the oil vegetable oil?
Thank you
Jaya
Hi Hetal
Thankyou. I shall try using both .. baking powder and baking soda .. probably that was the problem ..
Bye
Bindu
Hi Bindu,
Baking powder and baking soda have very different reactions even though they both contain sodium bicarbonate. Since we have never tried this recipe with only baking powder, we can’t say for sure, but it may be the reason for the stickiness. Our cake was not sticky.
Hi Hetal and Anuja
This eggless cho. cake is wonderful. Really soft and tasty. Since its the Lent Season we are not eating eggs and other non-veg stuff. So this was a treat.
I tried the eggless dates and walnut cake too yesterday. It was tasty but it was little sticky-kind .. am not sure whether its because I didn’t put baking soda .. I didn’t have that .. I put that much more of baking powder .. could that be a reason??
But otherwise its very very nice. Almost finished …
Thanks
Bindu
Hi Sumit,
It is definitely ok to use other nuts.