Chocolate depression cake is a moist chocolate sheet cake that was popular during the depression – due to the cake containing no eggs, dairy or butter!
Chocolate Depression Cake
This chocolate depression cake is a moist chocolate sheet cake that was popular during the Great Depression, due to the cake containing no eggs, dairy or butter! If you take a look through vintage cookbooks, you can also find this cake with several different names, including “poor man’s cake, wacky cake and depression era cake.”
This cake is really simple to make, with simple ingredients, just as it was made during the depression era when ingredients were scarce. Even as this chocolate depression cake doesn’t contain any eggs, dairy or butter, this cake stays really moist due to the use of cooking oil. While this recipe has been updated to include a chocolate frosting that contains dairy, you can definitely leave the frosting off and serve this cake with a dusting of powdered sugar if you want to keep it dairy and egg free. Read below for instructions on how to make this chocolate depression cake and for additional tips.
How to Make This Recipe
This chocolate depression cake is moist, even despite the use of no eggs, dairy or butter and comes together easily. It is topped with a simple chocolate frosting (skip the frosting if you want the recipe to be completely dairy and egg free).
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Salt
- Cocoa powder
- Granulated sugar
- Baking soda
- Vegetable oil
- Cold water
- Vanilla extract
- White vinegar
To make the cake, combine the all-purpose flour, salt, cocoa powder, granulated sugar and baking soda in a medium-sized mixing bowl; whisk until all combined. In a large liquid measuring cup, combine the vegetable oil, cold water, vanilla and vinegar. Mix into dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. Pour into a greased 8” square baking pan and bake at 325°F for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
The simple chocolate frosting is made from unsalted butter, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, salt, vanilla extract and evaporated milk. All of the ingredients for the frosting are combined in a bowl and the frosting is spread on the cake once it has completely cooled. Want to keep this cake dairy and egg free? Skip the chocolate frosting and serve unfrosted, or with a dusting of powdered sugar.
Tips for Chocolate Depression Cake
- You can easily double this recipe; use a standard 9″ x 13″ baking pan and bake for the same amount of time
- To keep this cake dairy free, omit the chocolate frosting. Top the cake with a dusting of powdered sugar instead
- Store in an airtight container up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 months
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Want more chocolate recipes? Check out these recipes:
Chocolate Depression Cake
Equipment
- mixing bowls of various sizes
- 8" square baking pan
Ingredients
Cake:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 Tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup cold water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon white vinegar
Frosting:
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
- 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 Tablespoons evaporated milk
Instructions
For the cake:
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon salt, 4 Tablespoons cocoa powder, 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon baking soda; whisk until all combined.
- In a large liquid measuring cup, combine the ½ cup vegetable oil, 1 cup cold water, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1 Tablespoon white vinegar
- Mix into dry ingredients and whisk until smooth.
- Pour into a greased 8” square baking pan and bake at 325°F for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool cake completely before frosting.
For the frosting:
- Combine all ingredients for the frosting (3 Tablespoons unsalted butter,, 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder,¼ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract,2 Tablespoons evaporated milk) in a medium-sized mixing bowl and beat until smooth. Spread onto cooled cake.
Notes
- You can easily double this recipe; use a standard 9″ x 13″ baking pan and bake for the same amount of time
- To keep this cake dairy free, omit the chocolate frosting. Top the cake with a dusting of powdered sugar instead
- Store in an airtight container up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 months