Quick & Easy Chocolate Cake
No eggs. No butter. No mixer. One bowl. My frosting has a little butter but you can omit the butter and use it as a glaze.. - Jenny Jones
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Makes: 8 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-processed)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda (not baking powder)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup cool water
- 6 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice or distilled white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan.
- Sift dry ingredients into a bowl and set aside.
- In a measuring cup combine water, oil, juice or vinegar, and vanilla.
- Add liquids to bowl & gently stir until there are no lumps (about 30 seconds).
- Pour into pan and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool completely in the pan and frost, glaze, or dust with powdered sugar.
Notes: I usually frost just the top right in the pan with my 2-Minute Chocolate Frosting. For the recipe click here.
For more on this recipe in my blog click here.
So far I’ve made your No Knead Rolls, Chicken Pot Pie, and now this Chocolate cake. Everything is delicious and so easy to make. I’m having so much fun trying your recipes. Cant wait to try another recipe.
My mom used to make this cake when I was a little girl, over 58 years ago. She called it a Wacky cake. Just as delicious today as it was back then. She use to make a white frosting to go with it. I miss my mom and her cake. Tomorrow she would’ve been 90 years old. ❤❤
Video for easy chocolate cake does not work
Thanks for letting me know. We are looking into it.
Hi Jenny,
I’m going to try this chocolate cake recipe tomorrow but I was wondering if you can make an eggless vanilla cake recipe please? I’m searching all over YouTube but I just can’t find one that is healthy and perfect like your chocolate cake recipe! Can you please make a simple eggless vanilla cake and upload it? Thank you so much!
Dear Jenny,
Thank you so much for this recipe. I often get discouraged that most of my children are now vegan – no recipes to hand down. The cake looks delicious, and I already know that I can use vegan ‘butter’ and almond milk for frostings. My daughter and her family are coming from Europe for a month this summer and I am certain I’ll use this recipe several times. (A small victory for baking grandmothers, eh?)
I couldn’t believe some of the hilarious comments this go round. As always, you handle them with apparent ease. I admire you so much.
I tried the easy chocolate cake recipe, substituting all purpose flour with gluten-free all purpose flour and the sugar with a combo of monk fruit and Stevia—about 2/3 monk fruit and 1/3 Stevia. I also used coconut oil instead of if light olive oil. Lemon juice in place of vinegar. The texture is perfect, but the cake has a sorr of burnt sour taste. Wha’ hoppened? Please let me know your thoughts. Thanks.
When baking, sometimes even a small change can bring a disappointing result. It’s hard to say which of your changes caused it but I do not think it was the lemon as I have made this cake using both vinegar and fresh lemon juice.
Many years ago, I gave this recipe to a friend………..When I spoke with her a few days later, she said she had made the cake, but that they didnt like it! When I asked her if she followed the recipe, she replied that she didnt use the vinegar because she didnt think it belonged in there! ok, no wonder it wasnt good………it wasnt all there!
Hello Jenny, wow yet another winner, made your recipe because I needed something fast, turned out this wonderful cake was made into a Raspberry Chocolate Torte, definitely a keeper, moist, succulent (I added a sprinkle of Cinnamon and Espresso powder and good pinch of salt) simply delicious, the little bit of Bourbon that was sitting on my counter for the past 6 month mixed with a bit of simple syrup, added even more moisture to the already awesome cake. Thank you for all your hard work and dedication, you can tell that you talk from experience and it shows in your wonderful products – good thing we can’t see all the kitchen faux-pas, I have my share of them for sure. Take care and Cheers, Bon Appetit
I love your blog, Jenny Can Cook. Thank you for all your simple recipes. Theresa
jenny, i made this yummy cake for my daughter’s birthday, the kids devoured it – none left for me!!!
I make this delicious cake recipe often, yet, today, I goofed. Instead of adding 3 tsp of milk, I added 3 TBLS. As a result, I had to add more confectioners sugar, so it made a lot more frosting. What can I do with the remaining? Can I freeze it to use on the next cake? Or, just throw it out. I just don’t like to waste.
Thank you, Jenny!
