Eggless Chocolate Cake Recipe (Moist & Easy)

Eggless Chocolate Cake recipe is a soft and rich dessert made with whole wheat flour, cocoa powder, sweeteners, lemon juice and vanilla, using a neutral oil for moisture, resulting in a decadent, guilt-free treat perfect for any occasion. This easy one-bowl recipe is also a simple vegan cake you’re sure to come back to time and again. Unbelievably soft and light, you won’t believe that this decadent, moist, chocolatey sponge cake is actually made with healthy whole wheat flour.

A Simple Chocolate Cake That Works Every Time

A chocolate cake is typically made with flour, cocoa powder, sugar, and eggs, which help with structure and softness. But this eggless chocolate cake delivers the same rich, moist texture without a single egg.

Soft, moist, and deeply chocolatey, this cake is my go-to for creating a range of desserts, including my Black Forest Cake.

Despite being made with healthier ingredients like whole wheat flour and oil, the texture remains light and spongy. The secret lies in the chemical reaction between baking soda and lemon juice, which gives the cake its airy structure.

I also use cold water in the batter. It slows down gluten development, which helps create a softer crumb, especially when baking with whole wheat flour. It’s a simple but effective technique I’ve come to rely on, especially after my formal training in pastry.

You don’t need any fancy equipment either – no mixer, just one bowl and about 10 minutes of prep. The result? A delicious, fuss-free chocolate cake that satisfies every time.

Whether served plain or topped with the included vegan chocolate glaze, this cake is a true keeper. Make it today using my step-by-step photos or follow along with the video; and enjoy a reliable, eggless chocolate cake that’s always a hit.

Recipe Insights

Eggless Cakes can be tricky; especially when you’re using whole wheat flour, which tends to make bakes dense. But in this recipe, as I have mentioned above, the rise and softness come from the baking soda and lemon juice combination, which acts as a natural leavening duo.

This may look similar to a chocolate wacky cake, but it’s not the same. My recipe has different proportions and includes whole wheat flour and cold water, which are not used in the classic wacky cake.

Want to explore more eggless cakes, brownies, and baking ideas? These are great places to start:

• Eggless Banana Cake – Soft and flavorful, a reader favorite.
• Eggless Black Forest Cake – Rich, layered, and ideal for celebrations.
• Date Cake – Soft, naturally sweet, and made without eggs.
• Eggless Brownies – Simple, light and easy.
• Fruit Cake (Eggless) – Rich and festive with dried fruits and nuts.

How I Make This Soft Eggless Cake at Home

Prep Pan & Sift Dry Mix

1. First grease a round baking pan of 7.5 inches diameter x 2 inches height with oil. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees Celsius (392 degrees Fahrenheit) for 15 minutes.

2. Sieve 1 cup whole wheat flour (you can also use all-purpose flour) and 3 tablespoons cocoa powder. Keep a plate or tray below the sieve.

3. Add a pinch of salt and ½ teaspoon baking soda.

4. Sift the ingredients on to a plate.

5. Keep the sieved dry ingredients aside.

Whisk Wet Ingredients

6. In another pan or bowl, add ¾ cup sugar. I have used raw, unrefined cane sugar, however regular white sugar can also be used.

Add 1 cup cold water. The water has to be very cold.

7. Stir with a small whisk till the sugar dissolves.

8. Now add ¼ cup oil. I added sunflower oil.

Note: I would not suggest adding butter as a few readers did tell me that the butter solidifies and it becomes difficult to get it to an even mixture. Stick with oils that are not solid at room temperature for this cake.

9. Stir briskly so that everything is mixed well.

10. It should be a homogenous and even mixture.

11. Next add 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Stir again.

Tip: No lemon? No problem. We just need something acidic here. You could use 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar or white vinegar in place of lemon juice.

