This easy (one-bowl!) Eggless Chocolate Cake is a simple vegan recipe you’re sure to come back to time and again. Unbelievably soft and light, you won’t believe that this decadent, chocolatey sponge cake is actually made with healthy whole wheat flour. Make this Chocolate Cake today (with or without frosting) following my video and detailed recipe with stepwise photos.
Why You’ll Love This Eggless Chocolate Cake
Soft, moist and deeply chocolatey, this eggless chocolate cake makes an excellent starting point for a multitude of chocolate cake-based desserts and a perfect vehicle for any number of delicious frostings. In fact, I make my Black Forest Cake from this spongy vegan chocolate cake recipe!
Not only does this recipe taste good, it is also quite a bit healthier than your classic chocolate cake. Don’t worry though.
Even though healthier ingredients are used, this sponge cake still has a soft and moist texture. So yes, my friends. You can have your cake and eat it too. You’re quite welcome!
Table of Contents
My eggless chocolate cake is also super easy to put together. Made in just one bowl and without a mixer, this cake batter is a lazy baker’s dream!
With just about 10 minutes of active prep time, you can have a rich, dark, delectable chocolate cake in the oven. How amazing is that?
You’ll have to bake this eggless cake to really believe it – it’s insanely moist, perfectly spongy and is just the thing to cure your chocoholic cravings.
And while you’re more than welcome to serve this it plain, I’ve also included a recipe for a vegan chocolate glaze. As I’m sure you’ve guessed, it tastes better with the chocolate frosting!
Making Eggless Cakes is always a challenge as it can be hard to achieve the perfect, light consistency we associate with good cakes without using eggs.
Adding to that challenge, the addition of whole wheat flour can often cause a cake to be much denser and stodgier than those made with all-purpose flour.
The secret to achieving the light and spongy consistency in this vegan chocolate cake is the reaction between the baking soda and lemon juice.
These two ingredients work together to cause the cake to rise perfectly, giving it the soft, moist texture that we’re looking for.
Note: This recipe may resemble chocolate wacky cake or depression cake, but it is not the same. The ingredients’ proportions for this eggless chocolate cake are different from the wacky cake.
My eggless chocolate cake is also made up of whole wheat flour that is never added to a wacky cake. Moreover cold water is also not included.
Ingredients & Possible Substitutions
- 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.
- 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. - 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. - 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.
- 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.
- Flavorings: Vanilla powder can be added instead of vanilla extract. You can even add vanilla essence instead of vanilla extract.
- 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.
- 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.
How to make Eggless Chocolate Cake
Prep Pan and Sift Dry Ingredients
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.
Make the Liquid Mixture
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 a homogenous 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 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 Chocolate Cake 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 Eggless 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 Cocoa 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 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!
Serving Suggestions
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.
Storage
Place the remaining chocolate cake (whole or slices) in a covered box or container and refrigerate for up to a week.
Expert Tips
- 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.
- 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!
- Variations: Feel free to use the eggless chocolate cake recipe as the base for any chocolate cake. Switch up the frosting flavors, add jam between two layers, or even use as the base for an ice cream cake.
- 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 flour prior to adding to the batter to prevent them from sinking to the bottom.
FAQs
Yes, you can double this eggless chocolate cake recipe. In fact, I recommend doubling the recipe if you are wanting a vegan chocolate layer cake!
Yes. You can easily bake this chocolate cake in a convection oven instead of a regular oven or an OTG. You can even bake this cake in a microwave convection oven. The timing will be less for convection ovens as they bake faster than an OTG or regular ovens.
Yes. You can make the vegan chocolate cake in a cooker. In a pressure cooker the time taken will be less as compared to an oven. To see how a cake can be made in a pressure cooker, you can check this Cooker Cake recipe.
In this chocolate recipe, only one leavening ingredient is used. That leaving ingredient is baking soda. The reaction of baking soda with the lemon juice helps in making this eggless chocolate cake spongy and light.
It is always better to check the freshness of baking soda before you proceed with the recipe. If the baking soda is not fresh or past its shelf life, the cake won’t rise.
