Pssst … Did you hear the one about the egg-free cake with all the height, structure and texture of the original? It’s no longer just an urban legend.

I wouldn’t have believed it either had I not seen the devil’s food cake with my own eyes. And even after seeing it, I was skeptical, convinced it was going to deflate when it cooled.

Much to my surprise, it didn’t. Not one centimeter. “That cake is not going to fit,” Big Guy said, looking at the relatively low ceiling on the domed plate we usually use.

I solved that problem by letting the kids “decorate” one layer to send to their grandfather. Less cake in the house means I can bake again sooner.

Good thing I split the batch, because when I found out this cake could actually be torted, it got even taller.

For those of you not familiar with torting, it basically means splitting the cake horizontally to allow room for extra layers of icing or filling. I’ve never been able to pull that off before with an egg-free cake. They’ve either been too moist or too fragile.

Oh, and the taste: Fantastic, but not overly chocolate-y.

I used a double batch of sour cream frosting with a touch of Lorann Washington Cherry Chocolate Flavoring left over from a bout of candy-making a few years back, though cherry extract will work just as well. Proceed with caution if you try Lorann. Remember that those flavorings are super-concentrated. An eighth of a teaspoon will do.

The result was like an inverted chocolate-covered cherry. Big Guy, who ordinarily loves cherry-flavored candy and drinks, grumbled a bit but that’s because he’d wanted chocolate frosting. No one else objected though.

Egg-free devil’s food cake

• 2 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 1 ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup sifted regular unsweetened cocoa
• ½ cup butter or margarine, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 tbl Ener-G Egg Replacer beaten with 2 tbl. hot water, then cooled. That’s two eggs for those of you in the non-allergic world
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 3/4 c. buttermilk. That’s 1 1/2 c. if  you’re not egg-free

Lightly grease and flour eight-inch pans* or coat with Baker’s Joy. Preheat oven to 350.

Combine dry ingredients and set aside. Cream butter and sugar with a mixer. Add egg replacer, half at a time, beating until well-blended. Add vanilla. Alternately add dry ingredients and buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour.

Pour into prepared pans and bake about 35 minutes.

*A cautionary note about the pans: I used commericial grade eight-inch round by two-inch deep. If your eight-inch pans are shallower than that – and most purchased at discount stores are – this cake likely will overflow into your oven. Use nine-inch pans instead.

Searchable recipe index

More egg-replacer recipes in an online special event at egglesscooking.com

Copyright 2009 Debra Legg. All rights reserved.

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