If you’re looking for a delicious chocolate cake that’s lighter, wholesome, and full of real flavors, you’re going to love this Eggless Wholewheat Chocolate Orange Tea Cake!
This cake is sweetened naturally with jaggery, made with wholewheat flour, and flavored with real oranges — no eggs, no refined sugar, and no maida (all-purpose flour).

It’s the perfect treat for your teatime table or a healthier dessert option for family gatherings.

And best of all — it tastes rich, moist, and decadent!

Why You’ll Love This Cake

• Eggless and refined sugar-free
• Uses 100% wholewheat flour
• Naturally flavored with fresh oranges
• Topped with a luscious dark chocolate glaze
• Family-friendly and great for kids
• Perfect for summer, but delicious year-round!

Let’s look at the main Ingredients:

Fresh Orange Juice and Zest

Fresh orange juice and zest bring a vibrant, natural citrus flavour to the cake, eliminating the need for artificial flavorings. Oranges are considered to be a good source of with Vitamin C, antioxidants, and fiber, making them great for immunity and overall health. In this recipe, the zest intensifies the aroma while the juice adds moisture and a fresh summer-like brightness to every bite.

Jaggery

This cake is sweetened with jaggery — a traditional, unrefined sweetener that retains iron, minerals, and antioxidants. Jaggery offers a deep, caramel-like sweetness that pairs beautifully with chocolate and orange, while being a more wholesome alternative. You can use grated jaggery in this recipe as well.

Wholewheat Flour

Wholewheat flour adds a hearty, earthy flavour and a boost of nutrition. It is rich in fiber, and retains other nutrients making the cake more satisfying and nourishing, without compromising on tenderness or taste.

Dutch-Processed Cocoa Powder

Using high-quality Dutch-processed cocoa powder gives the cake a rich, smooth chocolate flavor with less acidity. Cocoa is considered to be a good source of antioxidants. Here, it balances the citrusy notes of orange perfectly, creating a luxurious chocolate experience.

Ghee or Butter

Ghee or butter is used to bring richness and moisture to the cake. In this recipe, it helps create a soft, melt-in-the-mouth crumb without making the cake feel greasy or heavy. You can use a neutral flavoured oil in this recipe as well.

Milk or Water

Cakes with cocoa powder need a lot of moisture to create soft, delicate crumbs. In this recipe you can use any milk, a plant based milk or even water to bring the batter together. In fact, water works really well in this cake.

More Wholesome Cakes from the “Summer in Every Slice” Series:

• Eggless Wholewheat Lemon Ricotta/Paneer Cake — A light, zesty cake made with fresh homemade paneer.
• Eggless Wholewheat Mango Crumble Cake — A tropical treat with juicy mangoes and a crunchy oat topping.
• Eggless Gluten-Free Jowar Orange Almond Cake — A hearty, nourishing cake made with sorghum flour and almonds.
• Vegan Wholewheat Coconut Loaf Cake — Soft, coconutty, and 100% plant-based!

Baking with real, nourishing ingredients brings so much more to the table — not just incredible flavour, but the joy of making something truly better for you and your family. This Eggless Wholewheat Chocolate Orange Tea Cake is a beautiful example of how simple, wholesome ingredients can create a rich, satisfying dessert you’ll feel good about sharing.
If you make it, I’d love to hear from you — share your creations with me on Instagram @VanillaTrails!

Eggless Wholewheat Chocolate Orange Tea Cake

Serves: 10 Prep Time: 20 mins Cooking Time: 55 mins 55 mins

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

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Ingredients

Zest of 2 Oranges

3/4 cup (180 ml) - Orange Juice

3/4 cup + 2tbsp (150 g) - Jaggery

1/3 cup (25 g) - Cocoa Powder

1/2 cup (90 g) - Ghee/Oil

1/4-1/8 tsp - Salt

1 tsp (5 ml) - Vanilla Extract

1.5 cup (200 g) - Wholewheat flour

1 tbsp (8 g) - Conn flour

1.5 tsp - Baking Powder

3/4 tsp - Baking Soda

1.25 cup (250 ml - 310 ml)- Water or Milk

For Glaze -

50g - Dark Chocolate

Zest of 1 orange

Instructions

 

1. In a pan, combine orange zest, orange juice, and jaggery. Heat gently on medium just until the jaggery dissolves.
2. Remove from heat, then stir in cocoa powder, ghee or butter, vanilla extract, and salt. Set aside to cool.
3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together wholewheat flour, cornflour, baking powder, and baking soda.
4. Pour the cooled orange-cocoa mixture into the dry ingredients. Gently fold together.
5. Add water and mix gently but thoroughly to form a smooth batter.
6. Pour the batter into a greased and parchment-lined 8-inch loaf pan (or 9-inch round cake pan). Bake at 170°C (340°F) for 45–55 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Once the cake has cooled completely, melt the dark chocolate and spread it generously over the top. Garnish with a sprinkle of fresh orange zest for a beautiful, fresh finish.
8. Slice the cake once it has completely cooled.
9. Store any leftover slices in a covered container in the refrigerator for upto a week.

Notes

1. Always zest your oranges before juicing them.

2. Use fresh-squeezed orange juice for the best taste — avoid bottled juice.

3. If the oranges are tart, use 1/2 cup of orange juice with 1/4 cup of water for the first step.
4. If you are using fine white salt, add just 1/8 tsp.
5. Dutch processed cocoa powder is more intense. If you are using a regular cocoa powder, you can use upto 1/2 cup of cocoa powder in this recipe.

6. Allow the jaggery mixture to cool before mixing it into the dry ingredients to avoid affecting the leavening agents.

7. To make this cake vegan, you can use any neutral flavoured oil and water in the recipe.

8. Don’t over mix the batter to keep the cake light and tender.

9. If you want this cake to be very moist, keep the batter consistency to be thin ribbons. You can add upto 1.5 cups of water in total in this recipe (excluding orange juice).

10. Check your cake from the 45-minute mark onward, as every oven can vary.

Did You Make This Recipe?

Have you made this recipe? Tag me on Instagram at @VanillaTrails and use the hashtag #MadeWithVanillaTrails.