We know, sometimes the jokes write themselves. ‘Can’t every chcolate cake be a depression cake?’ You may ask. But, really our chocolate ‘depression’ cake is from the Depression era. A centurian recipe, discover this humble chocolate cake (and its staying power) today.
Chocolate Depression Cake: Some Historical Forethought
The 1930s brought a devastating shift in financial stability for many American households, following the crash of the stock market and the onset of the Great Depression. With jobs lost and budgets in absolute free-fall, many families had to pull their metaphorical belts as tight as they could. While we may look back on the past with sympathy, and toward our own future with trepidation, we can still appreciate the ways people found small joys in difficult times.
The chocolate Depression cake, also known as “wacky cake” or “poor man’s cake,” had existed in other forms preceding the Great Depression, but really rose in popularity during the turbulent ’30s. Made without expensive or perishable ingredients like eggs, milk, or butter, it was a clever response to limited means. The recipe for Depression cake even persisted later during wartime rationing, especially during the height of U.S. intervention in World War II. But such frugal baking traditions stretch even further back than the 20th century, boiled raisin cakes appeared in Civil War–era pamphlets, proving that in hard times, people have always found ways to endure.
Nearly a century later, the ingredients of Depression cake remain pantry staples: flour, sugar, water, unsweetened cocoa, oil, and baking soda. It’s a cake born of thrift, ingenuity, and resilience, and accidentally, it’s vegan too. One bite and you’ll taste the resilient stick-to-itiveness of home bakers through the decades, maybe even throughout time.
For more cake recipes, check out other such goodies as our espresso yogurt cake, sunken strawberry cake, and no-bake pineapple cheesecake.
Chocolate Depression Cake
Equipment
- 1 8-in. round or square baking dish
Ingredients
For the batter:
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ⅓ cup neutral cooking oil e.g. vegetable or canola
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup room-temperature water
For the icing:
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 tbsp water adjust to achieve desired consistency
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F). Lightly grease your baking dish.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and cocoa powder.
- Make three small wells in the dry ingredients. Pour oil into one, vinegar into another, and vanilla extract into the third.
- Pour water over everything and mix until smooth. Don’t over-mix, just until no dry flour remains.
- Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake for 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
- Meanwhile, prepare the icing: In a bowl, mix together powdered sugar and cocoa powder.
- Add the vanilla and gradually add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring until smooth and spreadable. Adjust the water to achieve your desired consistency.
- Once the cake has baked, remove it from the oven and frost it only after it has completely cooled. Enjoy!