Looking for a moist chocolate cake recipe to try? Look no further. This is the easiest homemade cake I’ve ever come across.

It’s sinfully delicious, with a rich chocolate flavor, a moist tender crumb, and unlike traditional cakes, it’s made without eggs, milk, or butter. It’s a great option if you’re looking for a vegan or dairy-free dessert.

Do you want to make muffins instead? Try my double chocolate muffins 

sliced chocolate cake and a slice on a plate. Top view

Moist chocolate cake recipe (no eggs, no butter, no milk)

This is a great recipe for those with egg sensitivities, or when you crave a good cake and you open the fridge to see you forgot to get eggs or butter.

Use this chocolate cake as a basic sponge cake for birthdays, anniversaries, or any other special occasion. Fill it with whipped cream, chocolate ganache,  jam, or keep it plain, with just some powdered sugar sprinkled over the top. Everyone will love it!

Ingredients & substitution suggestions

This eggless cake recipe uses basic ingredients that are probably in your pantry right now.

  • All-purpose flour – you can use cake flour instead, your cake will have an even softer texture.
  • Granulated sugar – can be replaced with caster sugar.
  • Cocoa powder – adds a rich chocolate flavor. I used Hershey’s Unsweetened Cocoa Powder, choose a good quality unsweetened cocoa powder.
  • Baking powder – helps the cake rise. Make sure it is not expired!
  • Liquids – use your favorite unsweetened non-dairy milk, dairy milk, or half milk and half juice. You can also give extra depth with coffee, simply replace some of the milk with cooled coffee.
  • Oil – you can go with neutral vegetable oil, avocado oil, or with a more pronounced flavor such as olive oil, coconut oil, or hazelnut oil.
  • Vanilla extract – for flavor.

How to make eggless chocolate cake

This cake is one of the easiest cakes to make – two bowls, one wooden spoon, nothing complicated!

  • Whisk the ingredients – combine the dry ingredients in one bowl, and the wet in another.
  • Make the batter – pour the wet into the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon or a spatula until you have a smooth batter.
  • Bake – pour the finished batter into your prepared cake pan and bake. Mine was perfectly done after 40 minutes but each oven varies a bit so do the toothpick test. A moist crumb attached is fine but there shouldn’t be raw batter.

You can stir in 1/2 cup of extras like peanut butter chocolate chips, dark chocolate chunks, chopped nuts, or sprinkles into the batter right before baking.

Tips for success

  • Measure the ingredients correctly – is your cake dry and tough? Adding too much flour is the most common mistake. I highly recommend using a kitchen scale. If you don’t have one this is how you measure flour with cups: fluff your flour with a spoon, spoon it into your measuring cup and use a knife to level it off.
  • Don’t overmix the batter – is your cake dense and heavy? Be careful not to over-mix the batter. Mix just until the ingredients are evenly distributed.
  • Don’t open the oven door – leave the oven closed until the minimum time stated in the recipe.

How to serve this egg-free cake

A dusting of powdered sugar works beautifully on this cake, but you can also ice it with your favorite frosting, buttercream, or chocolate ganache.

Serve a slice of cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream and some fresh strawberries. The sky’s the limit here.

How to store & freeze

To store:  cover the cake tightly and store it at room temperature for up to 2 days and/or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

To freeze: you can freeze the cake for up to 2 months. I usually let the cake cool completely, cut it into squares, and freeze it in an airtight container or wrap the slices tightly in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer bag.

Recipe adapted from “Cookaround”

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my eggless cake dense?

You over-mixed the batter. This will cause the gluten strands to over-develop and give you a dense cake. Once you add the dry ingredients, you should only whisk as much as necessary to combine the ingredients well.

Why my cake didn’t rise?

Always double-check that your rising agent is not expired.

How do I know when my chocolate cake is cooked?

Insert a clean skewer into the center of the cake. When you remove it, it should be mostly clean with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. If there is wet raw batter on the skewer, the cake is not cooked yet.

Is this chocolate cake vegan?

If you use non-dairy milk, this dairy-free eggless cake recipe can be considered vegan.

If you make this cake without eggs, please leave a feedback and rating in the comment section below. I always love hearing how it turns out for you! ♡

More chocolate desserts

More cake recipes

eggless chocolate cake and a slice on a plate
Eggless chocolate cake in the background, and a slice on a plate.
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How To Make It: Moist Chocolate Cake (Eggless)

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 11
(5 stars) 265 ratings
This chocolate cake is sinfully delicious, with a rich chocolate flavor, a moist tender crumb, and unlike traditional cakes, it’s made without eggs, milk, or butter. It’s a great option if you’re looking for a vegan or dairy-free dessert.

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cup + 2 tablespoons (200 g) all-purpose flour sifted
  • 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
  • ¾ cup (75 g) unsweetened cocoa powder sifted
  • 4 teaspoons (16 g) baking powder
  • 1 ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons (450 ml) milk dairy or non-dairy milk
  • 2½ tablespoons (35 g) vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Optional

  • powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 320° F (160° C).
    Butter and flour an 8-inch (22 cm) cake pan or spray it with baking spray.
  • In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, and baking powder.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk the milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract.
  • Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined. Don't over-mix!
  • Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
  • Bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  • Allow it to cool for 15 minutes in the pan then turn it out onto a cooling rack.
  • Transfer to a platter and dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Notes

Nutrition Facts = 1 slice of cake = 90 grams
Nutrition facts are calculated without powdered sugar on top, and with the milk I used (unsweetened almond milk)
Liquids – use your favorite unsweetened non-dairy milk, dairy milk, or half milk and half juice. You can also give extra depth with coffee, simply replace some of the milk with cooled coffee.
Oil – you can go with neutral vegetable oil, avocado oil, or with a more pronounced flavor such as olive oil, coconut oil, or hazelnut oil.
To store:  cover the cake tightly and store it at room temperature for up to 2 days and/or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
To freeze: you can freeze the cake for up to 2 months. I usually let the cake cool completely, cut it into squares, and freeze it in an airtight container or wrap the slices tightly in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer bag.

Nutrition

Serving: 89 g, Calories: 195 kcal, Carbohydrates: 35.6 g, Protein: 3.4 g, Fat: 4.4 g, Saturated Fat: 0.4 g, Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 18.2 g
Did you make this recipe?Leave a comment or share a photo on Instagram with the hashtag #aseasyasapplepie. We’d love to see what you come up with!
Author: Elena Tomasi
Course: Cake
Cuisine: American