HOME RECIPES ABOUT

SWASTHI'S RECIPES
Eggless chocolate cake recipe | How to make eggless cake
BY SWASTHI , ON DECEMBER 28, 2019, — 370 COMMENTS

Jump to Recipe

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. 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.
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

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 Time
15 minutes

Cook Time
30 minutes

Total Time
45 minutes

Servings
8

Author
SWASTHI

INGREDIENTS (1 CUP = 240ML )

Ingredients for eggless chocolate cake

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon Baking soda
½ teaspoon Salt
1 cup sugar
1 cup Water
 1 cup Water
1/3 cup oil
1 tablespoon Lemon juice

1 tablespoon Vanilla extract

For the chocolate sauce (Frosting 1 – method 1)

¾ cup milk
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
4 to 6 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

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

¼ cup unsalted butter
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 ½ cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 to 2 ½ tablespoons milk

HOW TO MAKE THE RECIPE

Preparation for eggless chocolate cake recipe

1. Preheat the oven to 170 C or 340 F for at least 15 mins.
2. Grease a 8 or 9 inch round cake pan & drizzle some flour on it. or Line with
a parchment paper. Set aside.
3. Mix 1 ½ cups flour, ¼ cup cocoa powder, ½ tsp salt and 1 tsp baking soda.
4. Sieve the flour mix at least twice to aerate the flour. This makes the cake
light.
5. If using wheat flour then sieve four times.
6. Add 1 cup sugar and mix it well. I use fine sugar.
7. 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

1. 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.
2. Gently begin to mix well from the liquid ingredients in the center.
3. Mix just until the flour is combined well with the wet ingredients. Do not over
mix.
4. The batter will be runny. Pour it to the cake pan.
5. Knock it a few times against the kitchen counter to release air bubbles.
6. 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.
7. Keep the cake pan on a wire rack and allow it to cool down for 8 to 10 mins
in the pan.
 in the pan.
8. Invert eggless chocolate cake gently on a wire rack. Allow it to cool
completely.
9. You can frost the cake if you like or just sprinkle some powdered sugar.
10. This eggless chocolate cake tastes best the next day.

Making chocolate sauce (Frosting 1)

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

OR Making frosting for eggless cake (Frosting 2)

1. Ensure the butter is soft yet cold. When you press down the block of butter,
it must dent easily yet hold shape without melting.
2. Add butter to a large bowl and beat it until soft and fluffy. You can use a
hand mixer or just a whisk.
3. Place a sieve over the butter bowl. Add cocoa and powdered sugar to the
sieve. Sieve it well.
4. Pour vanilla and 2 tbsps milk or cream. Mix them up lightly.
5. Then whisk or beat until everything turns smooth fluffy and light. It must be
of spreadable consistency.
6. If it is too thick, then add another half to 1 tbsp milk or cream. Beat well until
it reaches a good consistency.
7. Do not over beat else the butter begins to melt.
8. If needed you can keep it in the fridge for a while.
9. 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.
10. Place the cake over these papers with the frosting beneath the cake.
11. Scoop off a good amount of frosting to the cake. Begin to spread from the
center and then towards the sides.
12. Place the cake in the fridge for about 40 mins. Then smoothen the cake with
a spatula. Remove the parchment papers gently.
13. Eggless chocolate cake is ready. Slice & serve.

VIDEO
 NUTRITION (estimation only)

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. But milk makes the
cake slightly dense.
If you intend to use whole wheat flour, you can use 1:1 ratio wheat flour & all
purpose flour for best results.
If you are a beginner or new to Indian cooking, I highly suggest you to check
the supporting step by step photos for best results. Step by step photos with
description available below after the recipe card.

y WhatsApp j 10K b 10K a Reddit s Tweet k Email 20K

o SHARES

FOR MORE RECIPES

Search this website

SEARCH

Enter & Confirm eMail ID for Swasthi's Recipes Newsletter *

 SUBSCRIBE!

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.

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

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.

You can also make a chocolate sauce frosting with very few ingredients. Please check the
recipe card.
FILED UNDER: CAKE RECIPES, LATEST RECIPES, POPULAR RECIPES, RECIPES FOR KIDS,
SWEET RECIPES, VEGETARIAN RECIPES

RELATED POSTS
 FEATURED RECIPES

PANEER RECIPES |…
SAMOSA RECIPE |…

PAV BHAJI RECIPE |…

 POPULAR RECIPES

PANEER BUTTER…

PALAK PANEER…

SAMBAR RECIPE |…
IDLI RECIPE (SOFT…

COCONUT CHUTNEY (8…

EGGLESS CHOCOLATE…

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.
READ MORE..

Share Your Comments & Feedback:

Recipe Rating

Comment
Name *

Email *

POST MY COMMENT

Comments

Ana says

FEBRUARY 11, 2020

Hi Swasthi
I love this recipe. I wanted to ask you that you have mixed all ingredients together ll

REPLY

swasthi says

FEBRUARY 12, 2020

 Hi Ana,
I mixed all the dry ingredients. Then added all the wet ingredients to it. You can
watch the video to understand better.

