Why would you need a substitute?
Every baker has had the moment of panic where they realize they don’t have all the ingredients for the cake that’s already half-made. If you have no time to run to the shops, we’ve rounded up some simple substitutes for you that you’ll likely already have in your cupboard.
Veganism in 2020 is steadily growing in popularity, and this means that your diet excludes all animal products. These substitutes work well to replace the eggs in any cake recipes you loved in your pre-vegan days and make it easy to cater for everyone!
Egg allergy sufferers will also be satisfied by any of these substitutes. No one has to miss out on cake anymore!
Why do you need eggs?
Eggs have 2 primary functions in cakes - binding and leavening.
Binding is combining the dry ingredients to bring the cake into a cohesive batter. Leavening is another way of saying raising, so the eggs act to make the cake rise in the oven to become light and fluffy. Eggs also add flavor, moisture,, and a little color to cakes.
These egg replacements are unlikely to exactly mimic eggs in the exact same way, but any of the substitutes below work well.
What egg substitutes can I use?
Flax egg
Equivalent to 1 egg: 1tbsp ground flaxseed + 3tbsp water
Flax seeds are incredibly high in fiber and Omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fats are harder to get on a veggie or vegan diet, and so flax seeds are an easy source of this. They contain ALA (alpha-linolenic acid), an essential fatty acid that the body cannot make and must be sourced from food.
Flax seeds can go rancid fairly quickly, so it is advised to store in an airtight jar in the fridge or freezer. You will know they have gone rancid if they smell musty or fishy.
To make a flax egg, mix 1tbsp ground flax seed with 3tbsp of room temperature water in a small bowl and leave for up to 30 minutes for the mixture to become gel-like.
This is an excellent egg substitute for binding, but does not create the most attractive products.
Chia egg
Equivalent to 1 egg: 1tbsp chia seeds + 3tbsp water
Chia seeds are also very high in Omega-3 fatty acids and fiber, and work in a very similar way to flax seeds.
To make a chia egg, mix 1tbsp chia seeds in a small bowl with 3tbsp water. Leave for around 5 minutes to gelatinise and then mix into your batter. You can either leave the seeds whole to give more texture to your bake, or you can blend to a powder.
You can blend the seeds before adding the water and the process is the same, or blend after if you suddenly change your mind.
Chia eggs are good for binding batters and providing a little leavening. You can also soak whole chia seeds in water, milk, or any other liquid to make a chia pudding.
Fruit and vegetable puree
Equivalent to 1 egg: ¼ cup
These substitutes are better suited to more dense bakes, like bread-y cakes and gooey, indulgent brownies with a healthier spin. They work well to add moisture to your cake batter and to bind the ingredients together.
Common fruits to use are apples and banana, although you will end up tasting them slightly in the final product. You can also use avocado (due to the high fat content, this sometimes replaces butter too), sweet potatoes or squash.
Sweet potato brownies were a huge craze back in 2015, and rightly so. If you fancy some kitchen experiments, this is a good place to start.
Commercial egg replacement
Equivalent to 1 egg: Varies between manufacturers
Many companies have caught on to the rising vegan trend and have begun to introduce commercial egg replacers. Ener-G, Organ and JUST Egg are the companies dominating this market gap at the moment.
These taste and act the same as an egg would in baking, and are the easiest to use of all the substitutes. You can find them in specialist food shops, some supermarkets and online.
While the usage instructions vary (Ener-G and Organ are powders and JUST Egg is a liquid), you typically use 1½tsp powder with 2-3tbsp warm water per egg.
Aquafaba
Equivalent to 1 egg: 3tbsp
Aquafaba is having a moment in 2020, taking the egg replacement world by storm. Aquafaba is the name for the liquid in a can of chickpeas that usually gets discarded. Provided you buy the chickpeas just in water (no added salt), this can be drained from the can and used to replace egg whites in a variety of bakes.
