Chocolate Depression Cake

I am trying to limit the amount of unhealthy snacks and treats I have on hand. My logic says that if fattening snacks aren't easily available, then I would not be tempted. I was wrong. I will stop at nothing to get a treat (mostly sweet) when I get the urge. I have been know to take oyster crackers and a few chocolate chips in a bowl and eat them together. Sweet and salty takes care of that craving. Yesterday I had nothing to snack on. I didn't have any chocolate or crackers. I purposely passed them up in the grocery store but I should have just given in. Then I remembered a recipe I had made in the past. It was a chocolate Depression Cake.

Depression cakes (or War cakes) are a type of cake that originated during the Great Depression when people had limited supplies on hand. These cakes don't require eggs, milk or butter. You can make chocolate, vanilla or even a spice cake. I haven't made the spice cake but it's basically the same cake but you add cinnamon, allspice and even raisins. I made a chocolate cake but a vanilla cake can be made by leaving out the cocoa powder. The cakes rise by adding vinegar to the mixture. The vinegar reacts with the baking soda and gives it the bubbles it needs to rise just as it would with eggs. This cake makes a 8 x 8 cake or a dozen cupcakes.

Chocolate Depression Cake  

1 1/2 cups flour

1 cup white sugar

1/4 cup cocoa powder 

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup oil (I used avocado oil)

1 Tablespoon vinegar (I used white vinegar)

1 Teaspoon vanilla

1 cup water

There is no need for a mixer. Just mix all the dry ingredients, flour, sugar, cocoa powder,  baking soda and salt. If you want to prepare these dry ingredients in advance, you can keep them in a jar and use when you want a quick cake.

Add the oil, vinegar and vanilla to the dry ingredients. Lastly add the cup of water and stir with a spoon to combine everything together.

Grease a 8 x 8 cake pan and pour in the cake batter. Bake at 350 degrees until a toothpick come out clean. It takes about 30 minutes.

When cool sprinkle with powdered sugar, top with cool whip or frost. Make frosting or just buy a can of frosting to have on hand.  

This cake was just what I needed to satisfy my sweet tooth. It mixed together quickly and didn't require many ingredients or a lot of equipment.