Moist Chocolate Cake

It is the time of the year where the school is having a welcome back to school cum meet the teachers BBQ evening for the new school year. Parents are asked to bring a dessert for the event while the BBQ is free, donation is welcome to cover the cost of food.

I decided to make Nanzaro’s favourite chocolate cake. It is a very moist, eggless chocolate cake. I usually made this cake for my kids birthday party.

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Ingredients

  • 3 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • 2 tablespoons white vinegar
  • 8 tablespoons (1/2 cup) oil
  • a handful of semisweet chocolate chips

IMG_8209_edited-2

Please click on the link below for the instructions.


Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350F.

_MG_8196_edited-2Sift the dry ingredients i.e. flour, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder in a medium bowl. If without the cocoa powder, I would just use a whisk to mix the ingredients. But cocoa powder tends to be lumpy and it is recommended to sift it for any recipe.
_MG_8194_edited-2Whisk the sugar and wet ingredients, i.e water, vanilla, vinegar and oil in a large bowl until the sugar is dissolved.

Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix well.

_MG_8201_edited-2Pour the batter into a greased and floured or parchment lined 9 x 13″ pan.Sprinkle a handful of semi-sweet chocolate chips on the batter for garnishing. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. The cake will be slightly moist when tested with a tooth pick.

This is a very simple recipe which pleases any chocolate cake lovers. Will you bake it for your family?

For those of you who do not have an oven or try to avoid the oven in the hot summer, I have a version of this cake which is steamed. Check out the Steamed Moist Chocolate Cake here.

If you like steamed cake recipes, check out the following:

If you like this recipe, do me a favour … DIGG me here:

This Post Has 0 Comments

  1. Priya Bhaskaran

    Hey Chow.. got to see your blog while browsing for chocolate cakes.. I am an ameture when it comes to baking.. your step by step instruction motivated me to do the cake around 11 pm in the night— yes I am crazy girl when it comes to cooking… didn’t have vinegar and chocolate chips… lets see how it comes…. I will post the recipe in my website soon— will keep you informed..

  2. Suanne

    Hi Priya, the acidity is to help the cake rise when the vinegar reacts with the baking soda. Therefore, you may substitute the vinegar with lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. Let me know how your cake turns up.

  3. Ben

    Hi Honey: What was that tamarind chutney Jenny mentioned about? They sound interesting … would you make it? Please? 🙂

  4. Margorie

    Your cakes looks yummy. As I am a newbie with cakes, is it possible to steam the cake instead of baking it?

  5. Viji Surendhra

    Hi Suanne,

    I’m Viji from Barbados and I tried your cake today. I’d to bake it for 15 more min as the center was still gooey.It came out very well and was delicious. This is a keeper! Thanks for your simple, yet yummy ,receipe.

  6. Suanne

    Hi Viji,

    I’m glad you enjoyed it. This cake is my kids’ favourite. Sometimes, I throw a handful of semi-sweet chocolate chips on top for the extra chocolate flavour.

  7. deekshaa

    awsum!!.. i like the way yuve out across the entire package…

  8. Spice Lover

    Hi Chow
    This is my first visit to your blog. I am really impressed.
    I tried this chocolate cake today with half the quantity in a 8 inch square pan. The only change to the recipe was that I used 1 tbsp of lemon juice instead of 1 tbsp of vinegar and I removed the cake at 30 minutes. I ran into two issues. The cake was a bit dry on top. And I think it was not sweet enough. Is the sugar qty mentioned right?

  9. Suanne

    Hi Spice Lover, this cake is not overly sweet even there is 2 cups of sugar for a 9×11″ pan but we like it just the way it is. Perhaps, you have a really sweet tooth.

  10. yumsinger

    Just pulled the cake out of the oven ten minutes ago and it tasted fabulous. I added a thorough sprinkle of unsweetened coconut on top and it tasted amazing.

    Thanks, and I am sure my family and friends will love it!!

  11. Anonymous

    Assalamu Alaikum
    I would like to know can I add baking powder instead of baking soda? IF I do should the amount be same?

  12. Suanne

    Hi Anonymous, I found this article from the net:

    Baking soda is four times as strong as baking powder, so if your recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of baking soda, you would need four teaspoons of baking powder to produce the same amount of lift. Unfortunately, the substitution is not that simple.

    Baking powder is made of baking soda and exactly the right amount of acid to react with the soda (it also includes corn starch to keep the ingredients from prematurely reacting in the privacy of their container). So if your recipe already has acidic ingredients that were going to neutralize the baking soda called for, you are adding other ingredients that may not sit well with them.

