We hate to see anyone left out, particularly when there's cake involved.

So you pitched in to make sure Barbara Quartero can include her little granddaughters in an upcoming graduation celebration. Quartero, of Antioch, asked for cake recipes that don't include eggs or nuts. You offered a number of alternatives, ranging from cupcakes found in a favorite vegan cookbook to classic make-do recipes dating from eras when bakers learned to manage with shortages and rationing.

Of course, whether we're adjusting a recipe to accommodate allergies or simply because we don't want to run to the store for eggs, we also don't want to feel like we've compromised the end product. We want to enjoy our cake without noticing what it's missing. Plates readers assure Quartero their recipes won't seem like a sacrifice.

Vegan? Or just out of eggs? Try these egg-and-nut-free recipes.
Vegan? Or just out of eggs? Try these egg-and-nut-free recipes. (Mike Lucia/Staff Archives)

Sami Perkins offered the vegan golden vanilla cupcake recipe from "Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World" by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero. "I highly recommend the book, as it has many creative and delicious cupcake recipes," Perkins says. The vanilla cupcakes have become a go-to recipe.

"These cupcakes stand on their own merits and don't taste like you made sacrifices to leave out the eggs," says Perkins, who also likes the basic chocolate cupcake recipe in the cookbook. "In fact, I often use these recipes instead of regular cupcakes, because they are light and fluffy and very flavorful." Also, they don't require special ingredients. "There are times when I have run out of eggs, and these come in very handy. If you don't have any issues with dairy, then you can use regular milk in place of the soy milk."


Please note the recipe includes slightly different instructions, depending on whether you use margarine or canola oil. I'm sure you can substitute butter for the margarine and follow the mixing instructions for margarine. You can also vary the flavor a bit by using almond or caramel extract.

Several Plates readers sent a vintage recipe for wacky or crazy chocolate cake. The cake doesn't call for milk, butter or eggs. Most of us could assemble it out of the pantry if we had one of those late-night wish-I-had-some-chocolate cravings.

"I found this recipe online last year when I was cooking for a friend whose household had special dietary needs," Debbie E. says. "The cake tastes good and was a hit with my friend's children."

If, heaven forbid, you don't want a chocolate cake, you can leave the cocoa powder out. Reading several versions of this recipe, which some folks think dates to the Depression, I noted that the instructions have changed as the recipe passed from kitchen to kitchen. Some recipes now call for a greased, floured pan, while others say to leave the pan alone. Baking times vary. So, you may need to experiment a bit and watch the cake more carefully your first time. Never fear, though, because this is a very forgiving recipe, often a first-cake recipe for novice bakers. The recipe makes a moist cake that can be frosted or served on its own.

When Dona Dickie, of Livermore, was living in Germany back in the '70s, a German friend shared cake recipes she'd used during wartime, when shortages were rampant. Made in a Bundt pan, eggless apple cake includes plenty of apples and golden raisins. Apple juice and brown sugar sweeten the cake, which is spiced with cinnamon and cloves. Dickie tops the cake with cream cheese frosting.

"This is a pretty cake!" she says.

Request line

Jennifer is crazy for all things Greek yogurt and wonders how Plates readers are using the creamy, tangy yogurt. She'd particularly like recipes for healthy Popsicles, a frozen yogurt-based pie or refreshing summer dips.