REPLY

Arpita says

FEBRUARY 11, 2020

I prepared the cake according to ur recipe and it came out perfect

Thank u so much swati!!

REPLY

swasthi says

FEBRUARY 12, 2020

Welcome Arpita.

REPLY

Ayushi says

FEBRUARY 9, 2020

Great recipe!!

REPLY

swasthi says

FEBRUARY 12, 2020

Thank you

REPLY

Sindhu says

FEBRUARY 7, 2020

Hi Swasthi,
I must say this is the best choc cake recipe I have ever tried. Came out really well.
Thanks very much.

REPLY

swasthi says

FEBRUARY 8, 2020

Hi Sindhu
You are welcome! Glad you liked it! Thank you

REPLY

Hema says

FEBRUARY 4, 2020

Hi, I have tried your eggless cake recipes in an oven…. sometime ago, my oven
conked off…..the same recipe in the pressure cooker comes out a little dry and not
moist …also, it takes over an hour to bake..Please guide me…..

REPLY

swasthi says

FEBRUARY 4, 2020

Hi Hema,
Using a large cooker may dry out the cake. I have tried these recipes in a small
cooker the same recipes worked out well for me. Try using a smaller cooker.

REPLY

Hema says

FEBRUARY 6, 2020

Sure, thanks

REPLY

Deepa says

JANUARY 26, 2020

I followed the recipe step by step but by batter did not come out watery and the cake
did not rise, now just waiting to try. Hope the taste does the justice
REPLY

swasthi says

JANUARY 26, 2020

Hi Deepa,
If the sugar melts completely while you mix then the batter will be runny. That
shouldn’t affect the taste & the texture if you follow the recipe correctly. This cake
rises a bit but not a lot like cake with eggs.

REPLY

Mully says

JANUARY 22, 2020

Can this be made into a tiered cake? Like 2 tier or 3 tier cake? Would I need to
double the recipe for a 2 tier cake or just divide the batter into 2 cake pans and how
long would you recommend the bake time?

REPLY

swasthi says

JANUARY 23, 2020

Hi Mully,
I have made 3 layered cake with this recipe. You can check this link – BLACK
FOREST CAKE RECIPE.
Regarding a tiered cake, it depends on the size you would choose. I haven’t
made a tiered cake with this anytime. You can check this PINTEREST LINK.
Many readers used this recipe & shared their pictures. You can find a picture of
tiered cake too. This may help you to decide on the sizes. Hope this helps.
 REPLY

Briony says

JANUARY 21, 2020

Oh my goodness. I won’t lie, I had a half a bottle of wine mid-week (not usual for me
at all) and decided I had to have cake. Checked for eggs, shit, nothing!
Googled eggless chocolate cake, found this bit of heaven. I swear I just chucked
everything in the bowl and beat it.
The end result… taste explosion in my mouth! Thank you for your awesome recipe!

REPLY

swasthi says

JANUARY 23, 2020

Hi Briony,
You are welcome! Thank you so much! Glad you liked the cake so much.

REPLY

Vishali says

JANUARY 2, 2020

Delicious cake!!Baking for the first time…I didn’t expect such an amazing outcome…
loved it all your recipes are HIT!!!

REPLY

swasthi says

JANUARY 5, 2020

Hi Vishali
Thank you so much! Glad your cake turned out good.

REPLY

Uma says

DECEMBER 31, 2019

Hi,
In a tabletop OTG, which setting should be chosen – bottom element heating or top
element heating or both?
The recipe looks super easy and my cake is in the oven now☺️ ( with bottom
element ON)

REPLY

swasthi says

DECEMBER 31, 2019

Hi Uma,
In an OTG for baking, both the elements must be “ON”. Hope you see my reply
soon!

REPLY

Uma says

DECEMBER 31, 2019

Thank you so much for your prompt response..

Made a mistake this time but turned on both elements mid way and baked for
10 more minutes..the cake turned out a little crumbly but the taste was
awesome…
Thank you for sharing and explaining..

REPLY

NR says

DECEMBER 26, 2019

I have been trying to bake a vegan chocolate cake for over 2.5 years and I have
never been able to bake a cake that’s soft. I use Swasthi’s recipes for a lot of South
Indian dishes and came across this recipe. I followed the recipe perfectly and the
cake is divine!!!

REPLY

swasthi says

DECEMBER 26, 2019

Hi NR,
Thank you so much! Glad you liked the cake.
 REPLY

Priya says

DECEMBER 17, 2019

Thank you for the recipe , first time tried and success. Loved all the details you have
given. I used ghee instead oil, and was slightly oily. But tested awesome. My otg
took 45 minuts to cook.

REPLY

swasthi says

DECEMBER 23, 2019

Hi Priya,
You are welcome! Thank you so much for sharing about using ghee. Sorry for the
delay! I did take very long to reply you.

REPLY

Amreen says

DECEMBER 15, 2019

Good

REPLY

swasthi says
 swasthi says

DECEMBER 23, 2019

Thank you!

REPLY

Meli says

NOVEMBER 21, 2019

Great recipe. Used it to make cupcakes. They looked and tasted great!