Add about ¼ to ½ teaspoon of baking soda in a mixture of 1 tablespoon vinegar + 1 tablespoon of water. The solution should fizz and bubble. If the solution does not fizz and bubble, the baking soda is not active and fresh, so do not use it.
Yes. Dried fruits and nuts like almonds, pistachios, cashews can be added in the batter. But before adding the dry fruits, mix them with a bit of flour, so that they do not settle down at the bottom of the cake while baking.
More Eggless Cake Recipes!
Cake Recipes
Cake Recipes
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Eggless Chocolate Cake (+Vegan & Whole Wheat)
Ingredients
For Chocolate Cake
- 1 cup whole wheat flour – leveled, 120 grams or 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 pinch salt
- ¾ cup raw sugar or white sugar – 150 grams
- 1 cup cold water
- ¼ cup sunflower oil or any neutral tasting oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice – swap with apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla powder or ¼ teaspoon vanilla essence
For Chocolate Frosting
- 1 tablespoon sunflower oil or any neutral tasting oil
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
- ¼ cup Almond Milk or any nut milk
- ¼ cup raw sugar or white sugar
Instructions
Preparation
- First grease a round baking pan of 7.5 inches diameter x 2 inches height with sunflower oil.
- Preheat your oven to 200 degrees celsius (392 degrees Fahrenheit).
Sifting
- Sieve whole wheat flour, salt, baking soda in a plate or bowl. Before sifting keep a plate, bowl or tray below the sieve. Use a good quality cocoa powder.
- Place the sifted dry ingredients aside.
Making liquid mixture
- In another pan or bowl, take the raw sugar.
- Add cold water and stir with small whisk until all of the sugar dissolves.
- Pour the sunflower oil. Stir briskly so that everything is mixed well and you get a homogenous mixture.
- Next add the lemon juice and vanilla extract. Stir well again.
Making batter
- Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet mixture. With a wired whisk, mix everything well.
- Ensure that there are no lumps in the batter. This chocolate cake batter is slightly thin and not thick.
- Pour the batter in the prepared pan.
Baking eggless chocolate cake
- Tap the sides of the pan so that the extra air bubbles are let out.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 200 degrees Celsius (392 degrees Fahrenheit) for 35 to 40 mins. Since temperatures vary from oven to oven, do keep a check.
- For baking in a convection mode of microwave oven, preheat the oven at 180 degrees celsius (356 degrees Fahrenheit) for 15 minutes. Then bake the cake at 180 degrees celsius (356 degree Fahrenheit) for 30 to 35 minutes.
- For doneness check the cake with a bamboo skewer or toothpick. The skewer or toothpick should come out clean. Place the pan on a wired rack for the cake to cool.
- Once the chocolate cake becomes cool at room temperature, remove it gently from the pan and place it on a wired rack.
- If the toothpick is sticky, then place the cake back in the oven and continue to bake for some more minutes. Before frosting let the chocolate cake cool completely.
Making Cocoa Frosting
- Take the sunflower oil, almond milk and sugar in a small saucepan.
- Keep the saucepan on a low heat and stirring often mix till the sugar is dissolved. Then add the cocoa powder. On a low heat stir and mix till all the cocoa powder is dissolved. Switch off the flame.
Frosting
- While still hot, pour the frosting on the chocolate cake on the top and sides of the cake. Spread it evenly with an offset spatula. You can also slice the chocolate cake in halve and spread frosting in the center and then on the top.
- Usually I wrap a medium sized plate with aluminium foil and then keep the cake on it. This make the frosting work easier.
- Keep the chocolate cake covered in the fridge for the frosting to set for a couple of hours. You can use a dome shaped bowl to cover the cake. Make sure the there is enough space between the cake and the bowl which you are using for covering the cake.
- The frosting will set after some hours.
- Next day, top the cake with some chocolate shavings or cacao shavings. You can also sprinkle some dry fruits or sprinkles. Some icing sugar and cocoa powder can also be sifted on the chocolate cake. This step is optional.
- Slice and serve eggless chocolate cake as a sweet dessert.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve the chocolate cake as it is as an after meal dessert or whenever the chocolate craving strike! Or for a luxurious treat, enjoy with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or some lightly sweetened whipped cream.
Storage
- Place the remaining chocolate cake (whole or slices) in a covered box or container and refrigerate for a week.
