Home baked eggless cake recipe
Ever since people have learnt the science of baking, eggs have been an integral part of almost every baked dessert. Mostly every cake, cupcake or brownie recipe we see includes eggs. Now with the advent of various diets the egg has gained a not so popular reputation for itself. In the recent past some research has shown that egg could be a cause for higher cholesterol levels, allergies, risk of contamination & so on. This has led to a sizeable portion of society giving up the white oval! However, people still crave for their cakes & other baked delicacies. A solution to this is in the form of eggless cakes. Eggs are generally used as a binding agent, for adding moisture into the cake, for getting a good texture. However, the eggless version of the cake too can also be just as delicious and mouthwatering as the one with eggs.
Exact quantities of substitutes can give you that perfect eggless bake.
Alternatives that can be used to bake an eggless dessert are-
1) Tofu or Silken Tofu – About ¼ cup of smoothly beaten tofu would conveniently replace one egg. Blend the tofu well to remove lumps and make the mixture smooth
2) Cornstarch – Cornstarch paste (cornstarch + water) could be used as an egg substitute in puddings and cookies. Around 2 tbsp of cornstarch appropriately dissolved in water to form a smooth paste can be used in place of one egg
3) AppleSauce – 1/3 cup applesauce can be a good substitute for an egg in cakes, muffins and brownies. It helps in adding moisture to the cake and also as a good binding agent
4) Yogurt – Well beaten yogurt can be used in eggless cakes, muffins, breads and brownies to make them soft and moist. Add ¼ cup of yogurt instead of one egg. Soy yogurt can also be used instead of using plain yogurt
5) Bananas – ½ cup pureed fresh and ripe banana also act as a good binder and give a smooth texture to your brownies, muffins, breads and cakes
6) Vegetable Oil – ¼ cup of vegetable oil can also be a convenient replacement for eggs
7) Buttermilk – It is most frequently used as alternative to eggs. It gives soft, spongy and delicious cakes. Just replace the eggs in your recipe with half a cup of buttermilk
8) Vinegar and Baking powder – Mix about one tablespoon each of white vinegar and water in a glass. Add one teaspoon baking powder to it and mix well. This mixture can be of great use when your recipe uses more than one egg.
9) Soy Flour – 1 heaped tablespoon of soy flour dissolved in 2 tbsp water can also be used as an alternative in cakes, muffins and cookies.
10) Potato Starch – 2 tablespoons of potato starch can be used as an alternative to using egg as well.
11) Ener-G Egg Replacer – It is a commercially available egg replacement mostly used in baking crisp cookies. It requires the baker to strictly follow the quantity constraints as given on the pack.
Now let’s try out a simple vanilla sponge using yogurt which can be used as a base cake & can also be customized to form any other flavors of cakes or just enjoyed as an evening tea-time snack.
Ingredients –
Flour – 1.5 cups
Fresh yogurt or fresh thick curd stored at room temperature – 1 cup
Powdered sugar – ¾ cup
Baking soda – ½ tsp
Baking powder – 1 ¼ tsp
Vegetable Oil – ½ cup
Vanilla Essence – 1 tsp
Instructions –
– Baking always requires the oven to be preheated before you put the cake batter into it. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
– Beat the yogurt well to form a smooth paste. Once done, add in the sugar slowly by stirring occasionally.
– Add in the baking powder followed by baking soda. Mix well with a spoon or with an electric hand beater to give a smooth and fluffy mixture.
– Leave the mixture to settle until you see small bubbles on its surface.
– Add in the vanilla extract and vegetable oil. Mix well until all ingredients blend well into the mixture.
– Sift the flour into a bowl. Add the sifted flour into the prepared batter slowly, little by little, so that no lumps are formed. Mix well until the flour completely blends in and you get a smooth and even mixture.
– Grease a cake tin with some butter or oil so that the cake comes out easily from the tin once it is baked.
– Pour the prepared mixture into the greased cake tin. Tap the tin few times to remove any air bubbles and let the mixture settle properly. Now it’s time for your mixture to go into the oven.
– Bake the mixture for 30-35 minutes until it gets a golden crust. To check if your cake is done, insert a toothpick or the tip of a kitchen knife into it. If it comes out clean, it means the cake is ready.
– Let the cake cool and de-mould it.
You can use the cake to make the layers of a designer cake or add any kind of frosting to make it decorative. Else, you can just enjoy the cake as it is. You will definitely be proud of yourself if you made the cake taste great!!
