This is the simplest easiest chocolate cake recipe which makes a very light crumb cake, cheap too as it only uses cocoa powder and vegetable oil and those two ingredients are why the cake is so light.
It’s sweet enough for the kids, both the 5 year old and 17 year old have made their way through a few of these already. It’s a good recipe to have handy as it’s made with storecupboard ingredients, perfect for a last minute cake knock-up.
This cake relies on the baking powder and equally important the bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) for the rise since the cake is only mixed and the eggs are not whisked they’re here as a binder. The bicarbonate of soda reacts with the acidity in the cocoa and muscovado sugar for the lift and obviously the baking powder (double action) has most of its effect with the heat when baking.
How to make the cakes
Add the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt together.
Mix them really well, you can do this with your hand.
In a separate bowl beat the eggs with a fork for 10-15 seconds to loosen them well.
To the eggs add the vegetable oil, milk and vanilla extract.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix well together, a balloon whisk for 30 seconds should do it.
If you pour the mixture into a large jug it makes pouring into the cases easier. One of the reasons I like using cases to make cakes is not having to line tins.
Fill the cases two thirds of the way up.
Bake in pre-heated oven for 17-20 minutes. Cool on wire rack.
Can be eaten naked or decorated with chocolate icing (recipe to follow)
Easy Quick Light Chocolate Cakes (dairy-free)
This recipe made 10 large muffin size case cakes.
- 150g plain flour
- 30g cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (don’t skip it it really needs it)
- 175g light muscovado sugar (see note* below if using brown sugar or white sugar)
- 115g vegetable oil
- 80g milk or dairy-free milk (rice/soya/coconut/oat)
- 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, beaten for 10-15 seconds with a fork to loosen them
Pre-heat oven to 170˚C fan
Add all of the dry ingredients together; flour, cocoa, baking powder, bicarb soda, salt, sugar.
Add the oil, milk, vanilla and eggs extract together.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix together well. Pour into cases and bake for 17-20 minutes. Put the cakes on wire rack to cool
Note* If swapping muscovado sugar for brown sugar bring down the bicarbonate of soda to 1/4 teaspoon OR leave it out altogether and use 2 teaspoons of baking powder instead.
If using white sugar the cake will be drier, and bake quicker. There will have to be some adjustment like swapping 30g of flour for ground almonds or swapping milk for cream, see my post on Muscovado Sugar (unrefined brown sugar) and what a difference it makes.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi,
This recipe looks great – have you seen the ones on the web which go by the name Depression Cake (American) – as in they were made during the Great Depression without eggs as it was cheaper. I made a chocolate one once in honour of this country’s travails and it was really ok. Was planning on trying a vanilla one next. They are totally vegan too.
YUM!!! Tell me Azelia, how important is it that its Muscovado sugar?? I haven’t been able to find any yet here in Australia – could I substitute brown sugar instead do you think??- btw- I’m the “Julia” you helped earlier this year nut out all manner of things Sourdough and my first market stall selling my bread (by popular demand!) is coming up in mid November!! I attribute all my success to yours and my patience! THANKS – it seems to be worth all our effort… Still loving your blog tho you don’t (need to) hear from me that often!! Much love and gratitude to you always XXX
(mind you having just re-read that I may yet be in touch for help with the practicalities of baking multiple loaves!!! lol…)
hi Catherine – no I haven’t come across that particular one but have seen ones here with no egg also brought out during the war. I’m always on the look out for egg-free cake recipes for daughter but the recipe I had tried here wasn’t successful.
hi Julia – nice to hear from you again, and congratulations on selling your loaves! Great news, very pleased for you.
I will be making the recipe again today or tomorrow and will make it with white sugar, there should be enough acidity in the cocoa powder for the soda, if the cocoa powder has not been Dutch processed. It seems as a rule if cocoa powder is brown in colour it has not been processed and if it’s dark it has been processed which means they have neutralised the cocoa or made it more alkaline, depending on how much it’s been Dutch processed.
Hi
I just sent you a few recipes for the Depression Era cake – also called Wacky Cake. I also sent you one for Chocolate Mayo Cake.
thanks Catherine.