    Substituting for a lack of baking powder is very easy: 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda plus 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar (ignoring the cornstarch) for each teaspoon of baking powder required.

    The source of this article had looked into dozens of books to be sure, but no one provides information for the reverse procedure of substituting baking powder when you don’t have baking soda on hand. To do so, you would have to consider the acidic ingredients in the recipe, and perhaps re-engineer the recipe to replace them with more neutral ingredients (using whole milk instead of buttermilk, perhaps). But at that point, you would see, it would be easier and probably a lot more successful to pick up a box of baking soda.

  13. Richa

    Hi Suanne,
    1. I just wanted to know that when you say 12 teaspoons oil, can we also use butter instead?
    2. I have made few chocolate cakes in past but none of them was moist so I was curious that which ingredient actually makes it moist.

  14. Richa

    Wow

  15. Suanne

    Hi Richa, I have always used 1/2 cup canola oil. I have never use butter for this recipe. If you try it with butter, please let me know how it turns out. I just noticed that the equivalent for 1/2 cup should be 8 tablespoons. I think its the amount of liquid which make it moist.

  16. iman

    hi chow,

    Which brand of coco powder do you usually use in your receipe ? Thanks

  17. Suanne

    Hi iman, I usually buy the no name brand from The Real Canadian Superstore. BTW, Chow is not our name. Chow is just another word for “food”.

  18. Sheetal

    Hi, i tried your recipe. must say its the most simplest recipe for a cake i have ever come across…i just want to ask 1 thing… the cake tasted awesome..but the sides of the cake were bit brittle..i dunno the reason ..would be glad if u could solve my query..thanks!!

  19. Suanne

    Hi Sheetal, the sides of your cake came out a bit brittle may be due to the oven is too hot. If you bake your cake with glass or dark cake pan, try to lower the temperature by 25 degrees. Hope this help.

  20. Sheetal

    Hi Suanne, had posted a comment sometime back, still cant see it on your blog:(

  21. Sheetal

    Ooops!!! am sry ..i lack patience..thanks for solving my query!!

  22. Caly

    Hi Suanne,

    I tried your recipe. The cake turned out sweet but great! I substitute white sugar with the brown one.. is that the culprit? Thanks for sharing the simple and great recipe.

  23. Suanne

    Hi Caly,

    I found this in the net:

    Substitute one cup firmly packed brown sugar for every cup of granulated sugar. This substitution affects the texture and reduces the volume of baked goods; for example, it makes cookies darker and chewier. Don’t make this substitution in white or sponge cakes.

    You may reduce up to one-third of the sugar in most recipes without any replacement of other ingredients. This will reduce calories in a recipe, but the flavor will be less sweet; cakes and quick breads will be paler, tougher, and drier; cookies will be tougher, paler, and smaller. Reducing sugar in yeast breads makes loaves less tender, less moist, and less brown.

  24. purple

    Hello- i tried the recipe but it turned out a disaster, maybe becos I am very new at baking….:(

    I am confused about the measurements of the ingredients, what size cup is a cup? I used 300g of flour (100g per cup), and the final batter that went into the oven was very watery. Do you think that is the problem? Please help- your cake looks so delicious that I must bake it and get it right!! Can you help with the measurements in grams or ml instead??

  25. Suanne

    Hi Purple, I had measured one cup of all-purpose flour in gram and it turned out to be 114g. One cup of liquid is equivalent to 250ml. I hope this help. The final batter does look watery but it’ll turn out fine after baking. Give it another try and let me know the outcome. Good luck.

  26. Aruna Nayak

    Hi,

    Tried this cake. Tastes good. I prepared it with half the measurement and baked it for 30 mins. Tastes good but i notice that upper surface of the cake turned out little gooey after sometime, sticks to teeth. Is there anything i can do to improve it or is the cake suppose to be this way since it is moist? Iam new to baking, just curious to know, even without any changes i would love to prepare it again, its so tasty.

  27. purple

    Hi- thanks for answering my query. Can I substitute corn oil for the canola oil? Would like to try this again this weekend. Thanks!

  28. Suanne

    Hi Purple, you certainly can substitute canola oil with corn oil. Canola oil is a neutral-tasting oil that is very low in saturated fat while corn oil has a pleasant taste, resists developing off-flavors and offers high levels of polyunsaturated, instead of saturated fats.

  29. Suanne

    Hi Aruna Nayak, I can’t recall if my cake become slightly sticky on the top after sometime but this is what I found after doing some research.

    “If a homemade cake has a sticky top crust, the following problems may have occurred:
    The cake was stored while still warm.

    The liquid was over measured.

