Many times when I go to a gathering, I’m introduced to people who are new to me as the ‘one who makes cakes!’. I am pretty sure, if you are a blogger, you can relate. You’ll probably be the one ‘ with a food blog’ or the ‘great cook’ or one who ‘knows everything about food’. After that there are so many questions. I’ll share the ones I get asked the most. Who eats your creations? Do you sell your cakes? Why don’t you? Do you make gluten free, fat free, sugar free, eggless cakes? Well honestly the first few cannot be answered in a word or two. Sometimes I explain, sometimes I just give them a smile. The last one, I am happy to answer. Gluten free, yes, fat-free, yes, Sugar free, never!, Eggless..?? That gets me thinking. I come from that part of the world where being vegetarian or vegan is not uncommon. Though my immediate family is not, throughout my growing up years I have come across people who don’t eat eggs. Yet, I was always the one to advocate for eggs in cakes. Cakes need eggs, I would tell myself! Then one day I was invited to someone’s house who happened to be a non-egg eater and treated to chocolate cake. ‘Try it’ they said ‘It’s quite nice’. I didn’t want to be rude but I didn’t like it. The hostess sensed my displeasure and said to me’ Why don’t you come up with a good eggless chocolate cake. You are the baker!’ I thought about it and thought of the number of times people have requested me for an eggless cake recipe. It is true! I bake almost everyday, I play with ingredients all the time, If I am not able to crack this, what’s the point in me doing what I do? So I took it upon myself to test out recipes for a good egg-free cake recipe. Not just a recipe that is made without eggs and is edible but a recipe that can measure up to a great chocolate cake. After a few attempts and failures, I found my Eggless Chocolate Cake!
Like most of my recipes, the focus has been to keep it simple and as easy as possible. The cake is moist, dense and fudgy. This is not a sponge cake but it is not rich either. It is actually like a warm hug of chocolate and incredibly delicious. The core ingredient that gives the cake it’s amazing texture is Ricotta Cheese. The cooking time is a bit long as it is cooked slowly over a low temperature. The Eggless Chocolate Cake is great even with a dusting of icing sugar if you want to skip the ganache. The cake tastes best when served warm or at room temperature.
Eggless Chocolate Cake
Makes an 8 inch round cake
200 g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
100 g unsalted butter
Preheat oven to 160 degrees C (140 degrees C for fan-forced ovens). Grease the base and sides of an 8 inch round cake pan and line the base with baking paper.
In a large saucepan that is placed over a pot of boiling water melt the butter and chocolate together. Alternatively this can be done in short bursts in the microwave in a microwave safe bowl. Mix to blend well, remove from heat and leave aside to cool slightly (about 10 minutes). Add the sugar, ricotta cheese, water and self raising flour and mix well.
Pour the mixture into the prepared baking pan. Place in the oven and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Stand in the pan for 10 minutes. Then turn out on to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, serve with a dusting of icing sugar or top with chocolate ganache (recipe below).
Drizzle or slowly spoon ganache over the cake. Decorate with shaved chocolate, chocolate chips, berries, edible flowers or nuts.
Chocolate Ganache
150 g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
1/4 cup heavy/thickened cream
Microwave method : Place chocolate and cream in a glass or ceramic microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on medium (50%) for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds with a metal spoon, or until smooth. Stand at room temperature until thickened.
If cooking on the gas, heat the cream over low heat until it just begins to boil. Remove from heat, add the chopped dark chocolate and leave aside. After 10 minutes, mix to blend. Stand at room temperature until thickened.
OH SONALI,
When I saw your post appear in my email yesterday, I was anxious to get to it but with the end of the school year requiring my time, I was unable to get here until now. It’s a quiet, foggy morning and this is JUST what I need to get my creative culinary juices flowing!
You are a genius. One of the many things I love about you is that you do not give up. You are a true baker because you figured that if you couldn’t “crack” this challenge, then what’s the point?!
You did it. I can see in the photos and I trust your judgements and I do believe that finding just the right replacement for the eggs is key, while keeping the number of ingredients to an essential minimum. I have GOT to try this this weekend, for we have a long holiday before my last week of school!!!
This is tops. Again, your recipes are approachable because they are made with ingredients found in my pantry. You are a true alchemist dearest Sonali! HAPPY WEEKEND! Anita Rivera
Thank you for always being such a darling my dear Anita! Much love to you.
