This eggless chocolate cake is soft, rich, and perfectly chocolatey with a tender crumb and creamy chocolate frosting. Made with silken tofu instead of eggs, it's a dependable recipe that's perfect for birthdays, celebrations, or whenever you're craving a homemade chocolate cake.
I first shared this eggless chocolate cake recipe in 2008 after baking it for my son's third birthday. It was my very first layered birthday cake without eggs and my first time using silken tofu as an egg substitute in baking.
Jump to:
I had no idea what to expect and remember hoping it would turn out well enough for his birthday celebration. The moment we cut into the cake, I knew I had found a keeper. It was soft, rich, and full of chocolate flavor, with no hint of tofu.
I'm keeping the original photos from that birthday because they remind me where my eggless baking journey began. Over the years, this recipe has been baked and enjoyed by many readers, and it continues to be one of my favorite eggless cake recipes. I hope you enjoy it as much as we have.
Why You'll Love this recipe?
Soft, rich, and full of chocolate flavor: Every slice has a tender crumb that melts in your mouth.
Made without eggs: Silken tofu creates a moist, tender cake without leaving any tofu taste.
Easy to make: You only need a bowl, a whisk, and a few simple pantry ingredients.
Loved by readers for years: I first shared this recipe in 2008, and it continues to be one of the most popular chocolate cake recipes on the blog.
What Readers are Saying?
Christine Renwick says: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This I started making when my friends daughter (who had an egg allergy), never had had a birthday cake. It was such a success. It has been my only chocolate cake recipe used ever since. My daughter (22) asked me to make this for her birthday next week. I could not find the recipe anywhere. You can imagine my delight in finding it again online after all this time.
I do find the cake a little fragile but letting it cool completely in fridge overnight and using slightly softer frosting does the trick.
Thankyou Madhuram for my go to chocolate cake recipe that I have used for the last 11 years.
Kathleen says: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Change the title to BEST CHOCOLATE CAKE RECIPE PERIOD
I tried this recipe because one of the kids in my son's class has an egg allergy. Thank you little Vincent. For years I have been proud of my chocolate cake. I would make it the night before so it would be super moist. Not necessary with this recipe. I was never satisfied with my cupcakes though. They were never moist enough. THESE CUPCAKES WERE AMAZING!!!!!
I used store brand firm tofu. I'm trading my Hershey's Perfect Chocolate Cake Recipe for this one. Sorry Hershey's, but you've been outdone.
Ingredients and Substitutions
You'll need just a handful of simple ingredients to make this eggless chocolate cake. I've included a few notes about the key ingredients and helpful substitutions below. You'll find the complete ingredient list with exact measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Silken tofu: Pureed silken tofu replaces the eggs in this recipe and gives the cake a soft, tender crumb without leaving any tofu flavor. Blend it until completely smooth before adding it to the batter. I used Nasoya Silken Tofu.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: Use a good quality unsweetened cocoa powder for the richest chocolate flavor.
- Hot coffee: Coffee deepens the chocolate flavor without making the cake taste like coffee. If you prefer, replace it with an equal amount of hot water.
- Vegetable oil: I used canola oil, but any neutral flavored vegetable oil, such as sunflower or avocado oil, will work.
- Milk: I used 2% milk. Any dairy milk works well. You can also use an unsweetened plant based milk.
Frosting
The original birthday cake was frosted with a boxed chocolate frosting mix prepared with butter and milk, just as I made it back in 2008.
If you prefer a homemade frosting, you can use any chocolate frosting you like. I have used chocolate buttercream, chocolate ganache, and chocolate cream cheese frosting for other cakes on the blog. You'll find the frosting ingredients and instructions in those recipes.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here is the step-by-step instructions to make this simple and delicious egg-free chocolate cake from scratch:
1. Sift the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda in a large bowl.
2. Add Cocoa Powder.
3. Add Sugar to the mix.
4. After mixing them, make a well.
5. Add Canola oil into the well.
6. Add the hot coffee.
7. Add milk to the mix.
8. 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)
9. Add a few drops of Vanilla Essence.
10. With an electric mixer, beat at medium speed for 2-3 minutes.
11. Sprinkle cocoa powder onto the cake pan.
12. Pour the batter evenly into both 9-inch cake pans.
13. Bake this cake for 25 to 30 minutes until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
14. Let the cakes cool completely before removing them from the pans.
15. The cake should cool completely on the wire rack before frosting.
Frosting Recipe
Check out the step-by-step instructions to make the frosting from a boxed frosting mix.
