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
Please be sure to rate the recipe in the recipe card or leave a comment below if you have made it. For more vegetarian inspirations, Sign Up for my emails or follow me on Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter.
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.
Dear Dassana
Thank you! I’ve never come across such an elaborately and lucidly explained cookery blog.
I baked for the first time in my life in an oven gifted by my parents. My very first bake was an offering to Sri Krishna on Janmastami. I believe it was Divine Mother who led me to your blog. I was nervous and excited, and wow! the cake turned out so well. I’m speechless with gratitude and love for you. Thank you! And God bless you.
hi sandhya, thank you ❤️. i have tears in my eyes when replying to you. i don’t know what to say apart from thank you. i am speechless. thanks again for this beautiful review and for your kind wishes.
simple and nice recipe
Hi Dassana, I made this chocolate cake without icing for my Mother-in-law’s birthday.
Very tasty. When tried to cut at first, felt a little moist inside. But after some time it was alright. Everyone loved it. Especially my daughter. She keeps on saying now that she doesn’t want any chocolate anymore (which she usually doesn’t like). Instead she wants to have this cake. ????
However couldn’t cut as the pieces you have shown. Instead we had many different shapes.
What should I do to make it work? I used fresh baking soda. Use OTG for baking. Followed every step carefully reading your recipe. Think I should try it again and see.
Thanks dear that your recipe helped me to make my MIL’S special day more special.
thanks karthika for this lovely detailed comment and for sharing your experience. glad to know that your family liked the chocolate cake. if the cake is cut when still hot or warm, it will crumble and be soft. so let the cake cool completely before cutting it. i am assuming you cut the cake when it was still warm and i hope i am right in guessing this.
fresh baking soda only works well in this recipe. OTG is fine too. try baking for some more minutes. let’s say 5 minutes or more and this will help. let me know.
regards
dassana
i would like to know the measurement for 1 kg cake. its my daughter’s bdy and i want to make homemade cake . i am waiting for your reply . please reply soon 🙂
double the cake recipe servings to 24 in the recipe card and you will get an increase in the proportions too. you can double or triple this chocolate cake recipe easily.
Hi Dassana
The cake was awesome. I really appreciate the recipe as it was eggless and whole wheat.
I used cup measures but next time would like to use my kitchen digital scale for getting exact measurements. But looking over the grammages mentioned for atta and sugar I am confused – there seems to be an error as the sugar measure in recipe, 150 gm, is more than amount of atta, 120 gm.
Can you please clarify. Apparently 1 ml =1 gm. So ideally 1 cup atta should be equal to 250 gm, is it not?
Warmly
Tara
thanks tara for the review and rating. 1 ml is 1 gm for liquids. but for solid ingredients, 1 ml is not 1 gm. depending on the density of the solid ingredient the weight will change. example 1 cup of atta measures 120 to 125 grams whereas 1 cup of granulated sugar measures 200 grams. i always give both cup and weight measurements so that the cake can be made easily by readers. so if you have a weighing machine, you can definitely weigh the ingredients and bake. hope this helps.
Thanks for the explanation Dassana I get it now. Another question: in all the baking recipes, is it preferable to use castor/powdered sugar or can unpowdered sugar work too?
Thanks!
welcome tara. usually in most baking recipes castor sugar or powdered sugar is used as they dissolve faster. granulated sugar can be used but it depends on the recipe. depending on the recipe method, sometimes granulated sugar does not dissolve. so it is better to use castor or powdered sugar. hope this helps.
Hello
Thank you very much for the recipe
I’ve a question
I baked the cake and did the frosting part also n kept it in the fridge for the night, the next day when I sieved some icing sugar, it vanished in couple of minutes, it was completely invisible by then.. does this happen? What can I do to not let it melt on the cake so that my cocoa powder will look better on top of the icing sugar?
Thank you
welcome krishna. yes it can happen as the fine particles of icing sugar get dissolved in the icing if the icing has not set or is thin. make the icing more thick. so add less milk while making icing. hope this helps.
