Chocolate Depression Cake (Vegan!)

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No, this isn’t a cake named after the mood you need to be in to eat it! The name refers to the Depression Era rationing of eggs and diary items. This recipe results in an amazingly moist and rich chocolate cake that just happens to be a great vegan option, too.

The process for making this cake is very straightforward: combine the dry ingredients, combine the wet ingredients, and then mix the two together - making it a great recipe for the beginner. This one became the project of our 13-year-old daughter, who has been bitten by the baking bug. She found this recipe at BudgetBytes blog was able to tackle this one on her own. She actually moved ahead so fast, I missed getting pictures of the frosting being made!

Chocolate Cake Ingredients:

  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

  • 1 cup granulated sugar

  • ½ teaspoon salt

  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

  • 1/3 cup canola oil

  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar

  • 1 cup water

Cake Procedure:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350⁰F.

  2. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and cocoa powder until well combined.

  3. Add 1 cup water to a liquid measuring cup, then add the vanilla extract and vinegar to the water.

  4. Add the oil to the bowl of dry ingredients, followed by the water mixture. Stir until the chocolate cake batter is mostly smooth. Make sure no dry flour remains on the bottom of the bowl.

  5. Pour the cake batter into an 8x8-inch or 9x9-inch baking dish. Transfer the baking dish to the oven and bake the cake for 35 minutes.

Chef’s Note: Let the cake cool for at least an hour after baking before adding the icing. Wait until the cake is cool, then prepare the icing.

Chocolate Icing Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups powdered sugar

  • ¼ cup cocoa powder

  • 3 tablespoons water

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Icing Procedure

1.      Add the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla extract to a bowl. Begin adding water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it forms a thick and pourable icing; about 3 tablespoons total. If you let the icing sit, it may begin to dry, but you can add a splash more water to make it moist again.

2.      Pour the icing over the cooled cake and spread until the cake is evenly covered. Slice the cake into 9 pieces and serve.

 

The other photo I missed getting was the completed cake BEFORE anyone cut into it. It was too hard to wait!