There is nothing easier to make than a Deep Depression Cake. A cake that dates back to the Great Depression, it is easy to make, a moist and inexpensive cake that has an amazing flavor. Made without butter, eggs or milk, this cake was inspired during the Great Depression.
Our 5-Minute Chocolate Buttercream Frosting is perfect with this chocolate cake recipe.
Deep Depression Cake Recipe
While deep depression cake started back in the Great Depression, it doesn’t mean it isn’t still loved today. This cake has been a classic for years and for good reason. This cake is extremely easy to make. It requires only the pan you will be baking in and a fork. It couldn’t be easier. The ingredients are extremely inexpensive.
Why Is This Called a Depression Cake?
This cake was created during the Great Depression. The cake is made with no butter, no eggs, and no milk. This is because during the Great Depression these ingredients were hard to come by. Since it was hard for many families to have enough food, dessert was a treat. By making it as inexpensive as possible.
Can I Freeze This Chocolate Cake?
If you want to freeze this Depression Era Chocolate cake, it is easy to do. Once the cake is cooled, you can slice it into pieces. You can freeze the cake as a whole or in individual slices. You can freeze the cake frosted or unfrosted. If you are freezing the cake frosted, you might want to freeze it on a plate before wrapping it. This will prevent the frosting from sticking to the plastic wrap.
Ingredients You Will Need
(full amounts in recipe box below)
- All-purpose Flour
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- Sugar
- Baking Soda
- Kosher Salt
- White Vinegar
- Vanilla Extract
- Vegetable Oil or Canola Oil
- Water
- Chocolate Frosting
- Rainbow Sprinkles
How to Make a Wacky Cake
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 13×9 baking dish with butter.
Using the pan as a bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
Using a fork, whisk together the ingredients.
Make 2 small wells on the sides and one larger well in the center in the dry ingredients.
Pour the vanilla and vinegar in each of the small wells and then oil in the larger well. Don’t worry if it overflows.
Pour water over everything and whisk to combine thoroughly.
Bake for 30 minutes or until the cake is done. A toothpick will come out clean when it is done.
Cool the cake completely and frost the cake with your favorite chocolate frosting.
If desired, sprinkle rainbow sprinkles over the top.
Enjoy!
Chocolate Depression Cake - No Milk, Eggs or Butter
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup All-purpose Flour
- 1/3 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 1 cup Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 teaspoon White Vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1/3 cup Vegetable Oil
- 1 cup Water
- Chocolate Frosting of your choice
- Rainbow Sprinkles optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Grease an 13x9 pan with butter.
- In the greased pan, combine the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
- Whisk lightly with a fork or small whisk to combine.
- Make two small wells on the sides and 1 large well in the middle of the dry ingredients.
- Pour the vinegar and vanilla into the small wells then pour the oil in the big well, if they spill over the wells that's perfectly okay.
- Pour the water over the top and whisk again to combine thoroughly.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Cool completely.
- Frost the cake with your choice of chocolate frosting. Our 5-Minute Chocolate Buttercream Frosting is wonderful with this cake!
- Optional; sprinkle rainbow sprinkles on top.
- Enjoy!
Last Step:
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164 comments on “Chocolate Depression Cake – No Milk, Eggs or Butter”
Will dutch processed/alkalized cocoa powder work in this recipe, or should I stick with natural cocoa powder? Thanks 🙂
Hi Lisa. Yes, Dutch processed will work as a substitute but may yield a darker cake with a more intense chocolate flavor.
Amazing!!!
Thanks Betsy!
if i do not have cocoa powder and i bake it will it be vanilla cake?
Hi Sophie. Yes and I would use 2 teaspoons vanilla extract if not using the cocoa.
I don’t have white vinegar. Can I substitute apple cider vinegar for the 1 teaspoon?
Hi Daneen. Yes, ACV will work fine as a substitution.
yum, cooked faster in my oven. Will try in cupcakes next
Thanks Rachel!
Hey Jill! I’ve made this a few times and it’s always delicious. I’m just wondering: Do you think this recipe would hold up as cupcakes? Have you tried that by chance?
Thanks Heather! I haven’t tried this recipe as cupcakes but we have several readers who have with good results.
Texture and taste good. Used the suggested icing. Perfect together.
Thanks Faye!
I grew up eating this. When I married,it became my husband’s favorite. Later I started putting some mayonnaise in it. It really brings out the chocolate favor.
Thank you Linda!
It doesn’t stick to the pan?
Since the fork did touch the bottom of the pan while mixing the ingredients, I feel like it did scrape/displace at least some of the butter – & did make it so the cake stuck somewhat. It was tasty though! If I were to make it again, I’d do the mixing in a separate bowl.
Is one recipe of your 5-minute chocolate butter cream frosting enough to cover this cake? Or would I need to double the frosting recipe? Thanks
Hi Lil. You will not need to double the recipe for buttercream frosting to cover this cake.