Video
Notes
Substitutions
- For Lemon Juice: Instead of lemon juice, add the same quantity of white vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
- For Baking Soda: You can use ½ to ⅔ teaspoon eno (fruit salt) instead of baking soda.
- For Baking Powder: You cannot substitute baking powder with baking soda in this recipe.
- For Whole Wheat Flour: Swap with 1 cup of all-purpose flour (maida) or pastry flour.
- For Almond Milk: Instead of almond milk, add any nut milk or vegan milk to make the frosting. You can also add dairy milk.
- For Sunflower Oil: In place of sunflower oil use any neutral tasting oil.
Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)
This Eggless Chocolate Cake recipe from the archives was first published in December 2014. It has been updated on November 2024.
hi dassana as usual super cake recipe….can u please tell me can i add vanilla powder in all the cakes instead of vanilla essence.
thank you. yes you can add vanilla powder. even i used to add vanilla powder when getting vanilla beans or vanilla extract was difficult.
Hi Dassana,
Whoa! What a recipe.. I really am so grateful to you for this simple yet awesome recipe.. the cake was so soft moist and just melting in the mouth. my family couldn’t get enough .. the cake was finished in a couple of mins.. few questions, could you please guide:
1. I want to try this in a larger quantity for my son’s birthday, can I double this recipe?
2. Which brand of unrefined cane sugar do you use? (If I may ask) I used organic sugar but would gladly make the switch.
thank you harini. you can double the recipe. i have halved the recipe to make lava cakes many times. so logically it can also be doubled. i use 24 mantra or conscious food.
Mam can this be made in cooker?
i am not sure if this recipe can be made in the cooker as the batter is more on the thinner side.
You won’t believe my over sight. Had to throw two away! First time I read baking powder instead of soda and read 200 degrees without checking if it’s f or c. After 1 .5 hrs, it didn’t rise, then I read again, realised I’ve put powder. Second time, again I assumed it’s 200 degrees f. The cake took nearly two hours. But was raw.
Finally made a third batch. Came out perfect, but took 50 mins. It’s cooling, please pray it comes out well! I love how easy this recipe is to gather. Even on the third attempt,I wasn’t tired!
ohhh… happens at times. but its nice that you realised what exactly went wrong. even like you i do not get tired when developing and testing new baking recipes. the cake will turn out good as its a tried and tested recipe. hope you liked the taste as well. thanks.
Yes! It came out well! I used buttercream icing. I think I can make this cake everyday and eat all day long! May soon become an elephant!
if you work out then you will be fit and stay in shape. also eat everything in moderation as thats what even i do. chocolate based cakes and desserts are addictive. even i have a sweet tooth and do not mind an extra chocolate ????
Hi… This recipe is not vegan as you have used butter and sugar. Both are not used in vegan recipes. Pls do suggest substitutes.
only the cake recipe is vegan. the icing is not. i have used unrefined cane sugar and not bleached sugar. you can use jaggery also in place of sugar. instead of butter use a neutral flavored oil like sunflower oil.
Dear Dassana
This is the most amazing cake. I added both baking powder and soda. Have made it twice now and family love it. Thanks so much. Do you think this will work with grated beetroot?
RA
thanks RA. grated beetroot won’t work well. reason being beetroot will add more moisture and water in the batter.
Hi Dassana i have made this cake many times and we love it!! What if i were to omit the baking soda, how would it affect the cake? I had made brownies without it and it was great. Pls guide.
anjana, the cake won’t rise if baking soda is omitted. along with it the cake won’t have a soft and light crumb. brownies are fine to make as brownies are usually dense and chewy, but in a cake the texture will get compromised a lot if baking soda is omitted.
I think my comment is missing. Posting again as I wanted to Thank You for a working recipe !
The cake done in convectional oven was perfect. The second day it tasted even better. I followed the same to same contents. Even tested the soda for the freshness. Thumbs up!
But, the sugar frosting part – I missed it. It was either not melting down or if i keep it for long , it becomes like a sticky thing. I tried twice and i had to throw the mixture. Is it caster sugar? or our normal sugar? I used normal sugar (not even powdered). That cake got over in a day (wife & my 4 year old princess) and they wanted to make me again. 🙂 ! Please tell me that frosting thing so that i can try that this time. Even without frosting , it was yummy.