I save the extra icing on the fridge, my husband loves to have a little treat of Graham crackers and icing… Or he will use nilla wafers….
Hi Donna,
I frost graham crackers and make a sandwich out of it,one on top of the other. Very good smack.Don’t ever throw it out.Hope you try next time.
I see you’re a fan of the In the Sweet Kitchen cookbook. Page 407. All-in-the-Pan Chewy Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Butter Icing. At least you changed the icing recipe a little bit.
Can’t say that I blame you for using it. It’s a fantastic recipe.
I started making this cake years ago as the 3-hole cake that was popular back then and finally made it into a one bowl recipe. This cake recipe, with only the tiniest variations, seems to be everywhere. If mine is exactly the same as another one I was unaware but with the number of food blogs on the web, I would not be surprised. Please let me know if you would like me to change my recipe.
Jenny,
Please, don’t change your recipe. It is wonderful. You are a very gracious lady.
Regan – Not sure if you realize it, but Jenny Jones has been in the spotlight for decades and is very reputable in her business and philanthropic efforts. Your post is presumptuous, rude, and narcissistic. Recipes have floated around for decades. Please don’t assume yours is the only original recipe and do not accuse others of lifting recioes from a book that, frankly, I’ve never even heard of. Jenny is a fantastic cook and a fine, upstanding lady.
Well said!
Regan,
You are extremely rude!
You say she plagiarized this simple cake mix from some cook book? Wonder where she got the other 200 plus recipes. Never seen her accused of this. You are so sure, you didn’t even ask. What a rude little ray of sunshine you are. It’s not like it is a complicated recipe…
Agree with others. . . This was a tongue-in-cheek accusation! There are many recipes out there, and any mediocre cook might make changes or not to suit them. If this looks anything like the recipe that you reference, it may be coincidental. Be careful of accusations of plagiarisms! I have never heard of that book you referenced but I do think that this is a great Vegan recipe!
Agree with others. . . This was a tongue-in-cheek accusation! There are many recipes out there, and any mediocre cook might make changes or not to suit them. If this looks anything like the recipe that you reference, it may be coincidental. Be careful of accusations of plagiarisms! I have never heard of that book you referenced but I do think that this is a great Vegan recipe! Who knows- maybe she created this recipe before the author (you???) did!
I wanted to surprise my hard working husband with a cake. When I came across this one, I had the ingredients in my pantry. Can’t wait to try it with him! It’s also what I’m craving for: MMM….CHOCOLATE! ❤😋 YUM!
Thank you. I am having the cake for my birthday. It was very good
I made this cake and I fell in love with it ! Thanks for the reciepe Jenny!
Hi,
May I know, how long this cake will last in the open air? Thank you
Trust me, this cake won’t have a chance to sit around for long, its a fabulous easy cake recipe, tasty, moist, rich, delicious, scrumptious, yumm
Baked this cake today. It came out really really good.Thank you so much Jenny!
Oh my goodness, Jenny you really can cook! This cake is amazing and my kids loved it! I didn’t have any vanilla on hand, so I used almond extract and it still turned out great. Will bake again, but with vanilla. I can’t wait to try your other recipes!
I was looking for a egg free cake, came across yours & so happy I did! Made 4 layers for my daughters Peppa Pig cake. Tossed on two piggy characters & wah lah a very tall, chocolate muddy puddle. Thanks!
I should have looked…you have us covered. Thank you…my next bake!
Whole Wheat Carrot Cake Jenny Can Cook!
Hi Jenny, Made this cake again and delicious.
My question. Any chance this cake recipe can be made into a Carrot Cake or a Spice Cake? I think the Spice Cake would be pretty easy but the Carrot Cake puzzles me. Any thoughts?
Thank you!
Winco has dutch process cocoa
Can you use parchment paper
Yes.
I love your chocolate cake. Frosting is vanilla frosting
Can you substitute honey for Sugar and use less of something? I’m trying to get away from real sugar.
I don’t know of any substitute that works without altering the structure of the dessert.
Cooking with honey is not healthy.. it gives off toxins
Thank you Jenny for this wonderful recipe. I made it in a deep dish pie pan and it rose almost to the top. The cake is moist and chocolatey and delicious. The frosting turned out wonderful as well. My husband wanted seconds, it was so good. This is a cake I will make again and again.