    The cake was under-baked – the oven temperature was too low and/or the baking time was too short.

    The air humidity was too high.”

    I hope the above helps.

  30. Aruna Nayak

    Hi Suanne,

    thanks for taking time to answer my question. I would keep these things in mind while trying it next time, everybody liked it so much, wil be preparing again over the weekend. I served them with ice cream just to avoid people thinking abt it sticking to tooth. 🙂 It tasted amazing.

  31. Hannah

    Hi Chow, i am Hannah from Chicago. Today i will bake your cake that was posted. After reading all of the comments i am sure that it will turn out lovely, thanks in advance!

  32. Michelle

    Hi there. I was searching for calories of Moist Chocolate Cake and came across your blog… AGAIN!
    I think I’d look up on several other topics regarding food and ended up IN your blog.
    Wow, I envy you. Your blog is popular! Hey, drop by me blog someday.

  33. Sheetal

    Hi Suanne
    Just want to ask you, is it possible to make this chocolate cake creamy thru layers?(ie. by using whipped cream or truffle sauce?)

  34. Suanne

    Hi Sheetal, I’m sure you can fill the cake with your favourite cream. I find it hard to slice a round cake horizontally evenly. What I will do is to bake the cake on a jello pan to get a thin layer of sheet cake. Then I divide the sheet to 2 or 3 equal pieces and fill between the layers of the cake with my favourite cream. Remember to shorten the baking time if you bake on a jello pan because its such a thin layer. It might take only 15 to 20 minutes. Also, cool the cake completely before you fill it the whipped cream.

  35. kristen

    I noticed that you used baking powder and flour for the recipe is it ok for me to use self raising flour and if it is ok what would the measurement be?
    I plan to make it for my daughter’s birthday could you suggest a suitable icing for the party.
    thanks in advance

  36. Suanne

    Hi Kristen, self raising flour is made up of all-purpose flour (1 cup) + baking powder (1.5 teaspoons) and salt 0.5 teaspoon). So, if you use self raising flour, you should omit the baking soda and salt. As for the icing, my kids will love chocolate icing. You can refer to the comments in the Wilton Cake Decorating Level 1 comments for a buttercream icing recipe. To made Chocolate Buttercream, add 1/4 cup cocoa powder or three 1 oz. unsweetened chocolate squares, melted, and an additional 1 to 2 tablespoons water to the recipe.

  37. shen

    What can be used as an replacement 4 egg? for makin any kind of cake.

    Keep up the good work, best wishes.

  38. Justine

    This is the BEST cake EVER!!! So easy to make! Impossible to miss! Soooooo tasty… Thank you SO much! Where do you get these recipes from?

  39. Suanne

    Hi Rukya, I have a very basic oven which does not have fancy setting, only bake or broil with temperature control. I would reckon you use the regular setting for baking cake as recommended in the manufacturer’s manual.

    The batter is pretty runny.

  40. Rukya, London

    Hi Suanne! I was wondering if you could tell me what setting you had put your oven on, or does it not matter? I was thinking about baking it in the fan/grill setting. Could you also tell me what the consistency of the mix should be? Thanks.

  41. Rukya, London

    This is the first cake, no, the first anything I had ever made by myself (well, kind of). Despite being so easy to make, I was disappointed with the outcome – it wasn’t as moist and sweet as I thought it would be and the texture was a bit too muffin-like. The surface was stiff when it came out of the oven, but after it cooled down, most of it began to soften. I could tell these faults were mainly down to me adding too much of every ingredient and leaving the cake in the oven too long (on the contrary to my mum’s warnings). However, the cake was unintentionally turned into a celebration cake (for family reasons) and even though it didn’t turn out the way I wanted it to be, my family gobbled it right down. I thought it was a bit too bitter and dry, but my family really enjoyed it. Wow! My first ever cake and it was a success. I just hope my family wasn’t pretending to enjoy it in order to not hurt my feelings…

    Thanks for the recipe!

    😀

  42. Ben

    Hi Rukya:
    Well, well … congrats on your first cake! Let me tell you a secret … Suanne had never ever cooked in her life until several years ago. Her first meal was quite awful but she turned out to be quite a cook now. Oh yeah, I lied and told her her first cooking was pretty good. 😉
    Ben

  43. joy

    this was my first try on a cake wish me luck!!!! came out great thanks

  44. Sheetal

    Hi Suanne..After making this chocolate cake several times, i wish to make an eggless vanilla sponge cake ..so do i have to alter the proportion of any ingredients since cocoa powder wont be used?

