Chocolate Depression Cake (Egg and Dairy-Free)
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Featuring no , , or eggs, this decadent chocolate depression cake recipe is magically both deliciously fudgy yet fluffy, like a devil’s food cake made from scratch.
Friends, today I have something you need in your life: chocolate depression cake. It’s something that is ridiculously simple to make and decadently delicious.
Now, you’re probably wondering why it’s called a depression cake? Well, recipes like this grew in popularity during hard times in our history like The Great Depression, when ingredients for typical cakes grew scarce. This particular depression cake recipe uses simple and doesn’t need any butter, milk, or even eggs! It is kind of the dairy-free fluffy cake version of my Mama’s Chocolate Cobbler. It’s also known as a Crazy Cake or Wacky Cake, as a cake without butter is definitely a Wacky Cake, right?
Don’t let the simple ingredients fool ya into thinking this is a run-of-the-mill cake, though! With a deeply rich and fudgy and fluffy texture, it is similar to a moist devil’s food cake. We like it without icing as a great snack cake, but you can add in some simple frosting to make it a dessert worthy of any table. Just note that the frosting does include dairy. If you arent in the mood for chocolate check out some of my other cake recipes like Fresh Strawberry Cake With Cream Cheese Icing, Easy Pineapple Upside-Down Cake, or Grandmama’s Coconut Cake With No-Fail Seven Minute Frosting
Recipe Ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Sugar
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Cinnamon
- Vanilla extract
- Vegetable oil (I regularly use refined coconut oil, which doesn’t have a coconut flavor).
- Vinegar
- Water
Helpful Kitchen Tools
Stir together all of your dry ingredients first.
Once your dry ingredients are mixed together, add in all of your wet ingredients.
Give that a stir until well combined.
Pour into a greased 8×8 baking dish.
This batter is heavenly!
Bake at 350 for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Can you smell it? I sure can. Wish you were here!
Look at that crazy beautiful !
I just topped the cooled cake with a can of frosting, but you can whip up a homemade frosting, glaze, or sprinkle a little confectioner’s sugar over the top.
Look at this pretty little slice of chocolate depression cake, just waiting for you to eat it!
There ya go!
YUM!
Storage
- Store cake leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- Freeze slices of the frosted or unfrosted chocolate cake for up to 3 months.
Recipe Notes
- Now, y’all know I’m all about dumping it all in a bowl and going for it. But in this recipe, make sure you pay attention. If you stir all your dry ingredients together first, your batter comes together as smooth as can be in no time at all.
- As mentioned, you can serve this in lots of different ways. Simply sprinkle a slice with powdered sugar, serve with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or top with icing. You will find a recipe for vanilla icing here or homemade creamy chocolate frosting here.
- To make this cake recipe into cupcakes, pour the chocolate cake batter into a lined muffin tin. Fill each cup about 3/4 full and bake for 15 to 20 minutes at 350.
- To make this chocolate depression cake gluten-free, simply use gluten-free all-purpose flour.
You may also like these chocolate recipes:
Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars
Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix – So good!
Chocolate Pound Cake with Fudge Glaze
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8-inch baking dish with a non-stick cooking spray.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Add in the vinegar, vanilla, oil, and water, and stir until well combined. Pour the cake batter into the baking dish.1 teaspoon vinegar, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1/3 cup vegetable oil, 1 cup water
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Eat the chocolate cake warm or cool completely and frost, if desired.
Nutrition
This post featured on Meal Plan Monday.
I learned to make this in Home EC around 1973, in my recipe, you mix it in the pan, and instead of oil, the recipe I have calls for 1 stick melted Oleo, shows how old it is. It turns out really nice with Blue Bonnet margarine, different texture with butter. Thank you for giving everyone the recipe, I think it makes the best choc cake and reminds me a little of the chocolate mayo cakes. Love getting your recipes.
Thank you, Jeannie
Hey, Christy. I didn’t’ get a Meal Plan Monday this week. was wondering if one was sent out? Thanks.
Hey Teresa! oh goodness! I don’t think I hit send!!!! I’ll send it out tomorrow. Thank you for letting me know!
Hey!
In your directions you say bake at 350 15 to 20 minutes.
In the recipe it says bake 30 to 35 minutes. Which do I follow?
Thanks!
Susan
Sorry about that. I have a headache today and just went off my imperfect memory when writing the post and meant to go change it. It’s fixed now 🙂 30-35
Thanks for the clarification! I LOVE your recipes!
Hope you are feeling better.
Have a blessed day!
Susan
My grandmother would make this, and she called it Crazy Cake. She always used a glaze as the topping. Thanks for sharing.
thanks for sharing this.my mama made something similar but the recipe she had put all dry ingredients in a pan and then make two valleys in dry ing and add watter to one and cooing oil to the other and stir made a good cake.praying you and your family are staying well and safe and haven’t been hit by the recent tornadoes that went thru Alabama. have a blessed day Pat McCurry York s.c. p.s. I didn’t see you comment that Christ has risen.He has risen indeed.
My mom also made cake like this back in the 70’s, but topped it with chocolate chips. It was mixed right in the pan and we used the Coco packets not powder. So easy and so good.
This looks awesome & I can’t wait to try it!! I have a question, do you use apple cider vinegar or white vinegar, or does it even matter?
Thanks for your great recipes and uplifting words!
I use apple cider vinegar.
Thanks so much Deb!!
I’ve had a taste for chocolate too, I was going to make a Black Magic cake but that’s a lot more work than this one. I have a can of vanilla frosting, any ideas on how much cocoa I might need to put in to make it chocolate?
Blessings, grace, and peace from rainy Dallas TX!
Mama Jane
Hey Mama Jane! I’d just use the vanilla icing as it is. I think it would be great!
Thanks so much, i wanted to make a chocolate cake recipe that won’t take time and i didn’t have enough flour. I made it yesterday , , fantastic , i ate almost half of it, i love it,thanks thanks God bless.
Oh I love seeing this recipe! It is a family favorite. When I was little my older sister and I would make this and eat the batter…who needs an oven. Hahaha. Thank you for sharing it. It’s a good night for a baked wacky cake. We had an amazing frosting with marshmallows that we put on it.
Oh Leigh I’m so glad and thank you for sharing your heartwarming and delicious memories with us! <3