The absolute best easy chocolate cake recipe. Made in one bowl, no mixer needed, and baked in an 8×8 pan. Best of all, you don’t need eggs or butter to make it. As a cooking instructor, this is my go-to cake for teaching everyone from first-time to more experienced bakers. The results are perfect every time.

Kayla says: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I was blown away by how good this cake was! It’s so simple and not too costly to make considering the basic ingredients, and it’s one of the best chocolate cakes i’ve ever had! Incredibly rich, moist, and so delicious, I used a combination of dutch process and regular cocoa powder, so good!!

If you’ve been following this site for some time, you know that my favorite type of recipes are quick, easy, and weeknight friendly. Perhaps you’re here because you’re already a fan of my chewy chocolate chip cookies (with 1,000+ positive reviews) or my oatmeal chocolate chip bars (that readers call “delicious and easy”). But if you want an easy chocolate cake, this recipe is IT. No one ever guesses that it’s made without eggs or butter because the flavor is so rich, moist, and fudgy.

This is my go-to cake recipe. It’s easy, delicious, and endlessly adaptable for different occasions! – AB

What makes this chocolate cake so easy?

This easy chocolate cake recipe uses just one bowl and the cake is naturally dairy-free. No milk, eggs, or butter needed. You can mix it all by hand and it bakes in under 30 minutes.

It’s fantastic with just a dusting of powdered sugar, but chocolate whipped cream frosting is always a welcome addition.

What is a Depression Chocolate Cake?

This style of cake is known as a Depression Chocolate Cake because it doesn’t use milk, butter, or eggs – ingredients that were expensive and difficult to find during the Great Depression. However, the resulting cake doesn’t taste like any sacrifice has been made – it is rich, moist, and incredibly delicious.

This Chocolate Cake is perfect for:

• Taking to friends with a new baby, new house, or who just need a little love
• Potlucks
• Baking with kids
• Late-night chocolate cravings
• Birthdays
• St. Patrick’s Day (try this Guinness version with an Irish twist)
• Tuesday nights

Chocolate Cake without Eggs

One of the surprising perks of this recipe is that it doesn’t require eggs! It is naturally egg-free and naturally vegan. But whether you came here looking for an egg-free / vegan cake or not, you’ll love this cake. It is tender and full of chocolate flavor.

This was amazing! First time baking without eggs! Me and my family loved it.

– Jenni

Ingredients

• Flour – All-Purpose Flour is the best bet here. I’ve also tested with White Whole Wheat flour with great results. (I’d guess that a gluten-free blend / sub would also work really well in this simple recipe, though I haven’t tried it.)
• Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – Look for natural unsweetened cocoa powder, not cocoa powder labeled Dutch-process. Regular Hershey’s Cocoa Powder is my go-to, but I also make this recipe with Hershey’s Special Dark and the results are great.
• Vegetable Oil – I keep vegetable oil on-hand for baking, but any other neutral oil would work.
• Mini Chocolate Chips – These are optional, but add a great bonus chocolate element. Mini chocolate chips work best – they bake evenly into the cake and you get a little in each bite. Standard-sized chocolate chips would work too, but will be more pronounced in the final product.
• Sugar, Pure Vanilla Extract, Baking Soda, Salt – Standard baking ingredients.

Storing Leftovers

Store frosted or unfrosted chocolate cake in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If the cake is not frosted it can also be stored at room temperature, but with this chocolate cake recipe, I prefer the fudgy texture it gets in the fridge. 😉

FAQs

More Easy Cake Recipes

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Snack Cake

Applesauce Cake

Easy Vanilla Cake (with oil, no butter)

Semolina Cake