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.
Frosting the Cake
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 ½ cup to ¾ 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.
Complete the frosting of bottom layer on all sides.
Place the second layer on the first, cut, or domed side up. Frost the sides of the cake first with another ½ cup of frosting. Finally, frost the top of the second layer.
Cake Decoration
The options are endless. 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.
Recipe FAQs
I first baked and blogged about this eggless chocolate cake in 2008. It’s been 16 years now, and over the years, I’ve received so many questions from readers. This FAQ section is a result of carefully curated reviews and feedback, providing an exhaustive list of questions to ensure your baking experience is as smooth as possible. Please feel free to leave a comment if you have any other questions, and I will try to answer to the best of my knowledge.
You can use cake flour if you’d like a lighter texture, but you may need to increase the amount slightly since cake flour is lighter than all-purpose. For self-rising flour, it's not recommended unless you adjust the other leavening agents in the recipe (baking soda and baking powder), as self-rising flour already contains leavening.
Yes, you can easily make this cake vegan! The only dairy ingredient in the cake is 1 cup of milk, which can be replaced with any non-dairy milk of your choice, such as almond, soy, or oat milk. For the frosting, simply swap the butter with a vegan butter alternative and double-check that your frosting mix doesn’t contain any dairy ingredients. You can also explore some of the vegan frosting recipes I’ve shared for a fully vegan cake!
Yes, you can! Simply substitute the regular flour with an all-purpose gluten-free baking mix, which works measure for measure. Although I haven’t tested it specifically with this cake recipe, I’ve had great success using gluten-free mixes in muffin and cookie recipes. To be sure, you could halve the recipe and bake a single-layer cake as a test. This way, you can see how it turns out and adjust as needed before baking the full recipe.
Yes, you can make this cake soy-free by using a different egg substitute in place of silken tofu. While I haven’t personally tried other substitutes in this recipe, many reviewers have had success using unsweetened applesauce. One reader even mentioned that they skipped the tofu entirely, and the cake still turned out great! Another option could be to use an equal measure of yogurt, which should also work well.
I’ve only tested this recipe with granulated white sugar, but brown sugar should work just as well, adding a slightly richer flavor. I haven’t experimented with artificial sweeteners, but if you’re using a liquid sweetener like maple syrup, you’ll need to adjust the amount of other liquids in the recipe to maintain the right consistency. Start by reducing the liquid ingredients slightly to balance it out.
Yes, you can! The coffee isn't mandatory. Simply replace it with a cup of water. Coffee is typically used to enhance the chocolate flavor, but I haven’t done a side-by-side comparison to see how much of a difference it makes. Either way, your cake will still turn out delicious!
Yes, you can! Feel free to add up to a cup of chocolate chips, nuts, or other mix-ins to the batter. There’s no need to adjust the measurements for the other ingredients—just stir them in and bake as usual for a delicious twist!
Yes, of course! Line a muffin tin with paper liners and lightly grease them with non-stick cooking spray. Spoon about ⅓ cup of batter into each liner and bake for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Enjoy your eggless chocolate cupcakes!
No worries! You can use any other frosting mix of your choice or frosting from a can. Alternatively, you can try one of the homemade frosting recipes from the blog for a delicious, from-scratch option.
Yes, this cake tastes great even without frosting! You can simply dust it with powdered sugar or top it with fresh fruits like berries for a lighter option. A slice of this cake with some whipped topping and fresh fruits also makes for a delicious, simple dessert. The rich chocolate flavor and moist texture stand on their own, making it perfect as a snack or quick treat.