  45. Lydine Dutton

    Greetings Suanne: I have just read through all of the comments on this page regarding the moist chocolate cake and I am really impressed with each and every respond to them. I am going to try this recipe and I will let you know how I make out. Thank you so much for taking the time to be so helpful.
    Peace, Lydine

  46. Quinnie

    Hi there, how’s it going?
    anyway, i would like to turn this recipe into cupcakes and pour chocolate ganache over it.
    you think it’s possible?
    how do i vary the baking time and how many cupcakes will i get if i were to use the medium sized dark muffin pan?
    thank you so much.
    see ya later.
    current location : Australia
    i just thought you might need that tad lil’ detail just in case you’ll need me to get anything extra for this recipe.
    thanks again.

  47. Suanne

    Hi Quinnie, I’m sure you can bake this cake in cup cake form, just like any other cake. The baking time for cup cake is usually shorter, 17 to 22 minutes. Test the cup cake using the touch method, i.e when the cup cake bounce back when touch, it’s done. You can also test by inserting a wooden stick into the center and if it comes out clean, then it’s done.
    This recipe should yield 2 dozens large cup cakes and at least 2 1/2 to 3 dozens medium cup cakes.

  48. Harini

    Came here seeing Priya’s cake. Since she has credited you with the recipe, I just had to come here to get stuck! I have some chocolate bar – do you think its alright to use that in place of cocoa powder? Being a new blogger, I would also like you to visit me when you are free and let me know your views!

  49. Harini

    Thanks, I could not wait to bake that cake! So I just used up the leftover chocolate bar in the cake by melting it in a double boiler! The cake was damn good! I could not believe that there were no eggs! Carried it to work and got showered with praises there too – I credited you!! Thanks so much!

  50. Harini

    Hi, I have just posted my almost vegan version of your cake…only the chocolate is a little less as I had only that much in hand while attempting…thanks again!!

  51. priyakg

    hi suanne,
    can I substitute coco powder with dark chocolate?or make it 4 spoons coco pdr and 2 spoons dark chocolate?

  52. suanne

    Hi Priyakg, I found this substitution from Cook’s Thesaurus: http://www.foodsubs.com/Chocvan.html

    One ounce of unsweetened baking chocolate = 3 tablespoons cocoa plus 1 tablespoon butter or oil.

    Therefore, you can substitute the 6 tablespoons of cocoa powder with 2 ounces of dark chocolate and reduce the oil by 2 tablespoons.

    I would like to know how it turns out.

  53. ben

    Hi
    Great recipie and all but how do get the chocolate chips from not melting

  54. rosa

    Which flour do we use(al-purpose-bleached or unbleached)? Baking Temperature?

  55. Suanne

    Hi Rosa, I usually use unbleached all purpose flour and the temperature is 350F (it’s stated on the beginning of the instructions portion).

  56. Rani

    i tried this cake, turned out spongy & yummy. my toddler and hubby both liked it. the cake vanished within a day – not healthy thou!

    i’ve only one problem – i cannot stand the smell of the cocoa powder. is there any special cocoa powder sold in USA for these kind of recipes. i used hersheys & the smell is awful after baking.
    i had been using cadbury cocoa powder from australia but have run-out. so this time i tried local (hersheys) & the cake was smelly. instead of 6 spns i used 3. does anyone have any alternatives. pls forward it to me otherwise i’ve to quit eating choco cakes.

    kind thanx to all those who is reading this for their time and response.

  57. remya

    i don’t have convecyoin mode. only grill and basic reheat.my toddlers and i likedn cake very much,being avertarian i cannot use egg also, so pls give me an idea ,how to make cake in grill oven ,how long?

  58. Connie

    Hi Suanne ,
    I successfully baked this cake for my kids n friends last week . It was very good . Luv it a lot . Thank you for sharing recipe .

    May I know how many cupcakes can i yield from this recipe ? Thought of doing it for my daughter’s birthday in school this Wed ( in 2 days ) . Hope to get ur reply on this . Sorry to trouble u .

    Thanks again ,
    Connie

  59. Suanne

    Hi Connie, this recipe should be able to yield 24 cupcakes. I’m glad you enjoyed it.

  60. Connie

    Thank you for your prompt reply , Suanne 🙂

  61. Proud Mom

    My Daughter baked this recipe for the last day of school (she’s 10 years old). It was easier enough for her to put it all together by herself. The cake turned out moist, but if lacks the creamy chocolate flavor. Some icing should do the trick. Rated a 7/10.

  62. Sharon

    Hi Suanne

    Thanks for sharing this recipe especially with your step by step guidance. I made it yesterday, but used melted butter instead of canola oil, lime juice instead of vinegar and Milo instead of cocoa as I did not have those ingredients on hand, but it still turn out to be so moist, rich and delicious and great looking too, my son love it so much. One thing I notice is cakes usually taste better the next day.

