Eggless Chocolate Cake – so easy!
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This eggless chocolate cake recipe is absolutely scrumptious with a rich chocolate flavor! It’s also dairy-free, low sugar, and a breeze to make in just 1 BOWL. No mixer or fancy ingredients are required.
Published in Jan 2021/Updated in June 2026
This is one of the first easy cake recipes I published a few years back, and today I just had to share it again because it’s AMAZING.
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In other words, I wanted a decadent, eggless chocolate cake recipe that was as healthy as possible and not packed with sugar and fat.
And after several attempts and failures, I’ve finally come up with a delicious chocolate cake recipe made without eggs, and that uses only 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil and less sugar than regular cakes.
Plus, the ingredient list and method are pretty straightforward, with no fancy or vegan ingredients that are usually ultra-processed.
All you have to do is combine the ingredients in 1 bowl, pour the batter into a cake pan, and bake. The result is a fudgy, eggless chocolate cake that tastes and smells divine, perfect as a guilt-free treat or a school snack.
To make it more indulgent, I love pouring luscious melted dark chocolate all over it (totally freestyle here!).
Simple, fuss-free, and delicious, and here is the recipe for you!
Watch how to make it
List of the ingredients
- Flour
- Sugar
- Milk (dairy-free or regular)
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Dark chocolate chips
- Vegetable oil
- Baking powder
- Vanilla extract or espresso powder
How to make an eggless chocolate cake
(Note: the full recipe is at the bottom of the page)
- Combine flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder in a bowl.
- Add sugar and salt, then mix well again.
- Add the liquid ingredients and mix just until the batter is uniform and without lumps. It’s okay if the texture looks quite thin at this stage.
- Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Pour the batter into the pan and bake (I used a bundt pan).
- Let it cool on a cooling wire rack.
- Flip upside down and unmold from the pan. That’s how the cake looks before adding the melted chocolate.
- Finally, decorate by pouring melted dark chocolate over the cooled cake.
- You can serve immediately or wait for the chocolate to set. Enjoy!
Recipe notes
ingredients & Substitutions
Flour: I use all-purpose flour, but the recipe can work with a mix of light, whole-wheat flour, and regular flour if you wish to add more fiber to your cake.
Milk: Plant-based options like almond or oat milk work just fine for this recipe, but if you don’t keep it dairy-free or vegan, you are welcome to use cow milk instead.
Unsweetened cocoa powder: I recommend using it, as it adds deep flavor and health benefits. Alternatively, Dutch-processed cocoa powder works just fine.
Dark chocolate: Chocolate chips and melted dark chocolate are definitely worth adding! They make the cake richer and luscious, especially if the melted chocolate is still heavenly soft! For the best results, always choose high-quality dark chocolate.
Pure vanilla extract: It adds a lovely sweet aroma, but you can swap it for espresso powder, which elevates the chocolate flavor. Alternatively, 1 small orange zest will be delicious, too.
Vegetable oil: The recipe requires a small amount of oil (and no butter!), so any vegetable oil, such as olive or avocado, works well and provides enough moisture. I used cold-pressed canola oil.
Sugar: Brown sugar makes the cake softer, but brown or regular sugar can be used interchangeably in the recipe.
PRO TIPS
1. Follow the recipe as written and measure the ingredients accurately (a kitchen scale is recommended!).
2. Mix the dry ingredients thoroughly into a homogeneous mixture by using a whisk.
3. Do not overmix the batter, but stir just until combined.
4. The cake batter is thin – that’s fine.
5. Baking time depends on the cake pan shape (see recipe).
Storage tips
This egg-free chocolate cake keeps well for up to 4 days if stored in an airtight container or in a cake dome over the counter. It’s also freezable, in an airtight container, for up to 1 month.
More easy cake recipes?
And don’t forget to check out this roundup full of simple cake recipes!
If you make this eggless chocolate cake recipe or if you have any questions, let me know! Leave a comment, send me a message, or rate it.
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Eggless Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ level cups (220 grams) all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup (130 grams) brown or regular sugar (see notes)*
- ¾ cup +1 Tbsp (75 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder (see notes)*
- 2 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ tsp fine salt
- 2 cups + 1 Tbsp (495 ml) dairy-free milk or cow milk
- 3 tablespoon (45 ml) vegetable olive oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or expresso powder (optional)
- ½ cup (85-100 grams) Dark chocolate chips (optional)
Chocolate coating:
- ½ cup (85-100 grams) dark chocolate, for decoration (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 340°F/170°C, place the rack in the middle shelf, then grease a 9-inch bund cake pan. Alternatively, grease or line with parchment paper a 9-inch round pan.
- Place flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder in a large bowl and whisk them together into a homogeneous mixture.
- Add sugar and salt to the dry ingredients and mix again until well combined.
