Eggless Chocolate Cake
This eggless chocolate fudge cake is rich, moist, and chocolatey with a soft, tender crumb. Made with yogurt and cocoa powder, it needs no eggs, condensed milk, or vinegar and is sturdy enough for filling and frosting.
I specifically included “no vinegar” because you’re already getting impressions for that query, and it’s genuinely useful information about this recipe.
I first made this eggless chocolate cake during my university days for a close friend who couldn’t eat eggs. After trying several recipes that were either too dense or used too much leavening, I started experimenting with my own.
This version became a favorite with our group of friends, and I’ve continued making it ever since. It’s still one of my favorite eggless cakes because it has the rich chocolate flavor and soft texture you’d expect from a classic chocolate cake.
Why is this the best cake recipe?
- Rich and chocolatey – Cocoa powder and brown sugar give this cake a deep chocolate flavor with a slightly fudgy crumb.
- Soft and moist – Yogurt and oil keep the cake tender without using eggs.
- No condensed milk or vinegar – The yogurt provides both moisture and the acidity needed for the leavening.
- Perfect for layer cakes – The cake is soft but sturdy enough to fill, frost, and decorate.
Ingredients and substitutes
- All-purpose flour – Regular all-purpose flour works best for a soft but sturdy cake. Measure accurately to avoid a dry or dense crumb.
- Cocoa powder – Use good-quality unsweetened cocoa powder. Dutch-processed cocoa will give the cake a darker color and deeper chocolate flavor.
- Brown sugar – Adds sweetness, moisture, and a subtle caramel flavor. Light or dark brown sugar will work.
- Yogurt – Plain yogurt replaces the moisture and structure normally provided by eggs. Use regular full-fat yogurt rather than thick Greek yogurt.
- Oil – A neutral-flavored oil such as canola or vegetable oil keeps the cake soft and moist, even when refrigerated.
- Baking powder and baking soda – Both provide the lift needed for this eggless cake. The baking soda also reacts with the acidity in the yogurt.
- Vanilla – Enhances the chocolate flavor. Use vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.
- Hot water – Blooms the cocoa powder and helps intensify its chocolate flavor.
- Instant coffee – Optional, but a small amount deepens the chocolate flavor without making the cake taste like coffee.
- Salt – Balances the sweetness and enhances the chocolate flavor.
Step-by-step: Eggless Chocolate Cake Recipe
Prepare the pans
Preheat the oven to 325°F / 165°C / Gas Mark 3. Grease and line two 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
Combine the dry ingredients
Sift together the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Combine the wet ingredients
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the yogurt, oil, brown sugar, and vanilla until smooth and well combined.
Make the batter
Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix gently until almost combined.
Pour in the hot water with the optional instant coffee and whisk just until the batter is smooth. Do not overmix.
Bake
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and transfer them to the oven immediately.
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Cool
Cool the cakes in the pans for about 10 minutes, then turn them onto a wire rack and cool completely before filling or frosting.
Frosting the cake
Make your favorite buttercream or frosting and set aside about 1 cup for piping or decorating, if desired.
Make sure the cake layers are completely cool before frosting. If necessary, level the tops with a serrated knife for even stacking.
Fill and stack
Place one cake layer on a cake board or serving plate. Spread an even layer of buttercream over the top, then place the second cake layer on top.
Cover the top and sides with a thin crumb coat and chill for 15 to 20 minutes. Add the remaining frosting and smooth the sides and top.
Decorate as desired with piped buttercream, chocolate shavings, sprinkles, or fresh berries.
Eggless Chocolate Fudge Cake
This eggless chocolate fudge cake is rich, moist, and chocolatey with a soft, tender crumb. Made with yogurt, oil, and cocoa powder, it needs no eggs, condensed milk, or vinegar and makes two 8-inch layers perfect for filling and frosting.
Ingredients
- 440 g (3½ cups) All-purpose flour
- 130 g (1½ cups) Unsweetened cocoa powder Dutch-processed
- 2 tsp Baking powder
- 2 tsp Baking soda
- 1 tsp Salt
- 240 ml (1 cups) Neutral cooking oil
- 480 ml (2 cups) Plain yogurt
- 440 g (2 cups) Brown sugar
- 4 tsp Vanilla extract
- 240 ml (1 cups) Hot water
- 2 tsp Instant coffee optional
Method
- Oven & Pan – Preheat the oven to 325°F / 165°C / Gas Mark 3. Grease and line two 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
- Dry Ingredients – Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.440 g All-purpose flour, 130 g Unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 tsp Baking powder, 2 tsp Baking soda, 1 tsp Salt
- Wet Ingredients – In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the yogurt, oil, brown sugar, and vanilla until smooth and well combined.240 ml Neutral cooking oil, 480 ml Plain yogurt, 440 g Brown sugar, 4 tsp Vanilla extract
- Dry to wet – Add the dry ingredients to the yogurt mixture and mix just until almost combined. Do not overmix. Combine the instant coffee with the hot water, if using. Add the hot water to the batter and whisk just until smooth and combined.240 ml Hot water, 2 tsp Instant coffee
- Pan – Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and transfer them immediately to the preheated oven.
- Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool the cakes in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn them onto a wire rack and cool completely before filling and frosting.
Notes
- Cocoa powder: Dutch-process cocoa gives the cake a darker color and deeper chocolate flavor, but regular unsweetened cocoa powder can also be used.
- Yogurt: Use plain yogurt rather than thick Greek yogurt. Bring it to room temperature before mixing.
- Coffee: The instant coffee is optional. It enhances the chocolate flavor without making the finished cake taste strongly of coffee.
- Mixing: Once the flour is added, mix only until combined. Overmixing can make the cake dense.
- Bake immediately: Once the batter is finished, divide it between the pans and bake right away.
- Even layers: For evenly sized cake layers, weigh the batter and divide it equally between the two pans.
- Make ahead: Cool the cake layers completely, wrap well, and keep at room temperature overnight before filling and frosting.
- Freezing: Wrap the cooled layers well and freeze for up to one month. Thaw wrapped at room temperature before decorating.
Equipment you will need
Nutrition
Tried this recipe?
Mention @veenaazmanov_kitchen or tag #veenaazmanovkitchen!Tips for Success
- Use room-temperature yogurt – It blends more easily into the batter and gives you a smoother mixture.
- Use hot water – Hot water helps bloom the cocoa and deepen the chocolate flavor. Add the optional coffee to the water before mixing.
- Don’t overmix – Once the flour is added, mix only until combined to keep the cake soft and tender.
- Bake immediately – Once the hot water is added, divide the batter between the pans and get them into the preheated oven.
- Divide the batter evenly – Weighing the batter between the two pans gives you even layers that bake at the same rate.
- Don’t overbake – Start checking toward the lower end of the baking time. Overbaking is one of the quickest ways to lose the moist, fudgy texture.
more chocolate cake recipes
- Death By Chocolate Cake
- One Bowl Chocolate Cake
- Chocolate Fudge Cake
- Rich, Moist Chocolate Birthday Cake
- Chocolate Espresso Cake
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Possible cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Cake is dense or heavy | Batter was overmixed or sat too long before baking | Mix only until combined and bake immediately after preparing the batter. |
| Cake is dry or hard | Too much flour or cake was overbaked | Measure the flour accurately and remove the cakes as soon as a skewer comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. |
| Cake is raw in the center | Oven was too hot or cake needed more time | Check your oven temperature and continue baking until the center is fully set. |
| Cake rises then sinks | Cake was underbaked, oven door was opened too early, or leavening was measured incorrectly | Measure the leavening accurately, avoid opening the oven early, and make sure the center is baked before removing the cake. |
Frequently asked questions
If properly stored, this fudge cake will last for 2 to 3 days at room temperature. It can be kept in the fridge for up to 5 or 6 days.
This is the perfect celebration cake to fill and frost into a layer cake. It can also be used to carve for a sculpted or novelty cake. It can also be used as a tiered wedding cake, as well as covered with fondant
You can make 2 x 6 -inch round baking pans to make a two-layer cake or pour this batter into a sheet cake – ‘eggless chocolate sheet Cake’.
You can also pour the batter into a well-greased and dusted bundt pan for an ‘eggless chocolate bundt cake’.
This recipe can also be baked into 12 beautiful eggless chocolate cupcakes.
There are many ways to use this chocolate cake as a layer cake or slice it into desserts. The options for filling and frosting recipes that can complement this are endless.
Today, I am using chocolate mousse cake filling, but you can use other fillings like eggless vanilla pastry cream, strawberry filling, blueberry filling, mango mousse, or chocolate mousse as long as you use a frosting dam!! You will find more than 30 buttercream frosting recipes to try. You can see my video tutorial on how to level, fill, and frost a cake.
Leftovers make a wonderful trifle with chocolate cake slices, pastry cream, and whipped heavy cream.
more eggless recipes
- Eggless Vanilla Cake Recipe
- Mom’s Eggless Chocolate Cake
- Eggless Strawberry Cupcakes with Pink Buttercream
- BEST Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies
- See all eggless recipes
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Hi
Would love to try this. How hot should the water be?
Thanks
I usually use boiling water
I’ve tried to make this cake twice now, baking on two 6inch cake tins. First time, timing was off, and due to other things happening in the kitchen the cakes went really flat after raising beautifully in the oven. Oh well, they were delicious, but not enough to make the cake I was hoping for. So tried it a second time. Cooked on lower heat for longer to make sure it cooked
throughly. Again raised beautifully in oven. Was confident I could cut them into two layers each, making four layer cake. Was cooked throughly. But after leaving them to cool they sank again! 🙁 I did find that the cooking time for me was much longer than suggested in the recipe. Any ideas what may be causing this?
Hey Lisa. Not sure what happened but as you can see from the comments that many have tried this recipe successfully. Since you use a 6-inch cake you should have had enough to cut into two and frost.
Hi Veena,
We were looking for an eggless chocolate cake recipe that used yogurt and came across your recipe. It seemed easy to make and so have it a try. It turned out amazing!!! So moist and delicious… this one is a keeper… thank you so much ❤️
I am so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you for coming back to write this feedback.
