Chocolate Depression Cake – No Milk, Eggs or Butter

5 from 229 votes
175 Comments
Jill Mills Updated: Jan 12, 2022
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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 with chocolate frosting

Featured Comment
We baked this depression cake today, along with the chocolate buttercream frosting. So delicious! We added almond extract to the cake and frosting, along with vanilla. I'm amazed at how moist and tender this turned out.
– Elizabeth Quan
174 More Comments

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.

deep depression cake

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.

make weels 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.

cake batter in a baking dish

Pour water over everything and whisk to combine thoroughly.

deep depression cake ready to bake

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.

chocolate cake with chocolate frosting

If desired, sprinkle rainbow sprinkles over the top.

Enjoy!

deep depression cake on a white plate

 

deep depression cake with chocolate frosting
5 from 229 votes

Chocolate Depression Cake - No Milk, Eggs or Butter

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.
Servings: 10
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
Print Rate

Ingredients
  

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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Nutrition

Calories: 216kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Sodium: 228mg | Potassium: 64mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 20g | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 1mg

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deep depression cake with chocolate frosting

Wacky Cake - No Milk, Eggs or Butter!

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175 comments on “Chocolate Depression Cake – No Milk, Eggs or Butter”

  1. Brittany

    Is there a recipe for this particular frosting? That’s what drew me to the cake. The frosting looked amazing!

    Reply
  2. Joyce M. Jeffries

    In 1958, My Mom bought me a “Mary Alden’s CookBook for Children” and this cake recipe was in it, and never has failed yet. I’ve been making it since I was 12 years old. Sometimes if I put chocolate frosting on it, I will add a couple of teaspoons of peanut butter to the frosting just for a different flavor. I also like it just warm and with only a bit of butter spread over it. (No frosting). It’s also really good with a cream cheese frosting.

    Reply
  3. Darlene

    Great for lactose intolerant people.
    it would be nice if you have more of these recipes that you could be posting thank you for this one.

    Reply
    1. shaylee

      Hi
      Can the sugar be replaced with a sweetener instead or will this affect consistency of cake ?
      Thank you

      Reply
      1. Silke Sears

        Make this for my vegan friends…combine it with vegan chocolate frosting made from refrigerated coconut cream, unshaken and liquid drained to use for something else, beaten with raw chocolate powder and fine sugar to taste. Like adding Cinnamon and or cardamom for extra pep.

  6. Patricia Baughman

    I have made this cake many times. It was called a cockeyed cake. My recipe calls for 1 tablespoon vinegar not 1 teaspoon. We love this cake!

    Reply
  8. Ange Smit

    They had canola oil or other similar vegetable oil during the depression? I’m suspicious that they would be more apt to use lard for the fat in it.

    Reply
  9. Annika

    Confirming what size dish to bake in. The recipe calls for 8×8 square pan but the dish in the pictures looks like a 9×13. What should we use?

    Reply
      1. Peggy

        4 stars
        Thanks for the recipe! It’s in the oven now. Mixed it up with child care children for a birthday. It seemed to difficult to spread the amount of batter in the 9×13 pan though so I put it in a smaller glass pan. Just took it out and it looks great!

  10. Carol Snyder

    I use different abbreviations for T. And tsp so I’m confused as to what yours are. is TSP teaspoon or tablespoon

    Reply
    1. Jill
      Jill Mills

      Hi Carol, I usually use tsp. for teaspoon or spell it out. I use T. or Tbsp for Tablespoon. Hope this helps!

      Reply