  63. cicada

    Hi Suanne,
    Greetings from Turkey. I made this cake. It turned out wonderful. This is my first cake without eggs and milk. It was very moist and rised in the oven very well. This will be my favourite cake now on and I also think it could also be a great birthday cake if I bake it in 9″ inch pan and cut into layers and put some frosting. Have you ever tried?
    Thanks for sharing and your step by step guidance.

  64. Suanne

    Hi Cicada, I have not try frosting this cake as it is good enough just as it is. I’m sure you can you can bake it in 9″ pan and frost it. Some of the readers bake it in cup cake form too. Do let me know how it turns out.

  65. Vanessa

    Hi Suanne,

    Just been through your cake recipe. It looks awesome. One query please. If I do not add vinegar, will it make a difference or is vinegar a must. Any substitute for vinegar. Pls reply.

    Vanessa

  66. Vanessa

    Hi Suanne,

    I tried your cake. It was awesome, out of this world. thanks a ton for such a wonderful recipe

    Vanessa

  67. Ann

    Hey Suanne…
    I came upon ur blog while searching for an eggless cake recipe…I tried out urs, but with butter instead of oil and it turned out well… I had baked it for my husband’s friend who is a veggie and she and her family liked it so much…thanks a lot for the recipe

    Ann

  68. Britt78985

    Heyy
    ummmm……
    this chocolate Cake is the BEST MOIST CHOCOLATE CAKE YOU WILL EVER TASTE

    TRY IT RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  69. dalia

    i tried this chocolate cake now and it turned out to be fabulous. i used a round cylindrical mould/cake tin for this
    recipe. it was more on the vertical side. the cake was unbelievably soft inside but the top was cracked and hard. even the sides too were a bit hard though not as hard as the top. Could you tell me how to avoid this problem? since the insides were not baked, i had to bake it a bit long. Could you pls post more eggless cake recipes like molten lava cake etc? Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe.

  70. dalia

    another query. is it ordinary water or cold water? thanks

  71. Suanne

    Hi Dalia,
    I just use water at room temperature. Your problem with crack and crusty top and the inside of the cake not baked could be due to the cake pan. I would suggest you lower the temperature by 25 degrees and bake 10 to 15 minutes longer. You can cover the top of the pan with aluminum foil after 30 minutes of baking to prevent the top from turning crusty.

  72. dalia

    i added cherries coated with all purpose flour to the cake batter but still the cherries sunk to the bottom. how do i avoid this problem? thanks

  73. joy

    hi, could i use 1 cup milk and 1 cup water in lieu of 2 cups water. thanks.

  74. Suanne

    Hi Joy, I think it should not be a problem using 1 cup of milk and 1 cup of water. Please do let me know how your cake turns out.

  75. dalia

    can your intense brownie recipe be made without eggs? and can brownies be steamed in a cooker? thanks

  76. Suanne

    Hi Dalia, I googled eggless brownies and there are a number of sites with that. You can give that a try. I have never try steaming brownies. If you do attempt to do so, please do let me know the outcome.

  77. Winnipeg Restaurants

    I tried the recipe ‘as is’ and it turned out to be a hit with my friends. Now, you mention to add the chocolate chips on the top of the batter in the dish. Have you tried mixing the chocolate chips into the batter? I’m wondering if that will make the cake extra moist ?

  78. suguna

    hello

    can i use wheat flour instead of all purpose flour
    pls let me know as soon as possible

    advanced thx!!

  79. Suanne

    Hi Suguna, I had never try with wheat flour. I guess you have to try it to find out the outcome. Perhaps you may use half all purpose flour and half wheat flour as the wheat flour has less gluten in them.

  80. suguna

    thx a loot for this recipe!! i love baking and i don’t have oven i’ve been looking for a steamed cake recipe ever since this turned out better than i expected i love it!!
    i used half wheat flour i guess because on the label it is written wheat flour but it is white in colour
    whole wheat flours are not supposed to be white right?
    anyways thx a lot!!!

  81. Vivi

    Hi suanne,
    ohhhhhh my goddddddddd the cake was awesome.. it turned out better the next day…(i kept it outside not in the fridge)
    mmmmmmmmmm yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmm never knew vegan cakes could taste soooo good. it’s the best. i’ve been recommending it to every one who loves chocolate cake.

