Crazy Italian chocolate cake (egg free chocolate cake)
The amazing egg-free chocolate cake that’s also dairy-free and takes under 10 minutes.
This incredible cake defies belief. It’s based on a recipe I was served up by an Italian family for my birthday dinner when I was in Tuscany – I fell in love! It’s one of the best chocolate cakes I’ve ever had – made with gorgeous Italian olive oil and balsamic vinegar (don’t worry, you can’t taste it). It’s sensationally decadent, moist and fudgy. The cake is egg free, dairy-free and takes under 10 minutes to prepare. It’s my go-to when I need something delicious, on the double.
The icing I’ve made here uses butter, but I’ve included options for a dairy-free version (you will find with some brands their 50% cocoa dark chocolate is dairy-free). I’ve also tried making the cake with plain gluten-free flour mix and it’s still lovely.
And it’s also beautiful as a dessert, served warm straight from the tin with lashings of ice cream. For a larger ‘special occasion’ cake, make two cakes with two lots of the mixture and sandwich them together with extra icing.
Prep time – 5 minutes
Cooking time – 50 minutes
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
1 ½ cups standard flour (or gluten-free flour mix without raising agent)
1 cup caster sugar
½ cup dark, good-quality baking cocoa (look for ‘dark’ on the label for best results)
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (or rice bran or grape seed or sunflower)
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (or white, malt or apple cider vinegar)
2-3 tsp pure vanilla essence
1 1/2 cups water (or cooled coffee)
Chocolate icing
150g chopped dark chocolate
(50% cocoa solids – use dairy-free if needed)
125g butter (or 150ml coconut cream)
1 tbsp olive oil, grape seed oil or rice bran oil
Method
Preheat the oven to 160c regular bake.
Grease a 20-22cm cake tin and dust all over with cocoa (make sure the tin isn’t too big or the cake will be a little flat). Or, just plonk a piece of baking paper in (that’s what I do now). If your tin is too big, it won’t rise properly.
Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt into a large mixing bowl. Stir with a whisk to combine evenly. Make a large well in the centre.
Pour the olive oil, vinegar, vanilla and water into the well. Using the whisk, start in the middle and stir the mixture GENTLY in a circular motion until the mixture is combined to a smooth batter – don’t worry if there a few small lumps, these will disappear in the oven. Don’t go crazy or you’ll flatten all the bubbles.
Bake just below the centre of the oven for about 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven.
If you’re going to serve it as a cake, let it cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning it out onto a rack. You can either dust with icing sugar to serve or ice it when cool (see below).
For a delicious pudding, dust with icing sugar and serve straight hot, straight from the tin, with ice cream.
The cake keeps in an airtight container for about 4 days (if it actually lasts that long I’ll be surprised).
Chocolate icing
Place the chopped chocolate and butter (or coconut cream) in heatproof bowl, then set over a saucepan of simmering water (don’t let the water touch the bowl). Stir until melted, then remove the bowl from the saucepan stir in the oil.
Leave to cool at room temperature until it’s thick enough to spread on the cake. If you try and speed it up by putting it in the fridge, keep an eye on it as it will need stirring often.
Hi Chelsea. Loving the sound of this recipe! Can you use an alternative oil? Thanks :)
Yes, sunflower also works well x
THANK YOU thank you thank you for this recipe! My eldest daughter is dairy, gluten, egg and peanut-free and for the past two years the birthday cake has been mildly stressful to say the least (5 attempts each year, and a mediocre result at best). It’s her sisters 1st birthday this week and although she doesn’t have allergies I wanted to have a cake that everyone could eat. THIS IS IT! I swapped the flour for Edmonds GF mix, and increased the oil to 1/2 cup. I wanted two layer cakes so did one in a 15cm tin, and split the batter in to thirds. And the second I doubled the mixture and did it in an 18cm split in to quarters. They look great, all ready to ice! Thanks from a relaxed Mama!
Thank you x
What could I use instead of olive oil??
Rice bran or sunflower x
As my sister and nephews can’t have dairy (she is also battling melanoma so making everything as natural as possible) and my granddaughter can’t have egg. I’m looking forward to baking these as cupcakes for our Xmas party on Saturday. I’ve developed a sugar-free dairy-free carrot cake so this will be a great alternative! Thanks!
This recipe is awesome! It’s my go to for anything- tiered cakes, muffins, mini muffins and Christmas tree shaped treats! My allergy child loves it too- thanks Chelsea!