You can bake this cake a day or two in advance. Once cooled, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap to keep it fresh. If you're planning to frost it later, store the unfrosted cake layers at room temperature for up to two days. For longer storage, refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze it for up to 3 months—just be sure to thaw it completely before frosting or serving. While I haven’t personally frozen this cake, this is the general procedure for freezing cakes.
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Recipe
Eggless Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients:
- 2 Cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
- 2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
- ¾ 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)
- ½ Cup Silken Tofu Pureed (I Used Nasoya Brand Silken Tofu)
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Frosting Ingredients:
- 1 Packet Dr Oetker's Organic Chocolate Icing Mix
- ¼ Cup Hot Milk/Hot Water (Heat It In The Microwave Oven For 15 Seconds)
- ⅓ Cup Soft Butter At Room Temperature (Which Is 5 Tablespoons + 1 Teaspoon)
- ¼ Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- A Pinch Baking Soda
Instructions
Cake Preparation:
- Preheat the oven to 325F (160C) for 15 minutes.
- Grease two 9 inch round cake pans and dust them lightly with cocoa powder or flour.
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Make a well in the center and add the oil, hot coffee, milk, pureed silken tofu, and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the batter is smooth.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If baking both pans on different oven racks, switch their positions halfway through baking for more even browning.
- Let the cakes cool in the pans until completely cool before carefully turning them out onto a wire rack.
- Frost the cooled cake with the prepared frosting and decorate as desired.
Frosting Procedure:
- Sift the chocolate frosting mix into a mixing bowl.
- Add the melted butter, hot milk, vanilla, and baking soda.
- Beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Add milk, one teaspoon at a time, if needed to reach a spreadable consistency.
Assemble the cake:
- If the cake layers have domed tops, level them with a serrated knife.
- Place one cake layer upside down on a serving plate or cake stand.
- Spread about ½ to ¾ cup of frosting evenly over the top using an offset spatula or butter knife.
- Place the second cake layer on top, cut side down.
- Spread a thin layer of frosting over the sides of the cake, then frost the top. Add more frosting as needed until the cake is evenly covered.
- Slice and serve, or decorate as desired.
Decorating the Cake:
- I decorated the cake with M&M's and ready made decorating icing pens to write a birthday message and add a few simple flowers. Feel free to decorate the cake any way you like for the occasion.
My Notes
- Puree the silken tofu until completely smooth before adding it to the batter.
- The batter will be thinner than a typical cake batter. This is normal.
- Let the cake layers cool completely before removing them from the pans and frosting them.
- If baking two cake pans on different oven racks, switch their positions halfway through baking for even baking.
- The original recipe uses a boxed chocolate frosting mix. Feel free to use your favorite homemade chocolate frosting instead.
- I added a pinch of baking soda to the frosting to help keep it soft and reduce cracking. This step is optional.
vani sudarshan says
where can i buy this icing packet in USA?
Anushka says
Dear madhuram, thanks very much for this wonderful recipe. I have made this twice for my husband's birthday, and it turned out moist, delicious and tasty. Everyone loved it and couldn't believe it was eggless. I shall be making this cake over and over again. I did make my own chocolate buttercream to fill and frost the cake though, and it was yummy.
Thanks again Anushka.
Madhuram says
Thanks Anushka. Could you rate this recipe?
Charlotte says
This is such an amazing cake! 🙂 Thank you so much for this recipe. I've made it a few times and it's gone down a storm! I always save a bit of the mixture and make a couple of cupcakes at the same time - then my son, who has an egg-allergy, takes them to nursery and they pop them in the freezer and bring them out when one of the kids brings birthday cake in. It means he doesn't have to miss out. It keeps really well too.
Do you know how to make it a non-chocolate version? I've tried substituting the cocoa for extra flour, but it comes out quite a bit heavier than your lovely chocolate one. Any tips?
Madhuram says
Thank you very much Charlotte. Yes you are right about the non-chocolate cake turning out very heavy. I have done it too and did not like it at all. Maybe you should try this cupcake recipe as a cake. The cupcakes turned out fantastic, but do adjust the bake time.
http://www.egglesscooking.com/2011/06/09/vanilla-cupcakes/
Charlotte says
Thank you very much - I've just bought some of the egg replacement powder, so will give it a go.
jaya says
This looks delicious. The frosting looks perfect. I am contemplating going egg-free (I don't eat eggs often as it is) and I will try this recipe when I get a chance. Thank you!
