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 |
![I Can't Believe It's Eggless Chocolate Cake! I Can't Believe It's Eggless Chocolate Cake!](https://www.egglesscooking.com/file/eggless-chocolate-cake1.jpg)
- 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% |
What is silken tofu pureed? Where will I get it? Can I replace the same with any other ingredient?
You have to buy silken tofu and blend it in a mixer. Unsweetened applesauce and mashed banana might work too.
Made it,
A perfect cake! My husband waiting when I cook only this cake
Thanks a lot for the feedback Alexandra.
Can I use ener-g egg replaced instead of silken tofu?
I haven’t tried this recipe Ener-G so not sure how it will turn out Amrita. Sorry.
Hi! Can I use yogurt instead of silken tofu?
Yes it should work.
Hi,
I never bake but i am hoping to give this a go! Can you show the size of the cup you used please?
Thank you.
https://www.amazon.com/U-Taste-Piece-Measuring-Spoons-Stainless/dp/B01L26QE14/ref=sr_1_2?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1479843640&sr=1-2-spons&keywords=measuring+cups&psc=1
Can I use condensed milk instead of silken tofu?
I’m pretty sure that it won’t work Hina.
I have made this cake several times,it is fabulous – it is for my son who’s allergic to eggs but no one know the difference. In fact I have had several people say its the best chocolate cake they have had, so moist.
Question, I wanted to make into cupcakes – should i alter the recipe? Thanks!
You’re welcome Gina. Yes you can bake it as cupcakes but the baking time will differ. Probably 18-20 minutes for regular size cupcakes and even less time for mini cupcakes.
Can you please weigh the ingredients in grams?
Sorry Buvnesh I don’t use a scale to measure the ingredients. But you can try converting into grams using this baking measurement chart.
I followed the recipe and all was supa excellent…wow thanks
You’re very welcome Bettie.
Super recipe!!! Very well explained!!!
Will definitely try this one!!!
You’re very welcome Manasi.
Do you add water to the silken tof while blending it?
Not necessary but a teaspoon or two should be fine too.
Thanks for this recipe, my daughter is turning 4 in a few weeks and she has an egg allergy but is insisting on a birthday cake. I have bought the supermarket mixture for character buns and have used silken tofu but have never known how much tofu per egg to use, so thanks again for this information.
You’re very welcome Brenda.
I think you can use condensed milk instead too… Saw in a YouTube video for Eggless cakes.
Hmm..probably. But will have to adjust the quantity of sugar in the recipe.
Hi Madhuram, I don’t have tofu or applesauce or yogurt . What is the other alternative?
I can’t think of anything else Swetha. Sorry.
I think you can use Arrowroot Powder
I haven’t tried it so far. I’m thinking it will be better in cookies than cakes.
What happens if I skip the muffins cups and use all the batter in two 8-inch pans?
I have baked it in two 8 inches pans only Sarah.
Hi!
I tried this recipe but the cake did not turn out soft or spongy. It was very, very dense. Almost like a mousse cake! Where could I have gone wrong? I used all the ingredients as mentioned, in the same proportion.
Thanks,
Aditi
It’s almost 8 years since I have baked this cake. All I remember is, it was very soft and moist. All the other reviews say the same too.
I decorate cakes as a hobby and had to make one for a child who cannot have dairy or eggs. This turned out wonderful as far as flavor. I used 2 cups silk very vanilla soymilk instead of milk and coffee. I also used plain soft tofu not silken. The only silken I could find was firm and that’s no good. I used a 12 by 18 pan cuz I have to carve a bone shape out of it. I made the recipe twice amd poored each into the pan instead of just doubling it. Not sure if that really matters. It has a decent amount of hight to it. Hopefully it will cut easily without crumbling. It’s cooling now so we will see.
That’s awesome!
Hi I would really love to try this recipe . however what can I subsititute the tofu with if not applesauce?
Thank you
Laksooria
Applesacue and yogurt will work but not as good as tofu.
Sorry sometimes the Ipad corrects wrong. It was the shape of a half round ball. After the first 40 minutes I was opening all the time the oven. Maybe is that. Thank you so much!!!
Aah…that must be it.
Hi Demy you could have had too much raising agent which rose in the oven and sunk upon cooling or your dry ingredients to fat ratio could have been incorrect. Too little flour. Good luck
Can u tell me instead of silky tofu,, what can I use?
Unsweetened applesauce is a good option.
I made the PERFECT eggless chocolate cake.i was SO happy it was 10cm and more tall.i made it in a shape of half ballot was so so perfect.it was cooked as it should,I took it out of the oven,I left it IN the ball to cool down,after 5 minutes I went to see the cake….it went to the half of the high that I left it.why????i left a fine cake 10 cm tall and I found it 5 . I was so devastated
I didn’t get it Demy. What was the shape you baked it? Cakes sink when there is a sudden change in the temperature, like if you opened the oven a few times to check how the cake was coming up. Also over mixing of the batter can make the cake to sink.
can i omit the coffee portion? and if i use egg instead of tofu how many eggs i should use?
Yes you can omit the coffee. 2 eggs instead of tofu.
Can I replace tofu with something else in India applesauce is too costly hence the question.
You can make applesauce at home. https://www.egglesscooking.com/homemade-applesauce-recipe/
Can I substitute vanilla extract with something else? I don’t have that at home.
You may omit it Chitra.