No eggs, no butter, no milk! This simple water cake comes together in no time and is the most delicious vegan cake I have had so far.
Would you ever guess that the main ingredient for this cake is water? It’s true! There are many things to say about this accidentally vegan cake, but the most important one is – that it is positively delicious!
This Water Cake comes together in no time and with very few pantry staples. No eggs, no butter, no milk! Perfect when you are running low on ingredients but in need of a cuddle.
During the past few months, I have been baking a lot. I’ve been on a mission to develop a healthy recipe for chocolate cake. It’s my daughter’s favorite cake to have. Though I tried many different concoctions, none won her over as the verdict was repeatedly, “it’s ok!”.
Then, a few weeks ago, while doing some research, I came across the classic Italian water cake. The concept of a cake that had so few ingredients intrigued me. Afterward, I noticed it had become a popular trend among my Italian foodie friends. That prompted me to give it a go.
To my amazement, the simplest cake I ever baked passed the test with flying colors as my daughter proclaimed, “Oooh, this is very yummyyyyy! Can I have another piece?”
Are you ready to make a hit with the water cake?
What to love about this water cake recipe
- It’s super easy and super fast to make
- It’s eggless and dairy-free and can also be made with gluten-free flour
- It’s a light dessert that you can enjoy guilt-free
- It can be modified to your own taste
- You can prepare the dry ingredients in advance and just add the water and oil when it’s time to bake
- It makes a wonderful gift for anyone
Water Cake mix in a jar
This cake was such a success I decided to share it by turning it into an amazing homemade gift for Christmas! Fill a Mason jar with the pre-measured dry ingredients, and you’ve got a great present for your kid’s teacher, your neighbor, or the auntie who has everything. All the recipient has to do is add water and oil and bake! Who doesn’t love a freshly baked cake, especially if it comes with a shortcut?
My daughter had a lot of fun helping to fill the jars 🙂 If you are feeling more artistic, you can add the ingredients one at a time with a funnel to create a nice layered effect. I preferred to keep it simple and mixed all the ingredients.
Don’t forget to include the instructions on how to turn the mix into a cake and the full recipe – as I am sure you will be asked for it:)
More recipes to try
- CHAI SPICE APPLE CAKE
- INCREDIBLY EASY CHRISTMAS COOKIES
- 10 CRAZY DELICIOUS DINNER RECIPES IN UNDER 15 MINUTES
Tips for making this vegan water cake
- Mix the dry ingredients first and slowly add the wet ones. This way, you will have fewer lumps.
- This cake is very nice as soon as it cools down, but I found that it tastes even better after 12 hours or so when all the flavors have settled. So if you have time, bake it the day before you want to eat it.
- You can use any shape of cake pan but do not use one smaller than 8 inches because the cake will be too thick.
- Make vegan muffins. Spoon the batter into a 12-cup muffin tray and bake at 400°F for about 15-18 minutes.
Possible substitutions and additions for the Water Cake
If you would prefer a white cake, simply substitute the same quantity of cocoa with flour and the flavor of your choice.
You can add any other flavor. I have already tried different combinations and the ones I love the most so far are:
- 2 tbsp of instant coffee powder
- 2 tbsp of Chai spice mix from my Chai Spice Apple Cake
- Lemon or orange zest for a citrus cake
- Vanilla extract for the most classic flavor
As mentioned before you can also use gluten-free flour. The original recipe I found called for Italian 00 flour. As it is not readily available in the USA or UK I based my recipe on wholemeal flour. I experimented with all-purpose flour which also worked very well in the same quantity.
I am really looking forward to hearing your thoughts on this simple yet delicious cake recipe. Happy baking!
Water Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp (270g) water
- 1/4 cup + 1 tsp (60g) sunflower oil (or any other vegetable oil)
- 1 tbsp (14g) baking powder
- 1 3/4 cup (220g) wholemeal or all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (50gr) cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup (100gr) light brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease the interior of an 8-inch cake pan.
- In a bowl, add flour, cocoa, baking powder, and sugar. Whisk until evenly combined.
- Add water and oil. Whisk until batter is smooth and no lumps remain.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared cake pan. Bake for about 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool completely before serving.
- You can dust the cake with powdered sugar if you wish.
If you tried this recipe leave a comment below or send me a message on Instagram!