  82. Susan

    hi Suanne,
    May I know if I can use some nuts instead of the chocolate chips for this recipe? if so what kind of nuts would go best with this cake? Is it OK to reduce the oil? I am baking this for the seniors in my voluntary program so I am thinking to make a healthier version. Thanks for the wonderful recipe!
    Merry Xmas in advance

    1. Suanne

      Hi Susan, walnut pieces will make a good substitute for the chocolate chips. You can try substitute some of the oil with applesauce or yogurt for a healthier version.

  83. JennaT

    Hi Suanne,
    I msde this cake using my slow cooker last night. Started it quite late so could’t stay up long enough to wait for it to cool. Just left it on the countertop overnight. When I cut into it this morning… what a perfect start to a Saturday morning … a slice of beautifully moist chocolate cake for breakfast! 🙂 Thanks for sharing.

    p/s didn’t have any chocolate chips handy so just broke up a couple of miniature chocolate crunch squares over the top and it worked fine.

  84. sonia

    the cakes which i bake always ends up rising unevenly. what do i do to avoid this problem? secondly, can i replace the 2 eggs in your intense brownie recipe with condensed milk? if yes, then how much? thanks

    1. Suanne

      Hi Sonia, I found the following from the web for egg substitute but none with condensed milk:

      * 2 tbsp cornstarch = 1 egg
      * 2 tbsp arrowroot flour = 1 egg
      * 2 tbsp potato starch = 1 egg
      * 1 heaping tbsp soy powder + 2 tbsp water = 1 egg
      * 1 tbsp soy milk powder + 1 tbsp cornstarch + 2 tbsp water = 1 egg.
      * 1 banana = 1 egg in cakes.
      * 1 tbsp milled flax seed and 3 tbsp water = 1 egg. Light, fluffy cakes!

      Condensed milk will add a lot of sweetness to the brownie, if you try to substitute egg with it, you have to reduce the sugar in the recipe. Hope the above information helps.

  85. sonia

    last of all, if i bake the cake in a pressure cooker, should i have the heat on low or medium or high?thanks

    1. Suanne

      Hi Sonia, I do not have a pressure cooker. I have no idea how to bake a cake in one. Sorry, I cant help on this question.

  86. sonia

    thanks a lot Suanne

  87. Rainbow

    What is the secret to make moist cakes?

  88. tina

    can i make chocolate ice cream roll with this recipe? thanks

  89. Miss Beginner

    hi, i was finding for an eggless recipe as i’m a vegetarian.. so i decided to try out this recipe.. but i found that the batter turns out simply watery.. is it supposd to be so??

    1. Suanne

      Hi Miss Beginner, the batter does look watery but go ahead and bake it. It will turn out ok.

  90. Amy

    hi,
    I’m going on a kayak-camping trip and will have to make a dessert three or four days before the pot-luck. Will this moist cake last, no refrigeration available?
    My mother-in-law had a recipe for a dense chocolate cake that stays moist a long time, but I can’t find it.
    I was thinking of putting pecans and coconut on top with the choc chips. Would that work?
    What kind of baking pan do you most recommend?
    thanks,
    Amy

  91. yetty

    Iam Indonesian girl, who are interested in learning how to make Taiwanese cakes. Iam planning to visit Taiwan during October 2009 . Would you kindly email me your program of cake school where I can learn and bring to my home town .
    Thank you ,
    yetty

  92. Cheyenne

    Hi Suanne,

    found your website on the internet. Immediately, i gave it a try. Yes it turns out great! For me, I think it’s still too sweet. Next time, I would make it to a bitter chocolate one. Thanks for sharing.

  93. Sharmilee

    Thank u soo much for this wonderful recipe. I am a baby baker and my first attempt baking in my new oven was super flop, so was lil hesitant in my next baking. Tried this moist choc cake and it came out super gud, sure going to be a keeper as it involves no butter and eggs. Have u tried baking in atta flour(chapathi flour), any luck?

  94. daals

    thanks for the recipe!!! i tries it and it turned out real good!!! thumbs up to u!! i added a little cappuccino in it, tho… it turned out scrumptious!!! i would definitely recommend it to everyone!!! 🙂

  95. chhavi

    hi Suanne,
    the cake looks simple and pleasing enough but your comments and research were the icing 🙂 I found this post while trying to figure out why my cake recipe called for vinegar and i’ve learned so much about sugar/baking powder substitution and baking temperatures 🙂 I’ll be back!

  96. chhavi

    also, for ‘purple’ – 1 cup of dry measure is a little more than an Indian tea cup filled to the brim. If she chooses a slightly larger cup (or about 3/4 of a 250 ml mug), she should just keep the measure equal for the other dry ingredients and the proportions will work out.

