• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
The Pretty Bee
  • About
  • Start Here
  • Recipes
    • Sort By Allergen
    • View all recipes
  • cookbooks
    • Quick Start Bundle.
  • contact
  • subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • About
  • Start Here
  • View All Recipes
  • Sort By Allergen
  • Cookbooks
  • Contact
×

Home » Desserts » Egg Free Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Frosting.

Egg Free Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Frosting.

Apr 28, 2020 · Modified: Feb 2, 2023 by Kelly Roenicke · 6 Comments

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
chocolate cake with frosting

This egg free chocolate cake is unbelievably tender and delicious. It’s the perfect dessert to make when you don’t have milk or eggs. A rich, smooth, homemade chocolate frosting is the finishing touch!

chocolate cake without eggs

Chocolate cake is one of my very favorite desserts.

There are so many different ways to make chocolate cake. One recipe that’s been around for ages is often referred to as Depression Cake. As you may know, this type of egg free, dairy free chocolate cake was made popular in during the Great Depression, when eggs, milk, and butter were too expensive for most families.

In this recipe, we use vinegar and baking soda in place of eggs, oil instead of butter, and water instead of milk. Does that sound too good to be true? You’ll be surprised at how moist and chocolatey this cake is! And the frosting, which is just powdered sugar, cocoa powder, oil, and water, is also very rich and smooth. It’s actually one of my favorite frosting recipes!

Even though this recipe was born in a time when eggs and dairy were scarce, it works very well today for families who have food allergies. If you’re dairy free and egg free, this is the chocolate cake for you.

Jump to:
  • Ingredient Notes
  • Gluten Free Variation
  • Special Equipment
  • Cupcake Variation
  • More Egg Free Desserts
  • Recipe
slice of vegan chocolate cake with icing

Ingredient Notes

  • Egg Replacer – This cake has baking soda and vinegar, which when combined, help the cake to rise nicely. This is a fluffy and tender cake – I bet you won’t miss the eggs at all!
  • Coconut Oil – I like the flavor that unrefined coconut oil gives this cake. But you can use canola oil, or any oil that you enjoy baking with. If you want to use coconut oil but don’t want any coconut taste, use refined coconut oil.
  • Flour – All-purpose flour works well in this recipe. You could also use white spelt flour, or a gluten free flour blend if you like.
  • Cocoa Powder – We like Hershey’s unsweetened cocoa powder which is available at most stores. You can use any brand of cocoa powder that works for your dietary needs.
  • Sugar – Feel free to use regular granulated sugar or organic cane sugar in this recipe. You could also use coconut sugar if you prefer, but it will change the taste of this cake slightly.

Gluten Free Variation

You can make this recipe with gluten free flour. I’ve had a gluten free vegan chocolate cake recipe on my site for years, and this is very similar to that recipe. Use an equal amount of your favorite gluten free flour blend.

Don’t try this recipe with coconut flour or almond flour – it will be heavy and dense, and may not even bake up into a cake.

egg free chocolate cake with frosting

Special Equipment

I used 9-inch round cake pan to bake this cake. You could also use a 9-inch square pan.

I like to line my cake pans with a circle of parchment paper on the bottom. It makes it easier to remove the cake once it’s cooled.

An offset spatula is helpful for frosting the cake. If you don’t have that, you can use a regular knife.

Cupcake Variation

Yes, this recipe can be made into cupcakes! Just bake them for about 16 minutes or so. I like to use parchment paper liners so that the cupcakes don’t stick to the pan.

If you’re looking for other egg free cupcake recipes, try my vanilla cupcakes with chocolate icing or these snickerdoodle cupcakes.

slice of depression cake on a plate

More Egg Free Desserts

  • Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies
  • Oatmeal Cookies
  • Vegan Cinnamon Rolls

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

Recipe

egg free chocolate cake
5 from 3 votes
Print

Egg Free Chocolate Cake with Frosting.

Moist, rich, and so delicious, this egg free chocolate cake will hit the spot! It's the perfect simple dessert to make this weekend.

Course Dessert
Cuisine American, vegan.
Keyword moist, tender
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 28 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 476 kcal
Author Kelly Roenicke

Ingredients

For the cake:

  • â…“ cup organic coconut oil
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 ½ cups flour I used white spelt flour, but all-purpose flour would also work very well. A gluten free flour blend will also work.
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
  • 1 cup cold water

For the frosting:

  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons coconut oil
  • 4-5 Tablespoons water
  • â…“ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Make the cake:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 inch cake pan with some coconut oil, then dust the pan with a little cocoa powder.

  2. Place the coconut oil in a mixing bowl and microwave for about 30 seconds until melted.

  3. Add the cocoa powder and sugar, and mix together.

  4. Add the flour, baking soda, salt, water, and vinegar. Mix well until combined and smooth. You can use a mixer for this, or just do it by hand.

  5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 26-28 minutes at 350 degrees F. When the top of the cake springs back when pressed with your finger, the cake is done. You can also stick a toothpick in the middle to see if it comes out clean.