Amazing! Such an easy cake to make. Your recipes are awesome…keep them coming!!
This is now my go-to chocolate cake recipe! Today I added the zest of an orange, and 1/4 cup of orange juice in place of 1/4 cup of the water to make an Orange Chocolate cake. Have also made this recipe as cupcakes and they turned out great, 15 minutes conventional bake. Thanks for the great recipe!
This is my go to chocolate cake now. it is AMAZING! Light and fluffy and so chocolatey! It makes EXCELLENT cupcakes! I checked it a little over 15 mins (on fan bake) and they were done. Used the same icing. SO GOOD!!!!! Have also made as a cake, I just find cupcakes more easily shared :)
Hi could you substitute flour for Almond flour or similar?
You can try a GF flour mix, I don’t know about almond flour.
Hi Chelsea,
Can you please tell me equivalent measurement for 1.5 cups flour – what is this in grams please?
Thanks so much!
One cup of flour is 128g.
Hi Chelsea. Am doing my cousins 40th cake and will try this recipe as it needs to be egg, dairy and gluten free. Do you think this icing would be ok under the fondant? Wondering if I refrigerate it so it sets hard? TIA :)
I’m not sure but give it a go!
Amazing. Made with my three year old yesterday. Easy and delicious, just like every recipe I’ve tried by you so far.
My cake cracked, what should I do to prevent this happening?
Sounds like you oven might have been a bit hot – turn it down 10c next time maybe. Also, cracking cake isn’t the end of the world, they are meant to a little bit!
This is the best chocolate cake ever! I have made it so many times and it is so fast and easy to make – and just as fast and easy to eat :) Thank you.
If using vanilla bean paste, do you still use 3 teaspoons? Or less?
2 should do it.
I often use a 20cm ring tin to bake cakes. Could I use this and would I need to alter the cooking time?
Nope :)
Just made this, so easy and just a beautiful flavour and texture (we devoured it warm). Defiantly will be making again!
Emma cooked this today- divine! Memories of your birthday with the Lenzies made it even better!
Hi Chelsea – I LOVE this cake!! Could some coffee be added to give it a slight mocha taste?
Sure! Add it in place of some of the water.
Thanks Chelsea..
This is my new ‘go-to’ recipe. So easy and always turns out amazing!
My husband even said ‘this is the best cake you’ve ever made!’ Fair to say the cake never lasts long in our house!
Love your recipes, so easy to follow and recipes always have ingredients that will be in the cupboard.
This is the best chocolate cake ever! So simple and delicious!
How long does the icing take to thicken up?
Could be up to an hour.
This is the best choccy cake i have ever made..everyone loves it esp. my birthday girl. Easy and great for vegetarians. Thanks soooo much!
Hi Chelsea, is it possible to make this as a vanilla cake instead of chocolate? and could I turn it into cupcakes as well? do you know what the cooking time would be for cupcakes?
Thanks
Sorry, it needs the cocoa to rise :) I’m not 100% sure for cupcakes as I haven’t done it with this recipe, but maybe 25 mins?
Kia ora does the GF option keep for the same amount of days?
Thanks
yes :-)
This cake recipe has been around for many, many years. There is a vanilla variation out there. Use extra flour in the same quantity of cocoa and maybe 1/2 teaspoon baking powder. I also use buttermilk instead of water. You can also use almond milk
My Mum has been making this cake for her 6 kids birthday’s for nearly 40 years – we call it crazy cake :) Is such a great tasting cake and also very easy recipe to make into cupcakes for my little ones now.
We add a little cinnamon to ours too which is gorgeous!
Thanks for sharing Chelsea x
Hi Chelsea,
I have just made your cake and it is lovely and soft but the top which I turned over to be the bottom when I took it out of the baking dish was quite hard as I sprinkled cocoa over it after greasing it. What is the reason for sprinkling the cocoa? Should I have turned it over? Maybe I put too much. It was hard to cut.
Hi Kay, the cocoa prevents the cake from sticking – you only need a very light dusting and you tip the rest out. Also, your oven may have been a bit too hot if the bottom went hard.
Hello Chelsea, will this recipe double ok?
Yes, just perhaps add 1/3 of the time to cooking.
I’ve had great success with this recipe! Can I use rice flour as a GF option?