- Then pour over the liquid ingredients: milk, oil, and vanilla essence. Mix until just combined, but do not overmix. The batter looks quite thin – that's ok.
- Pour the batter into the preparred baking pan and bake.
- If you use a 9-inch bundt pan like mine, after 40 minutes, check the doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cake. If the toothpick comes out clean and dry, the cake is done. Keep baking for a further 3-5 minutes and check again. If you use a 9-inch round pan instead, the baking time is 30 to 35 minutes. Check for doneness after 30 minutes.
- When the cake is ready, take it out of the oven straight away and let it cool for about 5 minutes on a cooling rack. If you use a bundt pan, turn it upside down while it's still warm, which helps release it.
Chocolate coating:
- When the cake is at room temperature, place the chocolate chips into a heatproof bowl placed over a pan of barely simmering water (a bain marie). Allow the chocolate to melt, stirring occasionally. Once melted, leave it to set until a bit firm, but still runny
- Decorate the cake by pouring the melted chocolate gently all over it. Serve immediately or wait until the chocolate is set. Enjoy!
I made this cake and the result was excellent, with a very chocolatey colour and taste. The texture was very soft and decadent.
I used a narrow and tall loaf cake and it rose very well. I used a first quality cocoa, but instead of chocolate chips I put some crushed nuts. The result was very similar to brownies.
Nobody noticed it was vegan, but everyone noticed it was delicious!
Many thanks for the recipe, Katia!
You’re very welcome and thank you for your wonderful feedback, it’s so appreciated! : )
I’m curious as to how the nutrition works out. My dad is trying to reduce sugar in his diet and I want to make this for his birthday. If I use less sugar, how would that work out per serving? I’m also wondering how using whole milk would affect the mixing process as you mentioned that the oil doesn’t mix with milk that doesn’t contain fat.
Thank you!
Hi Jessica, unfortunately I can’t give you different nutritional values here, I don’t even know how much sugar you want to use (most important, keep in mind I’m not a dietician and I use an online calculator for the nutritional values).
For the milk, I’ve never used cow milk for this recipe, but I think it would be the same, the high water content doesn’t help. x
This chocolate cake was so easy to make and was very delicious. Mine did not rise like pictured but that didn’t make a difference in taste. I got rave reviews from my guests. Thanks for sharing!
That’s fantastic, I’m so pleased it turned out delicious.
Thanks so much for sharing your lovely comment, Joanne. x
The cake is super easy & yummy 😋
Thank you so much 🙏🏻❤️
I’m so pleased you loved it, Mona! Thanks so much for sharing your feedback.x
Katia,
Thank you so much for the recipe! It was delicious!! I made it for my dad’s birthday, and he truly loved it. I liked that it wasn’t too sweet, and that it was so simple (leaving room for creativity 😉). I tried caramel chocolate chips instead of regular ones, and it still tasted wonderful! Thank you for this amazing recipe.
Hi Zoe, thanks so much for your wonderful comment! I’m so happy to hear you made this cake for your dad’s birthday… caramel chocolate chips sound great!
Have a nice weekend x
It was delicious, my family loved it. Thanks for sharing it.
I’m so pleased to hear that! Thank you for your lovely comment. x
Katia,
I baked this cake tonight and my family loved it. I added orange rind and a little bit of Cointreau for chocolate coating. I will definitely bake it again! Thank you x
Hi Rie, thanks for taking the time to share your lovely feedback!
I’m so pleased to hear your family loved it, and the idea of adding Cointreau for chocolate coating is fantastic, I’m going to try it myself! : )
Have a good weekend! x
I like a little more sweet can you use semi-sweet choc chips, also I dont like dark chocolate can I use milk chocolate choc chips
Hi Jan, sure, feel free to add more sweet chocolate if you wish. Enjoy! x
Could I sub applesauce for the oil?
Hi Michele, I’ve never tried applesauce in this cake recipe, sorry If I can’t help you. x
I dont understand why its so runny???
Is the batter runny? Is that what you mean? If it looks like the one in the video is fine, otherwise the ratio dry and liquid ingredients is wrong. Have you baked it? x
Hi! If the ingredients are measured correctly, the flour to milk ratio is fine and the cake comes out perfect. Let me know how it turns out yours x
would this work with a cupcake pan?
Hi Zoe! Yes, it works. I tried to use a muffin pan and made about 12 muffins, just reduce the baking time accordingly. x
Is it 257 kcals for one slice or the entire cake?
Hi! Calories are per serving. x
cake look yummy will bake it thank you for sharing
You’re so welcome! 😊
Made this last night. It was a hit!. Yep, it was that good! Thanks you so much
You’re so welcome! 💛 I’m so glad it was a hit, thanks for sharing your feedback x