REPLY

swasthi says

NOVEMBER 22, 2019

Thanks Meli
Glad they turned out good!

REPLY

Larrh says

NOVEMBER 29, 2019

I am so excited. I was a big hit with your recipe and my grandchildren just
loved it.. They said the icying was a winner and they are 10 years old and 7
years old… the 10 year old is allergic to eggs.

REPLY

swasthi says

NOVEMBER 29, 2019

Thank you so much for the comment.

So glad to know you all liked it!

REPLY

Allison says

FEBRUARY 7, 2020
 Did you change bake time at all for the cupcakes? THanks

REPLY

swasthi says

FEBRUARY 7, 2020

Hi Allison,
I have the detailed post here for EGGLESS CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

REPLY

Allison says

FEBRUARY 8, 2020

Thank you so much!

REPLY

Yussie says

NOVEMBER 21, 2019

I found the recipe was easy to follow and it had great result. I just reduced the sugar
and put the batter into 6 little loaf pan. Thanks!

REPLY

swasthi says

NOVEMBER 22, 2019

Hi Yussie,
You are welcome! Glad your cakes turned out great. Thank you!

REPLY

Jovanna says

NOVEMBER 20, 2019

hi good morning if i wanted to make this in a half sheet pan how many times will i
have to double or triple as the case may be to get the cake
REPLY

swasthi says

NOVEMBER 20, 2019

Good morning Jovanna!

You can double the recipe & bake in a half sheet pan. Hope this helps!

REPLY

Kalyani says

NOVEMBER 11, 2019

Delicious recipe..,

REPLY

swasthi says

DECEMBER 23, 2019

Thanks Kalyani

REPLY

Jean says

NOVEMBER 10, 2019

Very easy chocolate sponge recipe and it tasted almost as good as a cake with eggs
in it! I’ll be sure to try milk next time.
Also is it supposed to rise as much as a cake with eggs in it ?

REPLY

swasthi says

NOVEMBER 11, 2019

Hi Jean,
Glad you liked it. Yes it doesn’t rise as much as the cake with eggs. Yes you can
also use milk. Thank you!

REPLY
Uma says

OCTOBER 28, 2019

For an eggless cake, this is a pretty great recipe. Can’t expect it to be as good as a
cake with eggs though.

I got a bit confused when mixing the batter as it was very lumpy, and some where
dry lumps, so I was worried I’d get bits of dry flour in the cake but at the same time I
didn’t want to overmix. I decided not to mix too much and try it out with all the lumps
thinking they might hydrate through the cooking process. In the end in turned out
quite flufffy, I did it with oil and water. I will try it with milk next time as I’d like it a bit
richer. I wouldn’t advise doing it with butter as oil is best to make a fluffy cake.

I tried the chocolate sauce as I didn’t have any icing sugar and it turned out great! I
think buttercream icing is tastier but as icing sugar isn,t that easy to find in small
towns, the sauce is a good alternative!

Also, vanilla flavour is really a nasty taste in my opinion, so I use vanilla essential oil
(good quality). Only a few drops are required, like 5 drops instead of the teaspoon
mentioned is enough to give strong vanilla taste. And it’s really delicious and
fragrant!

REPLY

swasthi says

OCTOBER 28, 2019

Thanks for trying. Yes this is much different from the cake with eggs. Do try with
milk as well. You may find it richer. For that rich taste, buttercream frosting or
chocolate whipped cream would be best.

REPLY

Dhivya says

OCTOBER 25, 2019

Hi there ,
I followed Ur recipe . Taste was great . When i did the skewer test ,It came clean .
But after it cooled down ,When
We tasted it was bit sticky while eating . Can u please tell what was the mistake
which i did .

REPLY
 swasthi says

OCTOBER 25, 2019

Hi Dhivya,
If the batter is overmixed the cake can turn sticky or gluey. If you are new to
baking then add the flour in 3 batches and mix gently. Avoid over mixing it.

REPLY

Sadaf says

OCTOBER 10, 2019

Hi there
My cake turned out great.
Just wanted to ask if I can add coffee powder and if yes,then how much?
Thx

REPLY

swasthi says

OCTOBER 11, 2019

Hi Sadaf,
You are welcome. Yes you can add 1 tsp coffee to hot water called in the recipe.
Cool down and use the decoction.

REPLY

« OLDER
COMMENTS
 DIWALI RECIPES

DIWALI SWEETS RECIPES

DIWALI SNACKS RECIPES
RASMALAI RECIPE
GULAB JAMUN
BESAN LADOO
KAJU KATLI
RAVA LADDU
 CATEGORIES

DINNER RECIPES
SANDWICH RECIPES
BREAKFAST RECIPES
RICE RECIPES
CHUTNEY RECIPES
SNACKS RECIPES
SWEETS RECIPES

HEALTH CORNER

RAGI RECIPES
OATS RECIPES
MILLET RECIPES
i
© 2012 - 2020 - Swasthi's Recipes. The content is copyrighted to SWASTHI'S and may not be reproduced in
any form.