My son turned 3 yesterday. For his birthday, I wanted to bake an eggless chocolate cake with frosting and all. Earlier, I baked an eggless carrot cake and also a chocolate cake without eggs, using soy milk.
This eggless chocolate cake was way before I started the blog, and for some reason, I did not save the recipe. It had a soy milk ganache for the frosting and came out very well. I wish I had saved the recipe.
I wanted to bake a layered chocolate cake because he loves it and was going through various resources to find a good chocolate cake recipe without eggs.
I bought the EnerG egg replacer from the grocery store earlier this month. I thought I would buy a ready-made cake mix from the store, use the egg replacer instead of the eggs, and bake the cake.
Then only I found that EnerG does not give desired results with store-bought mixes. So I dropped that idea.
I have read in many books/sites that tofu is a good egg substitute in baked goods. I also had silken tofu sitting in the refrigerator and decided to use it to make the cake.
Some of the chocolate cake recipes I was looking for had a minimum of 3 eggs. Then I found a recipe that required only 2 eggs in my "Baking for Dummies" book.
I proceeded with that recipe and used pureed tofu instead of eggs. The rule is adding 1/4 cup of tofu per egg to be replaced.
This was the first time I was baking a layered chocolate cake without eggs and also using tofu as an egg substitute in a cake recipe.
Even though I proceeded with the recipe, I was skeptical about the taste and texture until I cut the cake on Sunday and tasted it.
I baked the cake on Saturday, let it cool off until Sunday afternoon, and then frosted it. I was more anxious than my son to taste the cake.
We also talked about running to the grocery store on Sunday evening to buy a ready-made cake if this one flops.
But I need not have worried so much after all! The eggless chocolate cake turned out so moist, and together with the icing, it was no different than the usual cakes.
We did not taste/smell the tofu at all. More than anything, I was so happy that my son liked the cake very much.
Eggless Chocolate Cake Recipe |
| Prep Time | Cook Time | Makes |
|---|---|---|
| 15 Mins | 25 Mins | 12 Servings |
| Author | Category | Method |
| Madhuram | Cakes | Baking |
- 2 Cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
- 2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
- 3/4 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 2 Cups Granulated Sugar (See My Notes)
- 1 Cup Vegetable Oil (I Used Canola Oil)
- 1 Cup Hot Coffee (I Mixed 1.25 Teaspoons Of Instant Coffee Powder With 1 Cup Of Hot Water)
- 1 Cup Milk (I Used 2% Milk)
- 1/2 Cup Silken Tofu Pureed (I Used Nasoya Brand Silken Tofu)
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 Packet Dr Oetker's Organic Chocolate Icing Mix
- 1/4 Cup Hot Milk/Hot Water (Heat It In The Microwave Oven For 15 Seconds)
- 1/3 Cup Soft Butter At Room Temperature (Which Is 5 Tablespoons + 1 Teaspoon)
- 1/4 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- A Pinch Baking Soda
- Preheat the oven to 325F (160C) for 15 minutes.
- Grease and flour (I used cocoa powder to flour the base of the pan because it's a chocolate cake) two 9-inch cake pans.
- Sift the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa, and sugar into a large mixing bowl.
- Make a well. Add the canola oil. Then the hot coffee decoction.
- Add milk.
- Add the pureed tofu. (Remove the silken tofu from the packet using a spoon, add it to the blender, and puree it to a creamy mixture)
- And a few drops of vanilla essence.
- With an electric mixer, beat at medium speed for 2-3 minutes. (At first, I did not use the hand mixer to combine the batter because I remembered reading somewhere that while using egg substitutes, in this case, tofu, beating the batter is not recommended, and I was so worried to see such a diluted batter and it was also having a lot of small lumps. So anyhow, I decided to use my hand mixer to get rid of the lumps, but still, the batter was considerably thin).
- Pour the batter evenly into both 9-inch cake pans. (or fill the 6 muffin cups halfway with batter and divide the remaining batter between both 8-inch pans).
- Bake this cake for 25 to 30 minutes until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. (Check the cupcakes after 15 minutes). I placed 1 pan on the middle shelf and then another on the bottom shelf set the timer for 25 minutes, and switched the pans around 12 minutes. Switching the pan means moving the pan from the middle shelf to the bottom and the bottom shelf pan to the top. This is done to ensure the even baking of both cakes. One of my make was done exactly at 25 minutes, and the other one took 30 minutes.
- Let the cakes cool completely before removing them from the pans. The time mentioned in the original recipe was 15 minutes, so I tried to transfer the cake to a wire rack after 20 minutes, which was a little messy. So I left the other cake in the pan for quite some time. Maybe after an hour, I touched the bottom of that pan and found that it had cooled completely, so I transferred it to the wire rack.
