Whether you have egg allergies, are a vegan, or follow a more sustainable diet that avoids egg farming, you don’t have to miss out on a pound cake.
Fortunately, there are several egg substitutes in baking. They all work to create similar binding and leavening effects on your cake.
You can opt for healthier alternatives like mashed bananas, silken tofu, or applesauce. Meanwhile, other options can offer more lift, like carbonated water.
Some egg replacers can enhance the pound cake’s texture and moisture level as well. Either way, stick around to learn more about how to make pound cake eggless.
What Are Good Egg Substitutes and How Will They Impact the Outcome?
Baking is a versatile art. You can substitute various ingredients in your recipe without altering too much of the intended flavor and texture.
Here are some egg substitutes for your pound cake recipe and how they’ll affect your outcome.
1 – Mashed Bananas
Bananas are an exceptional fiber-rich egg substitute for your pound cake recipe. They’re effective at combining liquid and dry ingredients.
Despite that, you’ll notice the flavor after baking it. It may also create a gummy texture since it contains extra starches. Visually, you might see a few dark spots in the result.
Bananas still offer a unique flavor and additional fiber content. You can substitute ¼ cup of the mashed fruit for one large egg. Be sure to use ripe bananas so you can mash them with ease.
2 – Commercial Egg Replacer
A commercial egg replacer provides a suitable leavening and binding agent. Fortunately, the option is widely sold.
The substitute contains tapioca flour, potato starch, psyllium husk fiber, and baking soda. The flour and starch help stabilize the pound cake.
Meanwhile, the husk retains and absorbs moisture, making it an ideal thickening agent. The baking soda provides lift.
3 – Applesauce
Applesauce is a well-suited egg replacement for those looking to integrate health benefits into their baked goods.
Now, the ingredient has garnered a lot of mixed reviews. Besides that, apple offers an excellent binding agent thanks to its pectin.
The moisture in applesauce will contribute to your pound cake’s succulence. In terms of the downsides, your pound cake will likely not develop a crisp outer layer due to the excess liquid.
It’ll also make the cake chewier and add a hint of apple flavor. Nonetheless, other reviews of the egg substitute didn’t notice the change in taste.
When adding it to your eggless recipe, ¼ cup of applesauce is equivalent to one large egg.
4 – Cornstarch
You might be out of bananas, apple sauce, and yogurt. In these situations, you can resort to using corn starch. It’s lying somewhere in everyone’s pantry.
The viscous texture of a cornstarch and water mixture can complement your pound cake batter. It yields moist results.
When adding the slurry, two tablespoons of cornstarch and three tablespoons of water equate to one egg.
5 – Yogurt
Yogurt is one of the most highly appraised egg substitutes in pound cake recipes. It elevates your cake’s flavor, adds moisture, and doesn’t alter its original taste by much.
Using full-fat yogurt incorporates fat, protein, and water into your batter. It enriches your cake’s flavor and provides a fluffier bite.
Before adding the egg replacer, it’s worth considering that the yogurt may darken your cake. Plus, it may not be the best leavening agent since the cake won’t rise as much.
In turn, you can add baking soda to the yogurt before adding it. To do so, let your yogurt sit at room temperature for about 10 to 15 minutes. Then, sprinkle a pinch of baking soda.
Since yogurt is acidic and baking soda is alkaline, the mixture will bubble slightly. These bubbles will create the lift.
Overall, plain yogurt is a tried and true egg substitute for most pound cake recipes since it nears the original’s texture and flavor the most. For reference, a ⅓ cup of yogurt will replace one egg.
6 – Silken Tofu
Silken tofu is an ideal vegan egg substitute. It has a creamy texture when blended that mixes well with pound cake batter.
Blending it is critical. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a lumpy mess. The best part is that the smooth ingredient won’t impact your pound cake’s flavor.
That said, ¼ of silken tofu can replace one egg.
7 – Carbonated Water
Out of most egg replacers mentioned, carbonated water seems the most unlikely. By some food chemistry miracle, the bubbly water can produce the light, airy pound cake of your dreams.
The bubbles in the water trap air into your batter, creating more chances of an airy texture and rise. Plus, it doesn’t interfere with your pound cake’s flavor and integrates more moisture.
You can use club soda, seltzer, and sparkling water. Make sure you don’t reach for the flavored kind unless you want a hint of citrus flavor. A ¼ cup of carbonated water replaces one egg.
8 – Oil, Baking Powder, and Water
If you’re in a pinch, this trio combination is a lifesaver. The option offers similar results to the original with a slight extra tang in flavor.
Nonetheless, you’ll still end up with a spongy texture. One large egg equates to two teaspoons of baking powder, two teaspoons of water, and one teaspoon of oil.
9 – Chia Seeds
Chia seeds offer a crunch factor to your eggless pound cake recipe. Subsequently, the egg substitute will provide a unique texture without modifying flavor.
Before adding the chia seeds to your batter, hydrate them to create a chia egg. The protein-packed ingredient works similarly to eggs as a binding agent.
Its gelatinous texture will meld your liquid and dry ingredients well. Portion-wise, one tablespoon of ground or whole chia seeds and three tablespoons of water equate to one large egg.
10 – Baking Soda and Vinegar
Similar to carbonated water, a mixture of baking soda and vinegar will create a similar bubbly effect. It’ll trap more air into your pound cake batter, resulting in a lighter texture.
One tablespoon of vinegar and one teaspoon of baking soda will replace one egg.
Why Your Batter Changes Color
With most of the egg substitutes, you’ll likely notice your batter taking on a darker shade. Not to worry, it’s a natural reaction.
The color changes are all a result of pH imbalances. Eggs carry neutral pH levels, giving off little to no reaction.
Meanwhile, additions like carbonated water, yogurt, and silken tofu infuse an acidic and alkaline pH level. The process results in a Maillard reaction, where browning takes place.
The Role of Eggs in Pound Cakes
In most baking recipes, eggs act as the glue to all other ingredients. They provide the structure and stability of a baked good.
The protein-rich ingredient emulsifies liquid ingredients and coagulates with the starch and flour additions. Besides that, different parts of the egg hold distinct purposes.
Yolks
Egg yolks are a moisture-inducing ingredient. They contribute to your cake’s fat content and flavor profile.
The yolks allow water and fat components to meld together, holding extra moisture and sugar. For this reason, lots of baking recipes call for adding yolks separately.
Egg Whites
Egg whites provide hold for your pound cake. Some recipes allow you to omit the egg whites because they dry out the cake.
Nevertheless, other recipes ask you to whip the whites separately before folding them into your cake batter. That way, your cake will turn out fluffier in texture.
Final Thoughts
From fruit purees and carbonated soda to silken tofu and yogurt, the options for egg substitutes are wide. Each option brings about varying results.
Liquid and cream-based products, like club soda and yogurt, often introduce more moisture to your recipe.
Meanwhile, mashed bananas and applesauce provide a chewier texture with a subtle fruity flavor.
Either way, your eggless pound cakes will suit more palates and offer unique experiment-worthy flavors.
Sarah is the founder of Baking Kneads, LLC, a blog sharing guides, tips, and recipes for those learning how to bake. Growing up as the daughter of a baker, she spent much of her childhood learning the basics in a local bakery.