I haven’t tried that, it might go a bit gluggy but you can try! A GF flour mix is usually best.
This cake is so delicous ,one of the ladies made it for tonight’s scrap booking class.its the best chocolate cake,dairy free one I have tasted.thanks for sharing the recipe ,now I have a recipe to bake for my dairy free friends
I have made this cake a couple of times now (in very close succession) and it is epic :D Thanks for the super quick and easy recipe!
Hi my birthday next Tuesday 8st September for my party
Would this cake be okay to stack? Would we have to freeze it first?
Yes, should be fine I think!
I have been using this recipe for a couple of years as a stacking cake and works great! Used it as a bottom tier for a three tier wedding cake and held up great! (With supports of course though)
Awesome x
Hi There, is there anything you could use instead of the sugar? thanks
Hi Stefanie, the sugar is what helps give it it’s nice fudgey texture – sorry!
Hi There. Will this be OK to make the day before needed? Or best to eat right away? :-)
Day before is fine!
Just made it this evening, really easy, used only half the amount of sugar and it still tasted GREAT – really nice and moist and good texture. Thanks for the recipe :)
Just about to start with the toddler (an easy one for helping with!) – will go for muffin tin – any reason we can’t freeze? Thanks
You can freeze it!
Could u use apple cider vinegar?
Yes.
Thank you Chelsea for these simple recipes. Just perfect for my attention span at the moment.
Just wanted to add that I find Homebrand cocoa powder nice and dark even tho its not labelled that way. A good cheap option.
Hi Chelsea,
I’m planning to use this recipe for a construction themed birthday cake in the shape of a 2. I’m wondering if/ how I could change the recipe so that the icing isn’t shiny? I’ll be doubling the mixture but cooking as one big cake, am I correct in thinking I add on 1/3 on to the cooking time?
Yes!
This cake is awesome! So quick, easy, and delicious! Thanks Chelsea :)
Looks lovely, could I make it muffin pans rather than a cake tin?
Yes – probably only need 25 minutes.
I cooked in a ring tin and it only took 20 mins to bake. Iced and filled the middle with berries for a birthday dessert cake. Very well received.
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Really? Why does this work? It’s AMAZING. Just made it and looks JUST like the picture. Absolutely delicious. Wow. thank you :-)
Fantastic, i am anaphylactic to eggs so love it when a nice dish is produced that has easy on hand ingredients.
What do you mean ‘plonk a bit of baking paper in the middle’? Do you mean scrunched into a ball to make cake smaller if tin is too big?
Use the correct size tin or your cake won’t rise. You can dust the tin with cocoa or use baking paper. “Plonk” a bit in means Chelsea doesn’t measure it beforehand x
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Super delicious!
We had it warm and sprinkled with icing sugar. I will definitely try it hot as a pudding with ice cream!
Thanks for the recipe :)
What brand of cocoa powder do you prefer?
Anything that says ‘dark’ on the label :)
Chelsea, I buy alkalized cocoa from this shop in Mt Eden as it is much cheaper than the branded Dutch Cocoa and the results are identical. If you haven’t been there before I’m sure you’d find it fascinating. Not just for vegans (I’m not one) but for anyone who has an interest in food and cooking. Regards, Jan.
https://aucklandvegan.wordpress.com/2015/03/29/a-grocery-store-you-should-know-about-bulk-food-savings/
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Diz is cool
Hi Chelsea, I’ve been making a cake with the same ingredients for the past 10 years for my dairy egg free kids except instead of just using water I make a up a cup of coffee, (prepared coffee, not a cup of coffee granules obviously) it is gorgeous, doesn’t taste like coffee but somehow adds to the flavor. Try it one day. X
Hiya does the balsamic leave a strong taste and could you use an alternative vinegar? Thanks Chelsea!
You can’t taste it but you can use white vinegar if you prefer.
Hi. I made this and used apple cider vinegar and worked perfectly. White vinegar is not suitable for being dairy free :)
Awesome cake recipe!!!!
It doesn’t leave a flavour at all :)
Do you just replace like for like when using gluten free flour?
Yep – maybe add a splash more oil (1/2 cup total).
Yes, but try 1/2 cup of oil instead.
Could you make these as cupcakes\muffins?
Yes, just reduce cooking time x
What would happen if you just used normal cocoa ie not dark as I have run out of my dark cocoa but have some other cocoa? Otherwise I do have cacao?
normal cocoa will work fine x