Thanks again for your patience to reply to each and every comments
Thanks,
Rajesh
your comment has not reached us and in fact this is the first comment. we do have technical glitches at times with the comment form.
thanks for the feedback on the chocolate cake. for the frosting its best to use superfine sugar or fine sugar. i guess the regular large refined sugar crystals will not melt. powdered sugar can be used. i use organic refined cane sugar which has fine particles so they melt easily. what you can do is powder 4 tablespoons sugar in a mixer-grinder and then add.
i am also sharing a chocolate ganache icing recipe which you can use with this cake. it tastes damn good and like a chocolate truffle cake. for chocolate ganache you will need baking or cooking chocolate bars. so take 1/2 cup of chopped dark chocolate. add powdered sugar as per taste. also add 1/4th cup cream. you can use amul cream. mix and then cook this mixture on a double boiler or in a microwave for 15 to 20 seconds. a double boiler is basically two pans kept on top of each other.
in one pan you keep water and let it come to a boil. keep the second pan or bowl with the chocolate, cream and sugar on top of the pan which has water boiling it. from the heat and steam of the hot water, the chocolate will start to melt. continue to stir non stop till all chocolate melts. let the ganache cool at room temperature and then you can spread it on the cake. you can even slice cake into two halves and spread ganache on it. for the chocolate bars, i would suggest to use couverture chocolate bars which has cocoa butter. do not use morde chocolate or compound chocolate as sometimes they are made with a lot of chemical products. you can get couverture chocolate on amazon.in
Hello , I tried your cake also I substituted jaggery for sugar and it turned out amazing a couple of time but since few days when am trying to do the same it’s just not happening… the cake is settling down itself
are you using the same brand of jaggery. looks like the jaggery is settling down the cake. may be you can add less jaggery and see if it works.
Thankyou for the prompt reply. AB mauri which makes mauripan yeast makes the improver brand name tower. Dont know however if it uses natural ingredients. Anyway all sliced breads do contain some amout of improver(as seen on their packaging) . Thanks anyway and will be surely visiting your blog for eggless cakes.
thanks for this info mina. i will check. yes most baked stuff from outside does contains improvers.
Hi
Liked everything about your blog. I would like to know àbout cake gel/improver/emulsifieer which is nowadays being useď by many housewives to make eggless cakes soft and fluffy like store bought ones. Have you used it?
thanks. i have never used this cake gel or improver. in fact i am hearing this for the first time that improvers are available for cakes. i knew about ice creams and other soft desserts. i am old school and prefer to use natural ingredients rather using an ingredient where i am not very sure what has gone in to making it.
Hi,
Can I use cadbury chocolate powder instead of cocoa powder? If yes, how much should be the quantity?
Thanks in advance for replying.
you can try with chocolate powder. use the same amount as that of cocoa powder.
came out really nice and soft . Thanks Added some chocolate chips and truiti fruiti . Really made it great .
Welcome Megha. Glad to know that you liked the chocolate cake recipe.
HI Dassana,
What oil should we use ? Groundnut ?
Can we substitute butter in the frosting with something else ?
Thanks
adi, use sunflower oil or a neutral tasting oil. groundnut oil will give the taste of groundnuts. once i made a dutch truffle cake with groundnut oil and its taste was similar to the snickers one gets in the market. so better to avoid unless you like the taste of groundnut oil. for the frosting you can use any neutral flavored oil.
Hi please tell if i wanna bake the same cake with out oven …. Or if you would’ve already posted pls send link here …. Thanks n lot f blessings to you … And Your step by step procedure could help many even beginnen also could …. Thanks once again …. Love from ….
you can try. i have shared two eggless cake recipes and one pav recipe made in pressure cooker. so you can use the method shown in these recipes and bake any cake, cookie or bread. links given below:
eggless sponge cake – https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/pressure-cooker-cake-recipe/
eggless chocolate cake – https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/chocolate-cake-recipe-in-pressure-cooker/
pav in pressure cooker – https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/pav-recipe-in-pressure-cooker/
thanks a lot for your kind comments and best wishes.