- The cake should cool completely on the wire rack before frosting. I baked the cakes on Saturday and frosted them on Sunday. I left it on the kitchen counter and covered it with a bamboo basket. You could also refrigerate the cake to cool it off.
- Sift the mix.
- Add the melted butter, hot milk, vanilla, and baking soda. (I read in the same book that adding a pinch of baking soda to icings prevents hardening and cracking, so icing stays moist)
- Beat the mix using a hand mixer at medium-high speed. Add a few drops of water/milk if required.
- This was my first experience frosting an eggless chocolate cake, so I followed the steps in the book.
- First, I placed the bottom layer upside down so the rounded side (top of the cake would be on the serving plate). If you have a dome top on the cake, even it out by slicing it with a serrated knife and then place it upside-down.
- Spread about 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of frosting on top of the bottom layer. Don't use hard strokes; spread it gently using an offset metal spatula or plastic spatula.
- Place the second layer on the first, cut, or domed side up.
- Frost the sides of the cake first with another 1/2 cup of frosting.
- Finally, frost the top of the second layer.
It was slightly difficult for me, but somehow I managed to frost the entire cake. Before and while frosting the cake, I was not sure about the consistency of the frosting. Later after seeing quite a few cake pictures, I realized that my frosting was thick, so I had a hard time spreading it. I should have added more drops of water to thin it, and frosting would have been a breeze.
- As you all know, the options are endless. Being the rookie I am, and because my son loves M&M's, I used them to line the cake. I also used the ready-made Cake Mate decorating pens in the grocery store in the baking aisle to write birthday messages and draw some flowers.
- As a whole, the cake was excellent. But considering healthy eating, I would modify the recipe a bit the next time. Like reducing the sugar in the cake recipe from 2 cups to 1.5 cups. Since the frosting is also sweet enough, we don't need that much sugar in the cake. Next, reducing the quantity of oil too. Instead of 1 cup of oil, 1/2 cup can be replaced with unsweetened applesauce.
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 12 | |
| Per Serving | % Daily Value* |
| Calories 389 | |
| Total Fat 19.7g | 30% |
| Saturated Fat 2.1g | 10% |
| Trans Fat 0.1g | |
| Cholesterol 2mg | 1% |
| Sodium 417mg | 17% |
| Potassium 181mg | 5% |
| Total Carb 53.6g | 18% |
| Dietary Fiber 2.4g | 9% |
| Sugars 34.5g | |
| Protein 4.2g | |
| Vitamin A 0% - Vitamin C 0% | |
| Calcium 6% - Iron 10% | |
First time I going to try your recipe with silken tofu. Is there a substitute for vanilla extract? Can I use Vanilla essence instead?
Hey, this looks yummy. I have to try it. I follow ur blog and found some amazing eggless recipes,
though I still have to try them. Thanks for this wonderful blog.
You’re welcome Nandini.
is there a replacement of tofu.
You can use equal quantity of unsweetened applesauce.
Hi madhu, is it possible to bake in just a single 9 inch cake pan with the same amount of ingredients or better to halve it?
You have to halve it Yamunaa.
Hello ma’am, is there any substitute for the chocolate icing mix??
If you can find vanilla icing mix you can use it or any other store bought icing if you don’t want to make it at home.
Hi Madhuram, looks very tempting to make this cake. Pls suggest me do I need to add anything in blender with silken tofu to a puree? Thanks
No Suchi, you don’t have to add anything else. Silken tofu is very soft and it will blend easily.
Hi,
In what quantity should I use the applesauce to replace it with tofu?
Measure to measure.
Hi there the cake came out delicious!!! Best chocolate cake myself or my friends have tasted! I was wondering though if we could freeze this cake? I wanted to make another batch but have it ready for next week
Many thanks
Thank you very much Jane. I guess it should freeze well like other cakes. Haven’t done that myself though.
Hey can we use silken tofu of any brand as I’m not getting the one you’ve mentioned?
Any brand as long as it is silken tofu or soft tofu, it’s ok.
Mam, I tried this cake it came out so well I couldn’t believe it. It was awesome. But I used yougart and Apple cidar vinegar. But the cake was slightly crumbly. What might be the reason? I am starter in baking can you please help me.
Thanks Presitha for the feedback. I think the texture was crumbly because of the use of both yogurt and vinegar. If you alter the measurements you might get it perfect.
Natalie is going to get someone sick if she tells them her cake is eggless, and she has put miracle whip into it. The base of miracle whip is mayo, which is largely eggs. I think the recipe at Moosewoods is better and having gotten compliments for it would recommend it first, for people with an egg allergy. It is a much more straightforward recipe and doesn’t require the crazy cake machinations you are listing.
