This recipe is from the time of the Great Depression, it’s a moist and light chocolate cake made without eggs or dairy.
I shared this recipe back in June of 2012. The other day while sharing with you my Chicken Piccata Recipe, it came to mind once again. As a matter of a fact, I couldn’t STOP thinking about it. I had to make it. We had this for dessert Monday night. It’s one of my hubby’s favorite cakes. Why? Because there is no frosting. Yep. he’s “one of those” who scrapes the frosting off of the cake before he eats it. We like to serve this with a big dollop of whipped cream, but it’s delicious right out of the dish, like a snack cake.
Depression Cake? Yep, that’s what I said.
Actually, this is called “depression cake” because the recipe is from the time of the Great Depression, when eggs were scarce.
Depression Cake
This recipe is from the time of the Great Depression, it's a moist and light chocolate cake made without eggs or dairy.
Ingredients
- 2 cups sugar
- 3 cups flour
- 5 heaping Tablespoons of cocoa
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 10 Tablespoons oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 Tablespoons white vinegar
- 2 cups cold water
- whipped cream, for serving, if desired
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine ingredients and pour into an UNGREASED 9×13 pan.
- Bake for 40 minutes.
- Top with fresh whipped cream if desired.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
18Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving:Calories: 239 Total Fat: 8g Saturated Fat: 1g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 7g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 259mg Carbohydrates: 39g Net Carbohydrates: 0g Fiber: 1g Sugar: 22g Sugar Alcohols: 0g Protein: 2g
If you make this recipe, I’d love to know! Snap a picture, share the photo on social media with the hashtag #AnAffairFromTheHeart – I’d love to see what you made! – Michaela
Aunt Bee says
Chocolate cake is one of my all time favorite desserts, so I need to try this! It looks SO GOOD! Happy Birthday, Kenzie!
Lynn says
Hi there! This looks wonderful! What type of cocoa do you use – Dutch processed or natural? I think one of them would change the flavor?
Michaela Kenkel says
I just use Hershey’s cocoa. Just the stuff in the can. Nothing special! 🙂
Sara says
Can I use gluten free flour instead and would it be the same measurements??
Michaela Kenkel says
Sara— I don’t know the measurements for gluten free flour or if they are different than all purpose? I have never baked with it before.
Michelle says
I used the same measurements for gf flour and it turned out just fine. I would encourage thorough mixing–when I poured it in the pan i noticed the oil and water was not as mixed, and I tried a little gentle stirring in the pan. It was 95% great, but one end had a gooeyness that was interesting. So mix well! 🙂
Michaela Kenkel says
Thank you so much for sharing how it turned out for you! This is sure to help others! 🙂
sara wickham says
Can I sub in gluten free flour instead of regular flour? Plus would it be the same measurements?
Michaela Kenkel says
Sara- I have never baked with gluten free flour? I would look at the manufacturer website to see if the measurements are the same as all purpose flour.
Linda Parrish says
This cake, I made for my kids when they were little. i was a poor working divorced mother and this cake didn require eggs or milk, so it was really cheap to make. Well, cheap before the price of cocoa skyrocketed.
It is a delicious and oh so moist cake.
This was way back in the 1970s when I was making this for my kids.
Try it, you won be disappointed.
Michaela Kenkel says
We love this one! I agree– Cocoa is no longer cheap, but this one is still a favorite. Thanks for visiting! ????
Sarah says
Hello! It looks good and simple! May I ask what does the white vinegar do? Im really interested to try this recipe but wonder if i can skip the vinegar as im not a fan of tt
Michaela Kenkel says
It’s what lets you replace the eggs. You can’t taste it AT ALL. I promise!
Elynes Callero says
Lo voy a preparar, muy fácil y económico !! Un abrazo desde Argentina!!
Juanita says
Can you tell me calorie count
Michaela Kenkel says
Juanita- I don’t know the calorie count. I have used sparkrecipes.com to figure calories in the past, you could try that. You enter the ingredients, divide by how many potions to get the count. Hope this helps.
Nancy Alleshouse says
I am 65 years old, and my mother made this cake for us as kids during our growing up years. I’ll bet she made it almost weekly. My husband likes it because its a dense cake.
Michaela Kenkel says
Thank you for sharing your story with me! 🙂
Dorothy says
It looks like a delicious chocolate cake. I’ve never made a cake without eggs and with Vinegar. Definitely going to try this one.