I love your chocolate cake recipe with no butter frosting. I was hoping that the frosting would be dairy free just like the cake. I could use dairy-free margarine to replace the butter, but what would you suggest to replace the milk. Almond milk or cashew milk is not an option as my granddaughter is allergic to all dairy and nuts. Can you help me?
I have used soy milk in icing recipes; or since there’s a negligible amount of liquid you could probably just use water.
This is a delicious cake. So good I always want seconds!! A suggestion for the glaze is adding 1/4 teaspoon of instant coffee, it really brings out the flavor of the chocolate. So yummy and good. 10 out of 10 would recommend.
I love ur recipes, ur tips and the presentation. Everything is wonderful. Can u post some tasty recipes suitable for diabetic people. Thank you.
I made the cake which turned out well. The frosting was much less successful as it was too fluid and poured out of the mixing bowl. I used the exact measurements that are on the website. I tried increasing the sugar – diabetes alert! I increased the chocolate powder, to no avail. It must work because I saw you do it on the video. What chocolate alchemy do I need to learn please Jenny,
You have to add the milk VERY SLOWLY, like 1/2 teaspoon at a time. Once you add too much, it’s impossible to thicken it back. (I tried to make that clear in my video)
I have made this delicious cake so many times that I should remember the recipe😉 Thanks for sharing you recipes on the World Wide Web❣And I love your no nonsense responses to the comments. Happy Cooking😘
Hi Jenny,
I just found you and this recipe. With one son allergic to eggs I always look for no-egg recipies and this was great! The cake disappeared into the mouths of teen boys in seconds. Served it with fresh rasberries. So yummy, thanks!
Hi Jenny, I tried this cake for my hubby’s birthday frosted with classic ganache and strawberries. This cake turned out a hit !! It melts in your mouth and so easy to make 🙂 thank you so much for sharing your awesome recipes 🙂
I made this cake today and my husband and adult son who was visiting and they loved it. My son said it taste like something you’d order in an expensive restaurant. I just used a throw away aluminum round cake pan. The cake was easy to make and the frosting was a snap.
I am so happy I found your YouTube videos and website. I just love your recipes! I’ve made many of them and they are all winners. When I first saw one I knew you looked familiar. I used to watch your talk show all the time.
Note: I use organic Equal Exchange baking cocoa from Amazon.com in all my recipes calling for cocoa and it’s wonderful.
Hi there jenny,
I’ve followed the exact recipe you showed but i have no idea why my cake are so small than yours?its but thick too.i wonder why? Pls help..thanks alot!
Can you please list (exactly, by brand) all the ingredients you used, what you used to mix, and the size of your pan and I will try to help.
I made this cake , I didn’t care for it at all.
Can you say ‘why’ you didn’t like it. That would be helpful.
Lemon juice or distilled white vinegar: I’d have never imagined! I cook every day, but have rarely baked, especially for the last 20 years, so I haven’t read that many cake recipes to know. Is this unusual, adding a tart acid, even just one tablespoon? How did you come upon this as an ingredient to add? Does it have similar effect (rising or leavening, possibly) as adding baking powder?
I did not invent this method but you can get a more qualified explanation of how this works with an internet search.
An acid is used to activate the baking soda. As well, 1 tsp of baking soda plus 1 tbsp of vinegar is often used to replace one egg in a recipe- so double whammy! Excellent recipe!! Added to my collection.
I made this tonight for an early Mother’s Day treat for Mom. She loved it! Everyone at the dinner table loved it! The richness of the chocolate and the sweetness of the cake is just right. This is now my go to cake for pot luck parties. Thanks So Much for sharing this recipe!
Hi Jenny, just wanted to know could you bake this in a bundt pan ? How long would I bake for? Ty
Sorry, I don’t know. You may have to research an answer.
Ok thank you
I baked this cake today in a bundt pan for 35 minutes.on 325 degrees F.it came out grate
I made your one bowl chocolate cake & instead of regular sugar I used unrefined coconut sugar which I understand is much better for you than regular white sugar &I it came out WONDERFUL u should try it & see what u think
I made the cake again this time without the choco chips.