Hi, what can I use instead of tofu?
Unsweetened applesauce is a good alternative.
Hello Madhuram,
I’m so glad to find your eggless cake recipes, because I’ve tried out so many and somehow I never manage to achieve desired softness or textures… I’m trying out your eggless chocolate cake as I want to bake one for my son’s birthday and your recipe seriously looks so cool… So I’m keeping my fingers crossed
I wanted to ask if we have to keep the same quantity of yoghurt in substitution of silken tofu?
Also… Can I use this recipe for a layered cake or with some ganache?
Yes Katie. Measure to measure substitute of yogurt or unsweetened applesauce. Yes you can use ganache too.
Subbed out tofu with miracle whip, and it was perfect. Think the sugar and oil reduction would be good, but this cake was moist and wonderful even without any frosting.
Thanks Natalie.
I’m excited to try this! How would I modify this recipe to make cupcakes?
Just make the batter and bake it as cupcakes. I guess the baking time will be less around 20 minutes maybe. You have to check it though. I haven’t baked it as cupcakes yet.
I made this yesterday…first time making eggless cake without egg substitute. ..oh my It was Delicious.
I substituted plain nonfat yogurt for tofu…
I really will make it again…the instant coffee really added to the deep rich color of cake…vegetable oil added to its moisture…I did it in a 13×9 pan so it needed to be baked longer. It was lower in the middle, but buttercream frosting took care of that. Made this for our son in law, so extra happy it turned out so well.
Thank you very much for the detailed feedback Margaret. I’m glad that it turned out well and you all like it.
can we use anything else instead of 1/2 Cup Silken Tofu Pureed…
if yes then what? and it will be same?
Unsweetened applesauce will work.
Dear Madhuram,
I tried this recipe yesterday and it was one of the best cakes I ever made or tasted for that matter (And it is no exaggeration!) My daughter turned 6 yesterday. She has egg allegry, so she never tasted cakes. She is so scared of tasting even icing that she was least interested in cakes on birthday celebrations. I tried couple of eggless cake recipes earlier but always failed. Once I tried and the cake went from oven to trash bin straight, it was so bad! With great reluctance I tried yesterday and to everyone’s delight, it turned out just perfect. I used the proportions exactly the same way you mentioned but in half as I wanted only a small cake to try first. I deocrated it with home made butter cream frosting, marshmallows and sprinkles and it looked very cute too. Her birthday became extra special because it was the first time she ate the cake and loved it. She asked me to make the same cake for her next birthday too 🙂 All thanks to your recipe! I am very confident now in trying out eggless cake recipes, but most likely I will stick to your website 🙂
One difference from your instructions was that I had to bake the cake for 20 mins longer at 350F after the said temperature and duration, may be because I used Pyrex round shaped mixing bowl for the half dome cake?!
Thanks,
Nilu
Thank you very much Nilu for your detailed feedback. You made my day. 😀 Do try the recipes and I’m sure your daughter will love it all. Regarding the temperature and baking time, maybe the glass bowl needs more time. I haven’t tried.
This is THE best egg free chocolate cake I have ever made! Believe me I have made a few but they are always somewhat dry. This is moist and delicious.
Thank you very much for the compliment Nina.
Tried this cake for my son who is allergic to eggs and nuts. Turned out fabulous, I have tried other egg free cakes but they are usually don’t rise enough and are crumbly. Not this one, you would never know it didn’t have egg. Was wondering if you have ever doubled? My son is having his Bou Scout Eagle Court of honor and I going to make the cake (yikes). Need to have a big 1/2 sheet, so do you think one recipe will be good for 1 layer? Thanks!
Thank you very much Gina. I haven’t doubled this recipe but pretty sure that it should work. All the best.
Gina, were you able to use this recipe to make a large 1/2 sheet cake? I am making a cake for a party and would love to use this recipe. Just want to make sure that it will be sturdy enough to have 2 layers and decorations.
Love these cakes!
It was easy to make I don’t like coffee but I made it still did not even taste the coffee great cake
Yes, you won’t be able to taste the coffee. Thanks for giving it a try.
I never tried to make a cake at home because I think it is very risky to bake a cake at home. But after seeing your recipe I got some confidence and thinking to give it a try.
Thank You
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do i have to use tofu? If not what can i substitute? thanks
You can try it with applesauce, but the texture might differ.
my cake was really well risen when it was just baked… but after cooling down it sat down. This happens most of the times with me only when i bake chocolate cakes. what would be the reason? please help..
Did you by any chance keep opening the door of the oven quite too often to check how the cake is rising? Or did you happen to over mix the batter?