This is another fine mess Madhuram at egglesscooking.com has gotten me into.

Here I was, rolling along in my little egg-replacer rut when she throw a curve at me:  This month’s egg-free baking challenge is using vinegar as a substitute.

OK … I know it can be done because I have some recipes that pull it off. But way to throw me out of my comfort zone. Goodbye, kitchen. Hello, science lab!

Seriously, though, I like this idea because vinegar is so readily available. If I can get a handle on this, it will be a lot easier than toting egg replacer on vacation. EnerG Egg, after all, is a suspicious-looking white powder. I’d hate to get strip-searched by TSA so Big Guy can have sweets while we’re visiting Mawmaw.

My first attempt, a fudge cake recipe from Betty Crocker’s Baking Classics, turned out OK. Not wonderful, because this is the one egg-free recipe I’ve concocted so far where I can honestly say I miss the fudgey fat goodness from the original.

But if you’ve never tried the original, this one works well.

The texture is moist, but not firm. You won’t be able to tort it unless you freeze the layers first, but, then, I could never tort the original without freezing either.

The cake also tends to flake off as you try to frost it – if you’re using a light-colored icing, use a thin coat of icing first and let it set to hold in the flakes – but I had that problem with the original as well.

I like that the recipe is cocoa-based, so I don’t have to mess with melting chocolate. And it’s stunningly simple. You don’t have to mess with separate creaming and then alternating dry and wet ingredients. Just throw it all in a bowl and go – really, it works.

Most importantly: The guys loved it. So we’ll call this one a success.

Egg-free chocolate fudge cake

• 1 2/3 c. all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 c. sugar
• 2/3 c. cocoa
• 1 tsp. salt
• 3 1/2 tsp. baking soda – the original calls form 1 1/2 tsp.
• 2 tbl. white vinegar – this plus the extra baking soda substitutes for two eggs.
• 1 7/8 c. buttermilk – I initially tried 2 cups, but the cake sank almost imperceptibly. The original recipe calls for 1 1/2 c. buttermilk
• 1/2 c. shortening
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Beat all ingredients at low speed until combined. Beat on high speed, scraping occasionally, for three minutes. Pour into pans – 13×9 or 8- or 9-inch round or squares – that have been greased and floured or coated with Baker’s Joy.

Bake rectangle 35 to 40 minutes, layers 30 to 35 minutes at 350 degrees. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes and then remove to finish cooling.

Searchable recipe index

The vinegar challenge at egglesscoking.com

Copyright 2009 Debra Legg. All rights reserved.

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