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My eggless cake recipe makes for a light, fluffy, and rich chocolate cake. There are NO egg substitutes, and you only need one bowl!
Need more eggless recipes? Try my eggless pancakes, eggless brownies, eggless chocolate chip cookies, or eggless banana bread.
Nothing can be quite as tragic as making it midway through a cake recipe only to discover you’re out of eggs! Thankfully eggs are one of the easiest ingredients to work around.
My egg-free cake recipe is easy to make, perfect for a crowd, and doesn’t taste like anything’s missing. Also, with today’s egg prices, I’ve been leaning more and more into this cake as my go-to!
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- No egg substitutes. Instead of chia or flax eggs, I just mix baking soda and vinegar. Combined, they mimic the texture and stability you normally get from eggs.
- Naturally diet-friendly. It’s not only egg-free, but it’s dairy-free and easy to make gluten-free.
- The perfect texture. It’s light and fluffy, with the perfect crumb and bold chocolate flavor.
- It’s made in one bowl. Just place it in the dishwasher and call it a day!
Ingredients needed
- Cake flour OR all-purpose flour. I prefer using cake flour, which yields a more tender cake, but AP flour also works. Use gluten-free flour if needed, but make sure it contains xanthan gum.
- Cocoa powder. I used Dutch-processed, unsweetened cocoa powder. For a richer flavor, I sometimes use dark or black cocoa powder.
- Sugar. I tested white sugar and brown sugar, and I found brown sugar made the cake a little too soft in the middle. I’d suggest using only white sugar.
- Baking soda. Reacts with the vinegar to help the cake rise and replace the eggs. Don’t use baking powder as it won’t yield the same results.
- Salt. To balance the other ingredients.
- Vinegar. I prefer the subtle taste of white vinegar, but apple cider vinegar will also work. Avoid using red wine vinegar, which will give the cake a sour flavor.
- Oil. I used vegetable oil, but feel free to use safflower, avocado, or canola oil. If not vegan, use unsalted butter.
- Pure vanilla extract. Essential for any cake recipe.
- Water. Use lukewarm water to ‘bloom’ the cocoa powder.
- Chocolate frosting. I used my 2-ingredient dairy-free frosting, but any frosting will do.
How to make eggless chocolate cake
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Mix. Stir the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl, then whisk in the wet ingredients.
Step 2- Prep. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pans.
Step 3- Bake until a toothpick comes out mostly clean.
Step 4- Cool, layer, and frost. Let the cakes cool completely, then carefully slice each cake in half to create 4 cake layers. Place the first cake on a flat surface, add some frosting, and repeat. Cover the cake in the remaining frosting, then chill until firm.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Don’t overmix the cakes. More mixing can yield a dense and gummy cake, so only mix until no lumps remain.
- Refrigerate the cakes before slicing them in half. It’ll make slicing the cakes easier.
- Let the cake cool completely before frosting. Otherwise, the frosting will glide off.
Variations
- Eggless vanilla cake. Omit the cocoa powder in place of extra flour, and add an extra teaspoon of vanilla extract.
- Make a double-layered cake. Skip the step of cutting the cakes in half.
- Add mix-ins. Like nuts, coconut flakes, or chocolate chips.
Storage instructions
To store: Store any leftover cake in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
To freeze: Place leftover cake in a freezer-friendly container and freeze for up to 6 months.
Frequently asked questions
The combination of oil and water helps keep the batter moist and produces a moist crumb. Do not substitute the oil with lower-fat options like applesauce.
Not necessarily. An egg-free cake can still be made with loads of sugar and other ‘unhealthy’ ingredients. If you’re after a healthier recipe, try my healthy chocolate cake!
More diet-friendly cakes
Eggless Cake
Video
Ingredients
- 3 cups cake flour or all purpose flour
- 2 cups white sugar
- 2/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup oil any neutral flavored oil
- 2 teaspoon white vinegar can use apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups warm water
- 1 cup chocolate frosting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Grease two 8-inch cake pans and set aside.
- In a large bowl, add the cake flour, white sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt and mix well. Add the oil, vinegar, vanilla extract, and warm water, and mix until a smooth batter remains.
- Transfer the batter into the greased cake pans and bake for 17-20 minutes, or until a skewer comes out mostly clean.
- Remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool completely. Once cool, cut down the center of each cake to leave four thin cake layers. Place the first layer onto a flat surface and spread with frosting. Repeat the process until you are left with a four layer cake.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally updated April 2023, updated and republished November 2024
Hi Armon could you please give me the exact measurements for the chocolate cake when it’s asking for for 1.33 cocoa powder and 1.33. cups oil. Not sure how much is .33 is thank you