It turned out lighter and more moist and I’m sure by tonight it will be all gone.
lol
Amirah
oh and I also added chocolate chips will this make any difference(apart from the taste)?I also want to say how good this is already smelling cant wait to taste
I hope your cake turned out. Vanilla is important to include when baking with chocolate but I only use vanilla extract so I can’t advise on using pods. I suggest looking for any chocolate cake recipe that uses vanilla pods for the quantity and then you can try using them with my recipe, but vanilla extract is the more popular (and easier) form to use.
thanks for your help jenny ,it did turn out good anyway.
oh and I also added chocolate chips will this make any difference(apart from the taste)?
Hi Jenny I just found this website and wanted to make this cake it is in the oven now. I love baking and I’m only 12 I cooked it without the vanilla though.
Can you use vanilla pods instead?
Hiya Jenny.
I don’t have any vinegar or lemon juice! Could I leave it out or no?
No, you need the acid.
Hi Jenny,
I’m horrible when it comes to baking; cookies never spread in my oven and my cakes always taste doughy (like not cooked enough). I have a gas oven so maybe they heat differently than an electric oven. However I tried this one bowl chocolate cake and I had huge success!! I cooked it for 40mins instead of 30. And I followed the recipe exactly as it is, and it worked amazing! I’m a vegetarian so the fact that this recipe was eggless was pretty sweet. I’m officially a huge fan and I’d recommend this recipe to anyone who wants a healthy chocolate cake recipe. Thank you Jenny this recipe was a huge confidence booster for my baking skills!
Jenny do you have more eggless recipes I could try out? 🙂
Every recipe I make is on this site.
Tried this cake tonight and absolutely love it. It’s super easy to make and turns out nice and moist. I doubled the recipe and baked it in a 9×13 airbake pan. It took longer to bake since it was doubled, but the toothpick test worked perfect for determining when it was done. Thanks for the recipe Jenny. I’ll be making this again, probably without the frosting next time – just because I tend to find all frostings too sweet for my taste. Jenny’s frosting is pretty good though, even to me.
Hi Jenny. your video was chanced upon when I was doing my bed time recipe ‘read’. Love how detail the video is and how engaging you made the viewers feel like a close aunt sharing recipes.
I’m can’t wait to try your easy no knead crusty bread really soon before this Christmas.
But what I had earlier were perfect for this all-in-a-bowl chocolate cake. I loved how easy it is to prepare and bake since as a working mom in Singapore, time is always a constant battle to include baking after tending to the needs of my children.
The texture was great, moist in the inside and a little firm springy exterior with excellent color.
The sweetness level was just perfect (I omitted the frosting and only dusted some icing super over it) but the taste seems a little ‘rubber-soda’ and would probably need a richer chocolatey taste like a melted chocolate?
I used Hershey coco powder and bicarbonate soda. I would love to hear your recommendation. Thanks in advance!
Try using Dutch process cocoa. It’s the only kind I use because it’s darker, richer, and never bitter.
Can I use apple cider vinegar instead? This great recipe for vegan people. Thank you so much for all great recipes.
Yes, I have seen recipes for this kind of cake using cider vinegar.
Hi Jenny, I made this cake and its turned out moist and soft but slightly bitter. I am not sure what it could be. I used lemon juice.
I don’t think it’s the lemon juice but more likely the cocoa you are using that is bitter. I recommend Dutch process cocoa because it is never bitter. Assuming you followed the recipe EXACTLY, the cocoa is likely the problem. If you can’t find Dutch process, perhaps you can try a different brand.
I made this today for my spouse’s birthday. We don’t like to have a lot of sweets around the house for health reasons, but I thought this simple cake would be nice for a birthday treat. Wow! For a simple little cake it’s quite the delicious treat without the high fat and cholesterol. At first I was wondering if maybe I should make double the frosting and cover the whole thing. I discovered that the layer on top is plenty as the frosting tastes amazing! Both the cake and the frosting taste very rich. It was quite the treat and we both loved it. I made it in a spring-form cake pan which makes it easy to pop out. I’m having fun trying your recipes and so far they’ve been great! Thanks for doing this website and the YouTube videos.
