Eggless Chocolate Orange Cake Recipe

Chocolate and orange is a delicious combination. Be it in puddings or in ice cream or in this delicious chocolate cake recipe. This is my adaptation of eggless chocolate cake recipe from Baker in Disguise blog. This is a super simple and easy to make cake. It uses vinegar to make it soft and fluffy without the use of eggs. I added orange flavor in the form of extract and zest to the basic cake recipe and it is absolutely delicious. In addition to being eggless, this cake recipe is also dairy-free and vegan. I topped the cake with a buttercream frosting, so mine is not vegan. I have some vegan frosting ideas below.

Ingredients

You need basic pantry ingredients to make this eggless chocolate orange cake. For dry ingredients:

all-purpose flour - I sometimes sneak in whole-wheat pastry flour.granulated sugar unsweetened cocoa powder baking soda - make sure that it is fresh and is still active. See tips section on how to check if your baking soda is active or not.salt

Wet Ingredients:

water/ Milk - the original recipe only used water. But I found adding some milk made the cake softer and more moist. So I use ½ cup of water and ½ cup of either dairy or non-dairy milk. vinegar - white vinegar or apple-cider vinegar can be used here. orange extract & orange zest - these give the cake citrusy punch. You will need zest from 1~2 medium size oranges.

This recipe is made in a 8-inch round cake pan that is at least 2" deep. I like this Wilton cake pan.

Instructions

This is a very simple no fuss, no mess recipe. Mix wet ingredients and dry ingredients separately. Then mix them all together and bake. Here’s how to bake this lovely moist cake:

Preheat the oven. Prepare the baking pan by greasing it and lining the bottom with a parchment paper.Microwave water and milk (if using) until they are quite hot to touch.In a large measuring cup or a medium mixing bowl, combine the hot water+milk, oil, vinegar, orange zest & orange extract until well combined.

In a large mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients. Flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt go in. Mix well to incorporate. Add the wet ingredients to dry ingredients and whisk until just combined. DO NOT overmix. A few lumps here and there are perfectly OK.Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the oven for until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.Remove from the oven and let cool over a wire rack. Frost and Enjoy!!

Frosting Ideas

Now that you made the moist eggless chocolate orange cake ready, it is time to frost it. That said, you can most definitely serve it as is. But if you want to go the extra, I have you covered. I am not a big fan of buttercream frosting. I think it is too cloyingly sweet and too heavy. So I use half cream cheese and half butter to make the frosting. Cream cheese has a slight tang that makes it a little tangy and less sweet, just the way I like it. To keep this cake completely vegan, make one of these frostings instead.

Whipped coconut cream - vegan banana split cupcakesChocolate ganache - vegan chocolate cakeChocolate glaze - vegan chocolate beet cake

Taste Test

This is a lovely chocolate cake which is very moist with a lovely crumb. It can hold up to the frosting as well. So go ahead double the recipe and make 2 layers for a beautiful celebration chocolate cake and ENJOY!!

Tips

You can ½ cup of whole-wheat pastry flour for some fiber and nutrition.To check whether baking soda is active or not - add a teaspoon baking soda in a small bowl. Stir in a few drops of vinegar or lemon juice. If the mixture fizzes, then the soda is good to use. Otherwise, it is past its prime.If you are not a big fan of orange, then feel free to substitute it with vanilla extract. To make fancy swirls and designs on the cake, then use about 2~2½ cups of confectioners sugar. But if you are only looking to frost it simply by spreading it over the cake, then use the quantity indicated in the recipe.