The aquafaba is usually whipped to stiff peaks like egg whites and can be used to make mayonnaise, mousses and meringues. Sometimes cream of tartar or xanthan gum are added to stabilize the mixture, but the aquafaba is capable of reaching stiff peaks with just whisking.
It will take a long time, so we advise using an electric whisk to save your arm!
You can also use aquafaba straight from the tin without whisking, this is more suitable for binding cookies, cakes and pancakes.
Silken tofu
Equivalent to 1 egg: ¼ cup
Tofu is the holy grail of vegan foods, and often elicits nervous laughter and polite rejections when you tell someone they’re eating it. This is a silly way to look at it though, as in many recipes blended silken tofu will act perfectly as an egg replacement, and you can’t even taste it.
This is also good for adding moisture and binding cake batters. Blended silken tofu also makes the perfect base for a vegan cheesecake. It is fairly tasteless and acts as a carrier for whatever flavours you add, giving the final result a silky smooth, creamy texture.
Yogurt or buttermilk
Equivalent to 1 egg: ¼ cup
This is a great substitute for cupcakes, muffins, and larger cakes. We advise using plain yogurt if you don’t want to interfere with the flavour, but it could be fun to experiment with flavoured yogurts and see what the results are.
If you do not have buttermilk, or want to make a vegan buttermilk, it’s easy to make. Mix ¾ tsp lemon juice with ¼ cup soy milk and leave to curdle for 5 minutes. It will look horrible, but trust us, it tastes good.
Carbonated beverages
Equivalent to 1 egg: ¼ cup
Another egg substitute that has been taking the vegan baking world by storm is the use of fizzy drinks. For plain cakes, we recommend using carbonated water to not change the flavor.
Many vegans have been buying ‘accidentally vegan’ cake mixes from stores and mixing with a can of diet coke or lemonade and have been getting excellent results.
This is great for cakes as the carbon dioxide in the water makes the cake texture light and airy.
Vinegar and baking soda
Equivalent to 1 egg: 7g baking soda + 1tbsp vinegar
For this kind of substitution, we advise using apple cider vinegar or white distilled vinegar. When mixed with the baking soda, a chemical reaction begins to produce carbon dioxide and water which work to raise the cake in the oven.
Ths is best suited to cakes as it produces such a light texture. It is important to ensure the flavours in your cake are strong enough to counteract the acidity of the vinegar. For this reason, we advise using this substitute in chocolate and other heavily-flavored cakes.
Nut butter
Equivalent to 1 egg: 3tbsp
Nut butters are a good egg replacement if you are looking for extra flavour, creaminess and a decent protein content. Commonly used options are peanut, cashew and almond butter, although any will work.
It is advised to use smooth nut butter when substituting for eggs, as chunky butter will give your batter an odd texture and it is unlikely to combine well.
As with some of the other replacements, this can impact the flavour of your cakes and you must take this into consideration. Nut butters work best for binding in denser cakes such as brownies and pancakes.
Vegetable oil
Equivalent to 1 egg: ¼ cup
This is usually done as a direct swap for an egg if you run out while baking. The method yields good results when only substituting for 1 egg, but if you start doing 2+ your batter is likely to become far too greasy.
Arrowroot powder
Equivalent to 1 egg: 2tbsp arrowroot + 3tbsp water
Arrowroot powder comes from a South American tuber (a root) and is often used like cornflour slurries to thicken liquid mixtures. It is a very starchy mixture.
The powder and water are mixed together to form a smooth consistency, and then this gets added to the cake batter. This works well for binding and adding moisture to the batter, but will not help it to rise.
Chickpea flour
Equivalent to 1 egg: 3tbsp flour + 3tbsp water
This works as a binder and leavener in baking, like eggs do. Chickpea flour has lots of protein and is available in most health food stores and online.
To produce, simply mix the flour and water together in a bowl until creamy and thick. Add to the batter and bake!
Final thoughts
No matter what your dietary needs are, no one deserves to miss out on the joy of cakes.
With these simple and effective substitutes you will be able to make delicious treats fit for everyone to enjoy. So what are you waiting for, go and get baking!