Chitra says
Thanks Madhuram.I made this cake today for my husband's birthday.It came out very well.He loved it. Thanks again.
Madhuram says
You're welcome Chitra.
The Queen Bee says
I tried this out just now with a couple of modifications! I've posted it on my blog, thank you so much 🙂 LOVED IT!!!!
Madhuram says
You're welcome Queen Bee.
Nikita Vasa says
Hi!
Your website has ignited my baking passion, can't thank you enough!
I have tried this recipe so many times and it comes out brilliant every time. I would like to know two things. One - If I'm icing the cake, how long should I let the cake cool and second is that how do I preserve the cake so that it doesn't lose moisture and tastes nice and soft.
thank you very much again! 😀
Madhuram says
Oh! Thank you so much Nikita. The cake should be completely cool otherwise the frosting will start to melt. I usually bake the cake a day ahead and frost it the following day but I don't think you have to give it so much time. 5-6 hours should be fine. If you aren't frosting the cake, then use plastic wrap and then store it in an air tight container. If you have frosted it, then you will have to just store it in a good container.
Do rate the recipe so that it will be of use to many others.
Nikita Vasa says
Rated! 🙂 Madhuram I've been searching for an eggless fondant recipe the problem is that I found one [http://candy.about.com/od/fondantcandyrecipes/r/basic_fondant.htm] but 'Im unable to find corn syrup anywhere! Would you know of a substitute? Probably Cornflour? And the quantity that equals corn syrup? Sorry for troubling you, but I just can't find a solution.
Madhuram says
Thanks Nikita. I checked the fondant recipe and see that there are mixed reviews. While baking honey can be substituted for corn syrup. I'm not sure how it will work in this situation.
KK says
This cake turned out amazing when I used 9 inch round cake tins. Now I'm experimenting with an 8 inch square cake tin. I heard that you need to keep rotating the cake to ensure that sides are not burnt. Are there any other precautions I should take?
Thank you for the best eggless cake recipe I've ever tried! 🙂
Madhuram says
Thanks for trying the recipe KK. I'm glad you liked it. You can try with 8 inch square pan too. Rotation of the pan, and shifting from one row to the other is also vital to ensure that both the cakes turn out good. Actually I have made one mistake in the method. If you can see the picture where I have kept one pan below the other in the oven; that is wrong. You should not keep the pan directly under the top pan. You should move the bottom one slightly to the right, so that it is not directly under the other pan. Then half way through, put the top pan on the bottom and the bottom pan on the top and not directly on each other.
Could you please rate the recipe? Thanks.
KK says
Thank you for the response! As the tins were square in shape, I placed both on the medium shelf as this eliminates the need to open the oven door unnecessarily. It turned out just fine! 🙂
Will now try using tofu to bake a carrot cake.
I have now rated the recipe as well. Thank you once again!
Madhuram says
Thanks KK.
Nikita Vasa says
Hi, can i use soya milk instead of silken tofu? And if yes, at what measurement and will I also need to add regular milk to it?
Thanks!
Madhuram says
You can try yogurt instead. I have tried it myself here: http://www.egglesscooking.com/2009/03/23/eggless-chocolate-cake-yogurt/
preeti says
I love the recipe and have used it with buttercream and it is just awesome.
Can this cake be covered with fondant? What I need to know is if it is sturdy enough to take the weight of fondant and possibly be tiered by stacked construction?
Thanks very much.
Madhuram says
Thanks Preeti. I doubt if fondant will work on this cake because its quite tender.
preeti says
thanks so much for the prompt reply. would you be able to suggest any eggless cake recipes that would work with fondant? or is there anything I could add to this recipe to make it more sturdy?thank you so much.
usha singh says
This looks good, i will most certainly try it out. Our whole family
do not eat eggs so i always bake without eggs. I am mailing you from
Johannesburg in South Africa
Madhuram says
Thanks for writing Usha.