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One thing I would really love to see throughout your blog, Sonali, is consistent gram weights. Metrics are so much more accurate and would really help those such as myself unfamiliar with cup measures (whether US or Australian). Your blog inspires me so often -it rarely fails!-, but I’m too frequently stymied by difficulties in weights needed. Guess this here illustrates that, and it’s a shame as it looks intriguing.
I appreciate your feedback and I do know what you mean. Unfortunately most of Sugar et al. readers are home bakers and do not own weighing scales. I’ve been asked on multiple occasions to provide cup measurements even for butter and cream. I do however include weights for items like chocolate, butter and cheese. I hope you understand! Thanks very much.
Thank you, thank you. I belong to the no egg group. I agree, there aren’t too many choices out there. So I am super happy with this recipe. Are those dried berries on top ? Not only are you an excellent baker but also a master stylist!
Hi Ratna, sorry for the late reply! Yes the red ones are freeze dried strawberries and raspberries. They are available in gourmet shops and some baking stores as well. Thanks so much lovely!
Like you Sonali, I am a baker, but have never ventured into eggless cake baking. I wonder if anyone realises the endless hours you must have spent on perfecting something new like this. Congrats it looks beautiful and I am sure tastes as good as it looks. As usual, your images are amazing.
Thank you so much Eve! Your words mean a lot my friend:-)
I truly sympathize with ones who are allergic to eggs; in fact, I met two little boys with that condition a long time ago and my heart, at the time, ached a little to think that they couldn’t eat cake. Now that I see your creation, I am awed and feeling grateful to you for those with condition or just ones that opt not to eat eggs. I have no doubt that this cake will taste amazing; after all, it comes from THE talented baker’s kitchen 🙂
So glad you figured this out for all of us. I love eggs, but that doesn’t stop me from wanting to try this recipe. This cake looks & sounds A-MA-ZING, Sonali. Love Love Love
Thanks a lot dear Pang! I am happy if I can help at least one person with what I create:-)
You don’t have to twist my arm to try any chocolate cake with ganache! I am very interested in the ricotta cheese in it. It looks really wonderful. What a great option for those who can’t have eggs.
Thanks so much Monica! i can’t agree more about ganache. It’s truely wonderful!
I had a friend who was deathly allergic to eggs. This would have been a lifesaver. Wondering if you could sub coffee for water for a bit of extra flavor? Beautiful, as always!
I am sure that would work great Abbe! Gosh! It’ll turn into a delicious Mocha cake. Thanks lovely!
Hi Sonali, Oh my gosh!!! I always come across these questions especially do I have a good eggless cake recipe. I have to admit, I haven’t got any good ones so far….. I am bookmarking this recipe as this looks really moist and tempting. I have to try and let you know soon.
Love the flower decor. You are too good at it.
Thanks so much Shibani! I hope you like the cake. And yes, the perils of being a food blogger:-)
I know a lot of them with allergies, and it’s really bad, I sympathize with them.
This cake is a beauty Sonali and love eggless cakes. In fact, my little one always asks for one. But, nothing compares to this beauty my dear.
Love everything about it.
xoxo
Hi Sonali, was wondering can we use other type of cheese instead of ricotta?
Hi, you could use cottage cheese which is quite similar in texture to ricotta. Though honestly, I haven’t tried it. If you are unable to find ricotta, you could make some at home. it’s a simple process of curdling milk and collecting the solids. I hope this helps:-)
Cottage cheese? So it is a healthy cake? 🙂 Greta recipe, will have to try it, and love love love ganache! Yeah I have a lot of people who are afraid to invite me over to dinner because they think I expect food like I post…please!
Beautiful cake! I’ve often thought about doing eggless this and that….especially for my own illness, but haven’t actually done it! I’m not allergic to eggs so I might as well enjoy them because there’s too many other things I have to watch.
Eggless cakes have always intrigued me and I’ve thought I should try at least one. Have you tried flax seeds? I heard they are a great egg replacer. One of these days I will, in the meantime I’ll enjoy yours.
Wow. The interior of this cake looks so incredibly moist and delicious!!!! I definitely want to give it a go. I have a friend who is allergic to eggs (as many other people seem to have, I didn’t actually realise it was such a common allergy) so I know he’d be happy to be able to eat such an indulgent cake. Another amazing post from you Sonali!!
P.S totally get the comments you mentioned above, ha! I often forget about having an online identity until people start asking me questions as ‘the food blogger’, haaha! xx
What a great recipe! I’ve made flourless cakes, but never eggless. This would be a great fallback cake if you’d run out of eggs too!