  97. Rads

    Hi,
    Just kept the cake in the Oven for 35 min..:)……. Hope it comes out great :)….
    Oh ya, I was wondering, How come the cake does not need egg or butter?…just curious 🙂

    1. Suanne

      It is believed that this recipe is created during World War II where eggs and butter were scarce.

  98. Aparna Mallya

    Hey, I tried this cake and posted it on my blog. Thanks for the wonderful recipe.

  99. shanon

    what is 350F in degree celsius?

  100. sushmitha

    Hello,
    The cake is really lovely. This is my 1st visit to your blog. i have a question – Flour metioned is that plain flour or self raising lfour? if i use self raising flour, should i reduce baking soda?

    Sushmitha

  101. Jay

    Well I made this cake and have to say, it is a very moist cake, that part is right on, but, the cake itself, the texture, was so heavy & dense that not one person in my family would eat more than the first bite.

    I remember baking this recipe many times a good 40 years ago as it did not require eggs, but I do not recall my cakes ever turning out as heavy as this particular version of the cake did. Something is amiss in the ingredients of this recipe but not positive what ingredient might be off? To bad too as the cake itself smelled quite lovely while baking..

  102. Kamakshi

    the recipe was really nice and mouth watering. i will surely bake it at my home.

  103. Klarissa

    Hi Suanne,
    I was wondering, if I wanted to make this into a plain vanilla cake, should I more flour in the same ammount of the cocoa powder, or I just simply make it without the cocoa powder? Thanks!

    1. Suanne

      Hi Klarissa, just omit the cocoa powder and add a bit more vanilla to accentuate the vanilla flavour.

  104. kamakshi

    hey…what if i don’t have a 9×13″ pan…actually i have a round aluminium pan and i don’t know what is its size…will it cause difficulty…btw your recipe sounds really nice

    1. Suanne

      Hi kamakshi, what is the diameter of your round pan? If it’s about 8 or 9 inches, you can halve the recipe.

      1. kamakshi

        hi….i don’t know maybe about 8….please tell me the quantity of ingredients i would need. here, in your recipe you have written vanilla. Its vanilla essence or vanilla powder. Will it also make any difference if I use 2 teaspoon baking powder instead of 2tsp. baking soda?

        1. Suanne

          Hi kamakshi, just simply divide the ingredients by 2 for the halve recipe. I used vanilla essence but I’m sure powder will work. I’m not sure if you can substitute baking soda with baking powder straight. Here is a writeup about the difference between baking powder and baking soda: http://chemistry.about.com/cs/foodchemistry/f/blbaking.htm.

  105. Lily

    Hi Kamakshi,
    You can not use baking soda and baking powder interchangeably. Although both are leavening agents, baking soda needs an acidic ingredient in it (hence the vinegar in the recipe) to activate it and make the cake rise. There’s no need to use an acidic ingredient when using baking powder in a recipe. Sometimes, the acidic ingredient could be buttermilk, sour cream, or something else tart.

  106. shabrina

    if i do not use cocoa but i use pieces of unsweetened chocolate instead. is it okay?

  107. Cindy

    I made this cake and then froze half of it for a month, and it still tasted great after all that time! Thanks for the recipe!

  108. deepa

    hi

    i have a few doubts

    1. can we use sunflower oil or olive oil?
    2. if instead of 2 cups of water i make it one cup water and 1 cup of whole milk would that make the cake more soft and moist?
    3. doesnt vanilla essence beat the taste of cocoa?

    pls do let me know. want to make this in the next week for my busband’s birthday

    warm regards
    deepa

    1. Suanne

      Hi deepa,

      1. Oil that has not much of flavour is preferred. Olive oil may be a bit too strong flavour, not sure of sunflower oil.
      2. I’m sure you can substitute water with milk.
      3. I would say the vanilla essence compliments the taste of cocoa.

      Happy baking.

  109. Esther

    Hi,

    I made this recipe just now. It has turned out great. I replaced the wheat flour with spelt flour, because I can’t eat wheat. I used a combination of cane sugar and splenda, to cut out some of the calories. The batter was a bit dry, maybe because of the spelt flour or the splenda. So I added some extra water and a drop of extra vinegar. Then the batter was smooth enough for a cake.

    Besides the chocolate chips I sprinkled some coco flakes on top.

    It is still warm but I couldn’t resist. It tasted great! I am curious how it will be when cooled.

    Thank you for this recipe!

    Esther from the Netherlands

  110. sumi

    hi, i just baked this eggless choco cake. it was perfect,yummy and soft:) one thing went wrong. The corners were baked perfectly well but the centre of the cake was still in liquid form after i turned it around.