12. Now add ½ teaspoon vanilla extract. Feel free to add chocolate extract or chocolate essence instead of vanilla.

13. Mix very well.

Make The Batter

14. Add the sieved dry ingredients to the wet mixture.

15. Using a wired whisk, mix everything well.

16. There should be no lumps in the cake batter. The batter should also be slightly thin, not thick like a brownie batter.

17. Pour the eggless chocolate cake batter into the prepared cake pan.

18. Tap the sides so that the extra air bubbles are let out.

Bake The Chocolate Cake

19. Bake the eggless chocolate cake in a preheated oven for 200 degrees Celsius (392 degrees Fahrenheit) for 35 to 40 mins.

Tip: For baking in a convection mode of a microwave oven, preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius (355 degrees Fahrenheit) for 15 minutes. Then bake at 180 degrees celsius (355 degrees Fahrenheit) for 30 to 35 minutes.

Note: Since temperatures vary from oven to oven be sure to keep an eye on it. Do not open the oven door many times as this will cause your chocolate cake to sink in the center. Only open the door after three-fourth of the baking is done.

The temperature vary widely from oven to oven, which is why I recommend getting a stand-alone oven thermometer. Generally it takes 35 minutes for this cake to bake. But if your oven is very hot or cool, it will take less or more time for baking. 

20. For doneness check the chocolate cake with a bamboo skewer or toothpick. The bamboo skewer should come out clean.

If the toothpick is sticky with the batter, then place the chocolate cake back in the oven and continue to bake for some more minutes.

Once the eggless chocolate cake cools down enough to handle, remove it from the baking tin and place it on a wired rack to finish cooling. Before frosting, let the cake cool completely.

Make Frosting

21. This frosting recipe makes for more of a thin chocolate glaze. Take 1 tablespoon sunflower oil, ¼ cup almond milk and ¼ cup raw sugar in a small saucepan.

Tip: If you prefer a slightly thick frosting, reduce the almond milk to just 2 tablespoons. You can substitute any dairy or alternative milk in place of almond milk.

22. Begin to heat the pan on a low flame. Mix very well, continuing to stir, so that the sugar is dissolved into the milk.

Do not boil the almond milk, but just make it lightly hot enough to dissolve the sugar.

23. When the almond milk is just lightly hot and after all the sugar has been dissolved, add 3 tablespoons cocoa powder.

24. With a small wired whisk, mix and stir so that the cocoa powder gets mixed evenly.

25. The cocoa frosting is ready now. Switch off the flame.

Frost The Cake

26. While still hot, pour the frosting on the top and sides of the eggless chocolate cake.

Tip: Usually I wrap a medium sized plate with aluminum foil and then place the cake on it. This makes the frosting work neater.

27. With an offset spatula, spread the icing evenly all over on top and the sides of the eggless chocolate cake. If you want a layer cake, you can slice the chocolate cake in half and spread frosting in the center and then on the top.

Keep the vegan chocolate cake covered in the fridge for the frosting to set for a couple of hours. I like to use a dome-shaped bowl to cover the cake. Make sure there is enough space between the cake and the bowl which you are using for covering.

The frosting will set after a few hours. I kept it in the fridge overnight.

28. For a little added pizzazz, feel free to top your cake with some simple decor. I recommend chocolate shavings, sprinkles or sliced nuts. If they are in season, fresh berries are also a nice complement to chocolate cake.

If you want to make a more intricate design, try holding a doily over the top of the cake and sift icing sugar or cocoa powder over the top to look like lace.

29. The eggless chocolate cake is ready to be served. Slice and enjoy!

Serve The Cake

Serve the chocolate cake as it is as an after meal dessert or whenever the chocolate craving strikes! It is simple enough to enjoy with your afternoon tea, and decadent enough to serve at a dinner party.

For a more luxurious treat, enjoy with a scoop of ice cream (vanilla, strawberry, coffee or mint chocolate chip would all be great) or some lightly sweetened whipped cream. You can also flavor your whipped cream if you prefer something outside of the traditional vanilla.