Jenny I tried your yellow cake and loved it we ate every bit of it in the two days. So I thought you were chocolate cake would be divine I made it and it was about a fourth of an inch tall. I don’t understand what went wrong so I made it again and again it turned out 1/4 inch tall and rubbery. I racked my brain trying to think what the difference would be in your two cakes and it finally hit me your yellow cake had no soda in it and your chocolate when did so I tested my soda and sure enough it was flat. My husband just came home with a new box and I tried it again for the third time. Wala! It turned out perfect! So you if you have any readers out there that there cake didn’t rise that could be the reason their soda was flat. Thanks again for such a delicious recipes I’ve copied almost every one of them
Dear Jenny!!! Thank you so much for this recipe! easy, really easy and delicious!! I have changed a bit the recipe sometimes depending on what I have in the kitchen: sometimes i used 2 tbs of coconut oil, 2 of sesame oil and 2 olive oil. Sometimes just all 6 spoons of regular veg oil. Sometimes, i added a banana into the mix and other nuts… it works great everytime!! I made my first cake using your recipe and im so thankful! now i just want to keep baking!
Im very tempted to try this recipe but i only have pressure pan.i dont have oven.can i make this with pressure pan only? Pls help…
I have never used a pressure pan but I suggest looking at the instructions that came with it (or find them online). See if they have any recipes for cake and you might be able to follow those instructions with my recipe. Secondly, try googling “How to bake a cake in a pressure cooker” and that may help. Third, since I believe you have a stove top, you could also try looking for “stove top cake.” I’m sorry I am not able to help more.
Thank you so much Jenny!
I was searching recipe for a cake which I can make with ingredients that I already have at home, without going to the store. And I found it!
Cake is just perfect, it’s fluffy, light and of course so delicious.
Keep it up! Looking forward for other great heaven food 🙂
Could you use whole wheat flour instead of all purpose? Or at least substitute a portion of the all purpose?
I always use whole wheat flour when it works but for me, it does not work with this cake. I have other cakes where it (whole wheat PASTRY flour) works very well like my carrot cake, oatmeal snacking cake, lemon brownies, and most of my cookies.
Instead of olive oil can i use any veg cooking oil?
Yes.
Hi Jenny,
Can I use honey instead of sugar for this recipe?
I don’t think so. You’d be better off with a different recipe that uses honey.
Hi Jenny cool water is room temperature water or cold water???
Planning to make this cake with your one bowl yellow cake for a Checkerboard Cake
I would say room temperature, definitely not cold.
Hey Jenny
Just wanted to say how delish and popular the cake is. I was googling recipes for baking without butter, as I have not done the shopping yet, and came across u and this recipe. I followed it exact but used cheap cocoa (I live in NewZealand), it’s amazing. Thank u, you are a life saver.
hi jenny,
just made your recipe for one bowl choco cake for the second time…no frosting, just toasted almonds and a dusting of powdered sugar…oh and i did add a pinch of cinnamon and this time some instant expresso…we shall see…have a great day!
I’m allergic to eggs, so glad for this recipe. I’ve made this several times. 100% kid approved!
Jenny is that the only type cocoa that will work.? Thanks
Any unsweetened cocoa powder will work but Dutch process cocoa makes a much better cake and it’s worth looking for if you can find it.
Jenny, thank you with a grateful heart for sharing good recipes.
I love, love this cake recipes!
Just one question here. If I don’t do the icing because I can’t take butter. I like to dust it with more coco pwd. When should I dust it, before or after the cake is baked?
You would dust it after the cake is baked and cooled. You won’t really see cocoa powder on a brown cake and since the cocoa we use is unsweetened, you can use powdered sugar or a mixture of powdered sugar and cocoa.
Hi!
Do you think I can sub the baking soda for baking powder? Will it be the same amount? Would I need to add lemon/vinegar as well or omit?
Thnx!
No. Baking soda and baking powder are completely different. Since there are no eggs, this cake needs baking SODA, which is acidic, and the lemon/vinegar that it reacts with to make the cake rise.
What’s the purpose of the white distilled vinegar?