  6. Allow the cake to cool for about 30 minutes before removing from the pan. You can turn it out over a plate to let it cool fully before frosting it.

Make the frosting:

  1. Melt the coconut oil in the microwave and set it aside to cool for a few minutes.

  2. Sift the powdered sugar and cocoa powder into a mixing bowl.

  3. Add the coconut oil and the water and mix on medium speed until the frosting is smooth and creamy. If the frosting is too thick, add a little more water.

  4. Frost the cake and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Nutrition facts are for â…› of the cake with frosting.

This cake does not need to be refrigerated.

If you want to use a different oil, you can! Canola oil or vegetable oil should work. Any neutral tasting oil that you like to bake with should be just fine.

Nutrition Facts
Egg Free Chocolate Cake with Frosting.
Amount per Serving
Calories
476
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
17
g
26
%
Saturated Fat
 
12
g
75
%
Sodium
 
591
mg
26
%
Potassium
 
204
mg
6
%
Carbohydrates
 
83
g
28
%
Fiber
 
4
g
17
%
Sugar
 
56
g
62
%
Protein
 
5
g
10
%
Calcium
 
58
mg
6
%
Iron
 
3
mg
17
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Related

« Carrot Cake Oatmeal Cookies (Gluten Free, Vegan).
Homemade Chocolate Crunch Bars (Vegan and GF). »

Filed Under: Dairy Free, Desserts, food, Nut Free, Recipes, Sweets, Vegan Tagged With: Dairy Free, Egg Free, Fish Free, Garlic Free, Mustard Free, Nightshade Free, Onion Free, Peanut Free, Sesame Free, Shellfish Free, Soy Free, Tree Nut Free

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Kelly Roenicke
Kelly Roenicke
Mom to two boys with food allergies and sensitivities, Kelly is passionate about allergy friendly cooking and baking. She believes that you can enjoy amazing, easy recipes even when cooking for multiple food allergies.
Kelly Roenicke
Latest posts by Kelly Roenicke (see all)
  • Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Energy Bites (Nut Free). - May 29, 2023
  • Chocolate Chip Coconut Overnight Oats. - May 24, 2023
  • Dairy Free Cookies and Cream Ice Cream. - May 22, 2023

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Alice M Glefke

    June 20, 2020 at 12:22 pm

    I have tried twice to mix this recipe as written. The “batter” is dry as the flour soaks up every bit of liquid. I am using gluten free all purpose flour. I bake all the time and have never had this happen. What am I missing?

    Reply
  2. Jezanna Rainforest

    June 07, 2020 at 5:37 am

    Hi there Kelly, thank you so much for posting all of these recipes for free! I am concerned, though, that you mention using spelt flour…spelt is NOT gluten free! (Neither is kamut.). 😎. Happy baking and cooking!

    Reply
    • Kelly Roenicke

      June 13, 2020 at 7:23 pm

      I know, and I do state that in the recipe. There is a link in the post for my gluten free, egg free cake if that suits your needs!

      Reply
  3. Katie

    April 30, 2020 at 8:44 pm

    5 stars
    Delicious recipe!

    Reply
  4. darryl

    April 28, 2020 at 9:14 pm

    5 stars
    I don’t miss the eggs at all-totally awesome!

    Reply
  5. darryl

    April 28, 2020 at 9:06 pm

    5 stars
    Super crazy good!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

chocolate cake with frosting
kelly roenicke portrait

Hi! I’m Kelly, and I believe that you can enjoy amazing, easy recipes even when cooking for multiple food allergies.

Learn More →

Find the Perfect Recipe

Filter All Recipes by Allergen

Search & Sort Recipes by Allergen

Reader Favorites

  • light fluffy vegan pancakes
    Light and Fluffy Vegan Pancakes.
  • easy roasted cauliflower
    The Best Seasoned Roasted Cauliflower.
  • These perfectly seasoned roasted potatoes are the perfect side dish! Everyone loves this easy recipe.
    Perfectly Seasoned Roasted Potatoes.
  • gluten free dairy free dinner recipes
    20 Easy Gluten Free Dairy Free Recipes Your Family Will Love.

Summer Recipes

  • homemade dairy free chocolate chip ice cream
    Homemade Dairy Free Chocolate Chip Ice Cream.
  • blackberry crisp bars
    Blackberry Crumble Bars (Gluten Free, Vegan).
  • There's nothing like a glass of cold lemonade on a hot summer day! This recipe for old fashioned lemonade is the best!
    Refreshing Old-Fashioned Lemonade.
  • crispy refrigerator dill pickles
    Super Easy and Crisp Refrigerator Dill Pickles.

Related

Footer

chocolate cake with frosting

↑ back to top

Browse my allergy friendly cookbooks.

Why, yes, I DO have a print cookbook!

Allergy Friendly Chocolate Cake Your Family Will Love

best dairy free gluten free chocolate cake recipe

Copyright © 2022 The Pretty Bee | Disclosure | Privacy Policy

Related