Made this recipe for my daughter’s bday!!!…It was absolutely delicious so soft and chocolatey…..Thanks a lot !!! I will definitely keep this one in my fav cakes list
Thank you, Prethi.
I made this cake today. Till now, I had another recipe for egg-less version. This one is out of this world!!! I will be sealing this as my base for all egg less choco cakes!!
one doubt though- while stacking, I always prefer butter cakes. Can I replace the oil by butter and add 1-2 tbsp oil for making it moist?
Thank you, Mary. Happy you enjoyed this recipe so much. Thanks for coming back to write this feedback. I have not tried substituting butter in this cake so I can’t tell you for sure how the texture will be. If you do use butter would love to know the out come. Thanks
Hi Veena!
I need to make a 2 tiered cake 8inch and 6inch. Two 8inch each cut into 2layers so 4layers and same with 6inch fill and frost with ganache and cover with fondant. I baked the 6inch and it’s just tastes awesome and soft. Can I use this for tiered cake as I mentioned with dowels will it hold. This will be my first order outside of family and friends. any inputs will be very helpful
Thanks a ton!
Yes, you can use this for a tiered cake. You will need to double the recipe to make 2 x 8-inch cakes. I suggest you chill the cakes well before you frost.
You may find these videos useful –
How to level, torte, fill and frost the cake.
How to cover a cake with ganache
Hello Veena,
I don’t work with eggs at all. I tried this cake and have to say that till date I haven’t got such soft, delicious and great looking chocolate cake.
But it was too soft to handle, so was wondering how can we cut n frost the cake? Thanks
Hey, Jayshri. Yes, the cake is soft, very light and fluffy. The water does contribute to the cake being so light and airy. You can add less water to make it dense. I usually split the cake horizontally in half then layer it with frosting. I have even used this cake to crave in a handbag class. Thanks
Hi Veena,
It looks lovely and I am planning on trying it this week. I;d like to add coffee to this receipt for a friend who loves coffee flavor. If I have to add coffee, how much of brewed coffee can I add to this and would I have to reduce any other ingredient to compensate for adding coffee? Would love to get your thoughts.
Hey Subha, There is hot water in the ingredients. You can either add coffee powder to the hot water or you can replace the hot water with the brewed coffee. So if you used 1/2 cup brewed coffee – just reduce 1/2 cup hot water in the recipe. I hope that helps. Thanks. Let me know how it was.
Hi Veena,
The cake tastes great but sank in after I removed it out of the oven 🙁 . It rose beautifully inside and skewer came out clean at the end of 35 mins 340F. All measurements accurate. I mixed 2 tbsp of espresso powder to 1/2 cup hot water and mixed with wet ingredients after it cooled and then added 1/2 cup hot water at the end like the recipe says. I placed the batter as soon as oven hit 340F and didnt open the oven door until the timer went off.
What might I Have done wrong?
Ah. Not sure what happened Subha. Was the cake cooked in the middle? Sounds like it was taken out early but not sure since you say the skewer inserted came out clean.
35 minutes sounds about right. The liquid is ok as long as you post the total amount mentioned in the recipe.
Sorry, can’t suggest anything more since I can’t see the cake.
Veena, I randomly came across your recipe on the internet- while I have a lot of go to cake recipes- just wanted to try something new!! I went ahead and made 4 times the quatities you had mentioned in 2 – 8 inch pans!
As soon as I put the pans into my oven- i realized that i hadnt added the oil to the cake??? #panickattackmode
How’d i go in the middle of the night to pick up fresh ingredients for a repeat batch?! With a glum face and a heavy heart i patiently waited for the cakes to bake fully!!
Once they were out of the oven- to my surprise!!! they were sooo amazing!! Soft spongy and chocolatey! Infact it looked more like an eggless chiffon sponge ?
With or without oil- this recipe is a keeper! Thank you sooo much for sharing such a detailed one! Much love!
Thank you so much, dear. I am so happy that despite the oil issue – it all worked out well. Amazing that this cake did well even without oil. Thank you so much for coming back to give me this feedback. Love hearing back from those who try my recipes.
Hello Veena,
Thanks again for the wonderful cake made this cake just now, its really delicious, but my question is i did this cake for a vegetarian who wants a car cake to be done for his 4 years old, if i double the recipe and place one more cake on top of this, will this cake hold?? I really do not want their party to be a mess, please help
Hey Veer. I have made novelty cakes with this recipe. So technically it should be ok. Don’t know the size of your cake but if necessary use dowel. If its a small cake – just two layers no need for dowels.Thanks
Would this recipe go for structure cakes and carved cakes
Hey Nasima. I have used this cake for my classes often. It is easy to carve. I highly recommend you freeze the cake before carving so it’s easier.
Thanks I used oil n part white sugar came out very nice.Thanks for a great recipe
You are very welcome Anita. So happy to hear you had success with this recipe and enjoyed it. Thanks for coming back to write this feedback. Have a good day.