Chocolate Depression Cake
This Chocolate Depression Cake is eggless and made without milk and butter. It is super moist, soft, chocolatey, and decadent and topped with an easy yet delicious chocolate icing!
Ingredients
For The Cake
- 1½ cups (180g) all-purpose flour
- 5 tablespoon (35g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¾ cup + 2 tablespoon (175g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (240ml) water
- ⅓ cup (80ml) oil (any neutral flavored)
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
For The Icing
- 2 tablespoon (30ml) milk or cream
- 1½ tablespoon (21g) unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoon (14g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1½ cups (165g) powdered sugar (or as required)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- A small pinch of salt
Instructions
Baking The Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease an 8x8-inch or 9x9-inch baking pan with oil spray or melted butter and set aside.
- Whisk flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl until well combined.
- Place water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla in a small bowl and stir well with the whisk.
- Add water mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking pan.
- Bake the cake for 25-28 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out almost clean.
- Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan before icing.
Icing The Cake
- To prepare the icing, place the milk and butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds or until the butter melts.
- Add powdered sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt to the butter mixture. Stir well until smooth.
- Evenly spread the icing over the top of the cake and allow it to set for a few minutes.
- Sift a tablespoon of powdered sugar over the top of the cake and slice as you desire.
Storing and Freezing Suggestions
- Once the icing is set, serve the cake immediately or store it at room temperature for three days. However, the icing may melt if your kitchen is warm. So it is best to refrigerate the cake.
- Allow the cake to cool completely, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and store it at room temperature for two days. Then, when you are ready to serve, ice the cake.
- To keep the cake longer, refrigerate it for up to 5 days.
- Chocolate Depression Cake can be frozen, tightly covered, for up to a month. When ready to use, thaw the cake in the fridge overnight. However, please note that the cake will lose some of its moisture and fluffiness after freezing.
Notes
- Measuring: Measure the ingredients correctly. If you have a kitchen scale, use it to weigh the ingredients for the best result.
- Cocoa Powder: This Chocolate Depression Cake can be made with either natural or Dutch-processed cocoa powder. I have used Dutch-processed cocoa powder.
- White Vinegar: The recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of white vinegar, which makes the cake fluffy. But do not worry; you will not taste vinegar in the cake.
- Mixing The Batter: Do not overmix the cake batter; overmixing will make the cake denser.
- Baking: Every oven is different, so keep an eye on the cake after 24 minutes of baking. Overbaking will make the cake dry and dense.
- Frosting: I frosted the cake with easy, simple, and delicious chocolate icing. But you can top the cake with your favorite frosting. Some suggestions are chocolate ganache, vanilla buttercream, chocolate buttercream, or sweetened whipped cream. You can skip the icing and simply dust the cake with icing sugar before serving.
- Vegan Frosting: The cake is dairy-free, and you can top it with vegan frosting for a complete plant-based dessert. You can replace milk with water or dairy-free milk. Skip the butter or use plant-based butter.
Nutrition (Approximate Values)
Calories : 246kcalCarbohydrates : 42gProtein : 3gFat : 9gSaturated Fat : 2gPolyunsaturated Fat : 2gMonounsaturated Fat : 5gTrans Fat : 0.1gCholesterol : 4mgSodium : 211mgPotassium : 90mgFiber : 2gSugar : 28gVitamin A : 48IUCalcium : 24mgIron : 1mg
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