Avantika says
ive made it a couple of times, replacing tofu with curd in the same
propotion. it turns out great, everyone loves it.
Thanks.
Madhuram says
You're welcome Avantika.
Krithika says
Hi
I tried this cake - just 1 layer. This was my first cake attempt and i was absolutely happy with the result. The cake was very soft and just sweet enough. Your pictures are a real help. thanks a lot!!
Madhuram says
You're welcome Krithika. I'm glad you liked it.
Tara says
I have made this cake a few times now and it is wonderful! I doubled the recipe for my daughter's birthday and baked it in a lerge sheet pan and it came out perfect. I was asked for the recipe over and over--no one would have ever guessed that it had tofu in it! Because my son is allergic to eggs, I keep one frozen in slices so we can bring it to parties and he can have a treat too. I cannot wait to try out some more!
Madhuram says
That's a great idea to bake it in a sheet pan. I too have to bake for a party and was wondering what to bake. What about the frosting? Did you double that too. How did you frost the cake? With the cake still in the pan or did you take it out for frosting? Thanks for taking the time to record your feedback here.
Tara says
I did take the cake out of the pan to frost it. I was worried bc of how moist is is that it may fall apart but it held up nicely. I actually used a different frosting recipe that I often use and then covered the whole thing in marshamallow fondant. I have given several people the recipe since then!
Madhuram says
Yes I too am a bit worried if such a big cake would come out without crumbling. It's good to know that it held its shape. Thanks Tara.
Mamta says
Hello,
Today I tried this Cake receipe. It came out very Good. Taste was fantastic. No one believed that this was an egg-less cake.
But only thing is that,it was very very soft so it was difficult to handle. What was wrong with my preparation? or what to do to make it easy to handle or to make it a bit harder? Please let me know.
Thanks for the receipie. We enjoyed it.
Mamta...
Madhuram says
You're welcome Mamta. Once the cake is cool completely, tightly wrap it with plastic wrap and store it in the fridge for a couple of hours. This should make it easy to handle. Or else you can also try reducing the quantity of liquid quite a bit.
Alpa says
Hi, I made this cake and it turned out great, now I want to make cupcakes from this recipe, what temperature should I bake at and for how long? Thank you
Madhuram says
Bake it for about 15-18 minutes in the same temperature.
Parul says
Hello
I have been looking for good/quick receipe for some time, I always make cake for my twins. This time on their 16th Birthday I made this cake, it was big hit.. my son couldnt stop prasing!!! Thank you.
It took me nearly 45 mins to bake at 160 degree, is that ok or do I need to do something??
Madhuram says
Parul, thank you very much for trying this recipe for something as special as your sons' 16th birthday. I'm very happy that it turned out good. 45 minutes definitely seems to be too long. Does your oven always take so much time (more time than specified in the original recipe), or is it just this recipe? Did you preheat the oven?
Mrinalini says
hello... I've been following your website for a while now, and have been wanting to bake something..and I just made this one as it was just the kind that I'd been looking for. It looked absolutely fantastic, the right consistency, but it has a slight synthetic smell to it. Once you overcome the initial thing, it tastes really like the one with eggs. Could this be due to the bitter almond essence that I used? I substituted half of the oil with apple sauce. I didn't make any other changes! Can you think why this could have happened?
Madhuram says
Thanks for tyring the recipe Mrinalini. Yes it could be the almond extract. Intially even I didn't like that flavor when I first started using almond extract. So even now if I have to use almond extract I use little less than what is specified in the original recipe.
navsukh says
hi there,
i run a bakery and i offer eggless vanilla cakes. the problem with my cakes
is that it tends to loose moisture after 3 days. is there anything
which i can add to it to make it last longer. there is nothing
wrong with the taste or anything else.except for the moisture.
thanks.
Madhuram says
Hi Navsukh, if the cake is not iced maybe you could tightly wrap the cake with plastic cling wrap a couple of times and then store it in an air tight container. I haven't tried it, just guessing. Just googled after writing the above and found this very useful link. It talks about storing breads, cakes and other baked goods. Check it out: http://www.baking911.com/pantry/storage_baked_goods.htm