    I preheated the oven at 200 c equivalent to 350F. and baked the cake for 35 mins. Can u please tell me what went wrong? i definitely want to try the recipe again.

    thanks.

  111. Sanmita

    I was reading through your blog and came across the recipe of moist chocolate cake. I plan to bake the cake this Sunday. I have a Baker’s Secret 9″x2″ (approx 22.5 cms x 5cms) square cake pan purchased from Walmart. Can you please guide me through the measurements to prepare the batter for the cake considering I would be using this cake pan.

    Thanks

    1. Suanne

      Hi Sanmita, if you are using a 9” square pan, you need to halve the recipe.

  112. Sanmita

    Hi Suanne/Ben,

    Thanks for answering my query and sharing the recipe. Baked the cake yesterday and must say it just turned out to be delicious..quite soft (had a crusty top took it out from the oven but just turned soft the next day) and moist.
    Will surely recommend friends and family to visit your website.

    Sanmita

  113. Latha

    The cake was looking so yummy that I tried it immediately and the outcome was such a soft cake, thanks for teaching me to bake my first eggless cake. I am new to baking too.

    Thank you so much!!

  114. Jacintha M

    Lovely cake Suanne… I baked this today and the family found it moist and chocolaty. Thanks for the recipe.

  115. Janice

    I followed your recipe to the dot, but why did your cake turn out less airy? my cake had air bubbles. I’ve been trying to look for a cake with not alot of air bubbles.

  116. Shh199

    I used vegetable oil and it had a slightly different taste, not so good. Is it the same with yours or is it just me who used the wrong kind of oil.How can i arrange it. A ganache or frosting maybe???

  117. jenn

    hi suanne, omg! this cake is so easy to make and very yummy…. i pop it in the oven for 25-30mins and its done. the outer layer is so crispy, while the inside is very soft, chocolatey, sweet, its just perfect… i really love this recipe,,, the cake vanished within hours… :p

  118. Devasena

    Hello,
    I’ve recently come across your site, and very impressed with your team work, and the simplicity / variety / of recipes and food information for non-Chinese person like me …

    I want a basic cake recipe without eggs, which can be firm enough to hold fruit / cream cheese/ jelly filling(s)… and I intend to use the Wilton specialty pans for the same, Please, let me know a simple recipe for this purpose.

    Thanking in anticipation.

    Devasena.

      1. Devasena

        Thank you Suanne, for the prompt reply…

        the recipe for the eggless – moist chocolate cake, itself, was good, but my query was if it would be firm enough to hold, cream cheese filling within…
        and also, if I want to use coconut powder, for flavoring what would be the recommended, quantity and if any substitution required, as I’m not very specific with the chocolate flavor… for the above recipe…

        With best regards,
        Devasena.

  119. Mel

    Hi Suanne,
    I just tried out this recipe this afternoon. I halved the recipe and substituted the sugar with brown sugar, used canola oil and substituted the water with milk mixed with some lemon juice to make buttermilk. I used a mixture of baking powder and baking soda. 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda and the reason for that was because, I thought I ran out of baking soda, so decided to use baking powder instead. But then I found out I still had a little bit of baking soda left, so I just mixed in half a teaspoon of it to the dry ingredients. I sifted the dry ingredients three times and later, folded in chopped dark chocolate into the batter, then sprinkled chocolate chips over it. It was done in 40 minutes and this cake rises well. When it first came out of the oven, the top was a bit dry but after a couple hours or so it turned moist. I had a slice of it in the evening and it was so soft, moist and not overly sweet. Thanks for the wonderful recipe!

  120. chrysalis

    I made this when I wanted to make a chocolate cake but had no eggs–didn’t realize before that practically every baked good has at least one egg in it till I tried to find something without!

    I made it entirely with WHOLE-WHEAT flour. It’s not difficult to switch to healthier baking–just remember to add half again as much baking powder plus a bit more liquid to the recipe since whole-wheat flour absorbs more liquid. I also reduced the sugar a bit.

    RESULT: my younger brother, who has never cared much for chocolate cake, loved it and asked me to make it again! This is highly unusual for him. I noticed on another site that this recipe was touted as the chocolate cake for those who don’t normally like it much, and it sure was true in this case.

    I frosted it with simple Mocha Whipped Cream (1 cup of whipping cream, a few tsps. of instant coffee to taste, a bit of vanilla extract, and sugar to taste), which he also really liked. Could have easily doubled the amount of whipped cream, since the rest of my family, who have always liked regular chocolate cake, thought it would not have been rich enough without the frosting.

    I’m making it again today!

  121. chrysalis

    A quick edit to my previous post: I meant baking soda, not baking powder. 🙂

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