Store Properly

Place the remaining chocolate cake (whole or slices) in a covered box or container and refrigerate for up to a week.

What You’ll Need (Plus Swaps & Substitutes)

1. Cocoa Powder: The most important ingredient contributing to the flavor of the eggless chocolate cake is cocoa powder. It is important to use a good quality, naturally processed cocoa powder as this will affect the overall taste and consistency of the cake. Do not use dutch-process cocoa powder, or you might end up with a dense, stodgy result. The recipe can also be made with cacao powder.

2. Whole Wheat Flour: This vegan chocolate cake is incredibly light and soft. If you were only to judge the cake based on texture, you would never guess that it was made with whole wheat flour.

That said, the choice of healthy whole wheat flour will provide an almost nutty flavor in the cake. This recipe has been tried and tested with the Indian wheat flour (used to make roti) and the wheat flour available in USA and Europe.

Use any good quality whole wheat flour. You can also opt to substitute all-purpose flour instead.

3. Baking Soda: The most important ingredient affecting the texture of the cake is the baking soda, so it is important that it is fresh.

If the baking soda is not fresh or is past its shelf life, the cake will not rise. In the FAQ section below, I cover how to test the freshness of your baking soda.

Please note: Baking powder cannot be used instead of baking soda. You can use eno (fruit salt) instead of baking soda in this eggless chocolate recipe. I would suggest adding about ½ to ⅔ teaspoon of eno.

4. Lemon Juice: As explained earlier, the lemon juice is also crucial in causing the vegan chocolate cake to rise properly. However, if you don’t have lemon juice, white vinegar or apple cider vinegar can be used for the same effect.

5. Oil: Use oil which has neutral flavors for the best result. For all my cake recipes, I always use sunflower oil as it is neutral and leaves no aftertaste in the cake.

Other options include vegetable oil, corn oil, grapeseed oil or avocado oil. Oil also helps in making the cake soft and moist.

6. Flavorings: Vanilla powder can be added instead of vanilla extract. You can even add vanilla essence instead of vanilla extract.

7. Liquids: The only liquid I have added to the cake batter is water. Milk (dairy or vegan milks like almond milk, cashew milk or soy milk) can be added instead of water. Make sure that the milk is cold and chilled.

8. Sweeteners: For the sweeteners, you can opt to use raw sugar (like I have done) or swap in white sugar or brown sugar. You can also add jaggery, maple syrup, coconut sugar or palm sugar instead but the taste of the cake will be different.

Avoid adding honey. According to Ayurveda, honey should not be heated as it becomes toxic.

Baking Tips You Don’t Want to Miss

• Nuts: Want to add a little texture to your eggless cake? Feel free to add up to a cup of chopped, roasted nuts, chocolate chips or dried fruit to the cake. Simply dust them in the flour prior to adding to the batter to prevent them from sinking to the bottom.
• Frosting: In the frosting, you can use dairy butter or vegan butter instead of sunflower oil. For a thick frosting, add less quantity of almond milk.
• Variations: Feel free to use the eggless chocolate cake recipe as the base for any chocolate cake. Switch the frosting flavors, add jam between two layers or even use as the base for an ice cream cake.
• Baking: The temperature varies widely and differs from oven to oven. Generally, it takes 35 minutes for this cake to bake. But if your oven is hotter or cooler, it will take less or more time.
• Oven Thermometers: If you like to bake often, I recommend investing in a stand-alone oven thermometer. Oven temperature gauges can vary widely, which can affect your bakes. By using an oven thermometer that you can calibrate yourself, you will have much better luck with all of your favorite recipes.
• Cooling the Cake: Be sure to let the cake cool completely before frosting. If the cake is even slightly warm, the glaze will simply run off of the cake.

FAQs

Baking Methods & Equipment

Texture & Leavening Questions

Ingredient Swaps & Additions

Eggless Chocolate Cake recipe from the archives was first published on December 2014.