Why I Love This One-Bowl Eggless Chocolate Cake Recipe
Sometimes you need a cake, like right now, and getting out the mixer and dirtying a few bowls just isn’t best. So, for those days, this One Bowl Eggless Chocolate Cake recipe is the solution! This eggless cake recipe could not be easier to make. You only need one mixing bowl and a whisk to make the batter. And honestly, this cake can come together faster than your oven will preheat. It’s soft with a velvety crumb, intensely flavorful and rich, and extra moist. And if that were not enough, then covered with a decadent chocolate ganache! This One Bowl Eggless Chocolate Cake recipe helps you to save on cleanup without scrimping on taste. And it will make an excellent birthday cake! It’s a must-try dessert for every chocolate lover!
One Bowl Eggless Chocolate Cake Recipe Highlights
Soft with a velvety crumb. Deeply flavorful and rich. No electric mixer requiered. Made with simple ingredients.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together melted butter, oil, and sugar.
Butter: I prefer to use unsalted butter, but if you only have salted butter handy, you can use it. In this case, skip the salt called in the recipe. Oil: Vegetable or canola oil – or any light-tasting oil of your preference. Sugar: Regular white granulated sugar o caster sugar. Buttermilk: You don’t have buttermilk? No problem!! Check out my recipe of Easy Homemade Buttermilk Substitute [Video]. Sour cream: You can substitute sour cream for plain regular yogurt. I recommend using the full-fat versions. If sour cream is difficult to find in your country, learn How to Make Sour Cream at Home. Vanilla extract: For optimal flavor, reach for pure vanilla instead of imitation. Even better, try homemade vanilla extract! Hot water: To dissolve the espresso powder. Instant espresso coffee: This is optional, but I recommend its addition because it enhances the chocolate flavor. Adding a little bit will make things taste more “chocolatey” without giving a coffee flavor. Flour: Standard all-purpose flour works best here, skip the cake flour, bread flour, and wheat flour. Baking powder & Baking soda: Make sure they’re not expired or too old. Unsweetened natural cocoa powder: I like to use unsweetened natural cocoa powder instead of Dutch-processed, because it’s more acidic and reacts with baking soda, allowing your baked goods to rise. Salt: I prefer kosher or sea salt. If you only have table salt handy, I recommend reducing the amount to half.
For the chocolate ganache:
Heavy cream: Make sure it has at least 35% of fat content. Semi-sweet chocolate: I recommend using high-quality chocolate with a high cocoa butter content. This is my fave baking chocolate.
1 – Make the Egg-Free Chocolate Cake Batter
Preheat the oven and prepare the cake pan. Whisk in buttermilk, sour cream, and vanilla. If using coffee, dissolve the instant coffee in the hot water and add it to the mixture. Mix until thoroughly combined Place a fine-mesh strainer over the bow. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cocoa powder into the liquid mixture. Add salt and whisk until a smooth batter forms. Transfer the cake batter to the prepared cake pan. Bake for 30 – 35 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean with just a few crumbs attached. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 20 minutes before inverting it over and setting it on a wire rack to cool completely.
2 – Make the Chocolate Ganache
Place heavy cream into a microwave-safe bowl and heat in the microwave for about 45 – 55 seconds. Make sure to keep an eye on it so it doesn’t boil over in the microwave. Pour the warm cream over the chocolate chips and allow to sit for 2-3 minutes. Gently stir the cream and chocolate together until they come together to a smooth consistency. Let it sit at room temperature to cool completely to thicken. Then refrigerate for about 15 – 20 minutes until it thickens even more but is still pourable.
Storing & Freezing Instructions
Store: Cover leftover cake and store at room temperature for 2 days, or tightly cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Place the cake on a cake stand or plate. Pour or drizzle the ganache over the top of the cake. Spread the ganache over the cake. You can also tap the cake stand or plate lightly on the tabletop to even out the top of the ganache. Sprinkle with flaked sea salt, if desired, and serve!
Measure Your Flour Correctly! Adding too much flour to the recipe is the most common mistake. The best and easiest way to measure flour is by using a scale. If you don’t have one, then use a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup, and then I use a knife (straight-edged) to level the flour across the measuring cup. Do not dip a measuring cup directly into the flour bin or you can compact it and get up to 25% more flour. Don’t Overmix the Batter. Overmixing the batter lends a tough-textured baked good because you’re deflating all the air and over-developing the gluten. Bake The Cake as Soon as The Batter Is Ready. Once the dry ingredients get in contact with the wet ingredients, the rising agent becomes activated. Leaving it out for a long time causes the batter to begin deflating. Don’t Open the Oven Door Until the Cake Has Set. Each time you open the oven door, you’ll be letting out some heat and letting in cool air and the drastic temperature change causes the rising cake to sink. Baking Times Vary, so keep an eye on yours. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Instant Espresso Powder. Instant Espresso powder is optional, but I recommend its addition because it enhances the chocolate flavor. Adding a little bit will make things taste more “chocolatey” without giving a coffee flavor. Gluten-Free: Substitute all-purpose flour for 1-to-1 Gluten-Free flour. This is my favorite brand. Dairy-Free: Use your favorite plant-based milk, dairy-free, or vegan butter. My favorite dairy-free butter brands for baking are:
Miyoko’s Creamery Organic Vegan Butter. Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks
Make sure to use an unflavored, unsweetened variety of non-dairy milk to make your own buttermilk substitute. Soy and oat milk have the best consistency and very neutral flavors, in my opinion. To make your own dairy-free buttermilk at home, check my Easy Homemade Buttermilk Substitute [Video] post.
Also, use your favorite dairy-free sour cream. You can substitute sour cream for dairy-free plain unsweetened yogurt.
Flour: You can use self-rising flour. In that case, omit the baking powder and salt called in the recipe.
Sour Cream: you can substitute sour cream for plain regular yogurt. I recommend using the full-fat versions. Or make your own sour cream following my How to Make Sour Cream at Home tutorial.
Frosting: I used chocolate ganache to frost this cake. Not a big fan of ganache? Try my Chocolate Buttercream.
PRO TIP: If your kitchen is hot, it is better to refrigerate your cake and then allow it to come up to room temperature if you plan to serve it at a later time.
Freeze: Let the eggless chocolate cake cool completely. Wrap it up in 2 layers of plastic wrap, then with foil to avoid freezer burn. Place inside a large freezer Ziploc bag and freeze for up to 2 months.
Ready to eat it? Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before slicing and serving.
More Egg-Free Chocolate Dessert Recipes You’ll Love!
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You’ve asked, and I’ve answered! Read on for a handful of answers to the most frequently asked questions about eggless baking. Originally posted in May 2020, the post content was edited to add more helpful information, no change to the recipe in July 2022.