Hi, I tried this recipe but cake didn’t rise well. Only difference is, I used ashirvad multigrain aata instead of whole wheat flour. Also I pre-heat oven before preparing cake batter. After preparing cake batter, I again pre-heated the oven. Then I put cake batter in oven. I turned off oven in 20 mins because cake became solidify in 20 mins. Please tell me where I went wrong?
hi, when using multigrain flour, more liquids will be needed as the other grain flour and lentil flours will require more water. secondly in the multigrain flour, the proportion of wheat flour should be more, then the proportion of the other grains or lentils flours. whenever making any multigrain cake or cookie, it is always better to add the flours separately. more wheat flour should be there as that helps the cake to leaven and have a softer texture. with the other lentils or grain flours being more, the cake is doomed for failure.
the preheating part is fine. when the cake pan is kept inside the oven, the oven should be hot. it should be getting preheated. do not switch off as then the temperature inside the oven will cool and this will affect the texture of the cake. hope these suggestions help.
Thanks for your reply 🙂
Thank u for such prompt response Mam…..
I’ll do this trick….
Can’t we use baking powder instead…..why in few places either of soda/pdr is used and in few recipes, both are used by ppl….even similarly, use of yoghurt/soda water/vinegar……..
welcome pooja. in this recipe baking soda is used only. the reason is if you use baking powder, you will have to add 4 times of baking powder (2 teaspoons for this chocolate cake recipe), which will give that typical unpleasant baking powder taste and aroma in the cake. as a thumbrule, 1 teaspoon of baking powder works well for 1 cup of flour. even 1.25 teaspoons baking powder can give that taste and aroma. so in this chocolate cake recipe, only baking soda works well. addition of both baking soda & baking powder or either depends on the recipe and the ingredients. if more acidic ingredients are used, then baking powder can be added. hope this helps.
Hi there,
The cake turned out well but the above portion of the cake became crispy…. Any suggestions
you can cover the top of the pan with an aluminium foil or parchment paper, so that the top does not get browned too much. you can even bake with the top heating element not working and only the bottom heating element working if you have an OTG. if using the top heating element, try not keeping the pan close to it.
Thank u Mam:))
Hello Mam,
I m bog fan of all ur recipes and urs is the first name to turn to, for any recipe/ideas…
I did try choc eggless cake, it’s nt risen well and I feel it’s slightly hard….is there anything more to be done /added to make it spongy n full level rising
thank you much pooja. the chocolate cake not rising well or being dense would be due to an inactive baking soda. since baking soda is the only leavening ingredient used in the recipe, it should be fresh and active. even slightly less active soda can jeopardise the cake texture. about two to three pinches of baking soda can be added in 1 tablespoon water + 1 tablespoon vinegar solution. if the soda fizzes and bubbles immediately, it is active and good enough to go in any cake recipe.
Tried…turned out to be well…have one question -I don’t have unsalted butter for frosting..what’s the substitute for it??
thanks sheena. for frosting, use oil, but a neutral tasting oil, so that the oil’s taste and aroma does not come in the frosting. use slightly less oil than butter.
Hello mam
I tried the cake today but it does not rise well.
What to do
monika, let me know in more detail whant went wrong (like the texture of cake, the consistency of batter etc), so i can help.
Hi. Followed the exact recipe. The cake turned out spongy but many cracks and with cooling few parts of the cake fell off. What can be the reason? Took 38 minutes @ 180 degrees to bake fully.
Thank you!!
could be due to uneven mixing of the batter. also the oil has to be mixed very well with the rest of the ingredients. if the batter is mixed well, this problem should not occur. i also hope you used the correct pan size. hope this helps.
Hi
Can I add amul salted butter instead of normal butter.
hi monika, you can add amul salted butter.
Thank you Dassana, awesome recipe! I made cupcakes and they turned out as good as those made with maida. My family really enjoyed them.
thats great to know neha. thanks for sharing the feedback. i will also try. thanks again.