Our Depression Cake is a sweet chocolate cake that contains no milk, eggs, or butter and is topped with an optional rich chocolate frosting. It uses simple ingredients and creates a moist cake with plenty of chocolatey flavor!

Depression Era Chocolate Cake Recipe

When times are tough, you’ve got to improvise. This is especially true when it comes to making food dollars and ingredients stretch in the kitchen.

This moist chocolate cake recipe is our version of a depression era classic. Dairy and eggs could be hard to come by, so home cooks used other ingredients to create family favorites.

Much like our water pie recipe, this chocolate Depression cake lacks many ingredients normally found in a traditional cake recipe.

With the use of a few substitute ingredients, this cake bakes up light, fluffy, and full of chocolate flavor.

And don’t forget the chocolate frosting! It puts this cake over the top!

What is depression cake?

Depression cake, sometimes referred to as Wacky Cake, is a type of cake that emerged during the Great Depression.

It is made with ingredients like flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and vinegar which were more widely available during this time period.

The cake does not require any eggs or dairy products and uses oil instead of butter for moisture.

Depression cakes are often chocolate-flavored and are sometimes served with a creamy frosting or sweet glaze.

Chocolate cake with frosting next to a fork.

Does this chocolate depression cake taste like coffee?

This chocolate depression-era cake has only a hint of coffee flavor.

The coffee enhances the cocoa powder and provides moisture for the cake batter.

Is chocolate wacky cake vegan?

Yes, this chocolate wacky cake recipe is vegan. The base of the cake contains no animal products and primarily consists of ingredients like flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, vegetable oil, and vinegar.

However, not all types of frosting are vegan-friendly, so it’s important to check the ingredients before selecting one to top the cake.

Can you top this cake with something other than chocolate frosting?

Yes, there are several topping options other than chocolate frosting. Here are a few ideas:

Strawberry Frosting.
Nutella Frosting.
A Little Powdered Sugar.
A Scoop of Ice Cream.
Cream Cheese Frosting.

Ingredients You’ll Need:

All-purpose flour.
Granulated sugar.
Unsweetened cocoa powder.
Leavening agents: baking powder and baking soda.
Salt.
Freshly brewed hot coffee.
Oil: vegetable oil or canola oil.
White vinegar; distilled vinegar.
Vanilla extract.
Chocolate frosting; optional. Either homemade or store-bought frosting works.

How To Make Depression Cake

Scroll to the recipe card below for full instructions and ingredient amounts!

Preheat the oven to 350°F, and spray an 8×8-inch baking pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until fully mixed.

Flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt whisked together in a bowl.

Stir in the coffee, oil, vinegar, and vanilla just until combined then pour the wet batter into the prepared baking pan. Do not overmix and stir just until no white streaks of flour remain.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the cake.
Cool completely before frosting!

Recipe Tips

When mixing the wet and dry ingredients, make sure you do not overmix. Otherwise, the cake becomes dense.
If you do not have brewed coffee on hand, dissolve instant coffee granules in hot water instead.
Let the cake cool completely before frosting it. If the cake is not cooled and set, it may crumble.

Storing and Freezing

Storing: Store leftover cake (without frosting) in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. Cake with frosting should be refrigerated and discarded after 5 days.

Freezing: Since depression cake has a delicate texture, freezing must be done carefully. Freeze the cooled unfrosted cake on a sheet pan overnight until solid.

Then carefully wrap in plastic wrap and place it in a sealed freezer-safe bag for up to 2 months. Let it thaw overnight in the fridge before frosting and slicing.

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