Chocolate Depression Cake (egg-free, dairy-free)

Since a lot of us are trying to cut our grocery bills where possible, I thought there was no better time to reshare this Chocolate Depression Cake recipe (also known as Crazy Cake or Wacky Cake), which was born out of a time when ingredients were in limited supply—The Great Depression. This unique cake is rich and chocolatey without using any eggs, milk, or butter and is made entirely with shelf-stable pantry staples. A cake without butter?? So “wacky,” I know.

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“I love this recipe! It’s so easy to make. It’s very delicious along with the frosting! This is my go-to chocolate cake recipe!”

Becky

Easy Recipe for Chocolate Depression Cake

Butter and eggs usually do some heavy lifting in cake recipes. Butter keeps cakes tender by coating the flour and slowing down gluten development, while eggs help with both leavening and structure. But here’s the magic of this chocolate depression cake: instead of butter, I use a neutral oil (whatever you have on hand works), which can achieve the same effect but with slightly less richness. And instead of eggs, I rely on a combo of vinegar and baking soda. The reaction between the two gives the batter a quick lift, making the cake light and fluffy.

So while this cake doesn’t contain any butter, it’s a damn fine treat when your cabinets are bare. Not to mention, it’s incredibly easy. Anyone can make this cake, and with very little cooking equipment or ingredients. For those two reasons alone, this is a good recipe to keep tucked in your back pocket (or your browser’s bookmarks). Also, it just happens to be vegan! It’s almost like a giant version of my chocolate mug cake if you’ve ever tried that. Anne Byrn’s 1917 apple sauce cake also uses a similar no-egg, no-butter style batter.

Chocolate Depression Cake (No Eggs, Butter, or Milk)

This unique Chocolate Depression Cake recipe, popularized during the great depression, is rich and chocolatey without the using any eggs, butter, or milk!Step-by-step photos can be seen below the recipe card.

Chocolate Cake

• 1.5 cups all-purpose flour ($0.27)
• 1 cup granulated sugar ($0.96)
• ½ tsp salt ($0.02)
• 1 tsp baking soda ($0.02)
• ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder ($0.57)
• ⅓ cup cooking oil ($0.21*)
• 1 Tbsp vinegar ($0.06**)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract ($0.65)
• 1 cup water ($0.00)

Chocolate Icing

• 1.5 cups powdered sugar ($0.48)
• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder ($0.42)
• 3 Tbsp water ($0.00)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract ($0.65)

Chocolate Cake

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and cocoa powder until well combined.

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

• 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.

• Pour the cake batter into an 8×8″ or 9×9″ baking dish. Transfer the baking dish to the oven and bake the cake for 35 minutes.

Chocolate Icing

• If using the chocolate icing, 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. 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 but pourable icing (about 3 Tbsp 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.

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

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

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• Glass Mixing Bowls

• Measuring Cups Spoons

• Liquid Measuring Cup

• Whisk

*Use any neutral cooking oil of your choice, like canola, vegetable, grapeseed, safflower, corn, or avocado oil.
**Any light vinegar will work, like white vinegar, rice vinegar, or apple cider vinegar.

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 328kcalCarbohydrates: 61gProtein: 3gFat: 9gSodium: 255mgFiber: 3g

Read our full
nutrition disclaimer here.

How to Make Chocolate Cake with No Butter, No Eggs, and No Milk Step-by-Step Photos

Gather all of your ingredients and preheat your oven to 350ºF.

Make the batter: In a large bowl, add 1.5 cups all-purpose flour, 1 cup granulated sugar, ½ tsp salt, 1 tsp baking soda, and ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder.

Stir these dry ingredients together until they’re well combined.

Measure 1 cup water in a liquid measuring cup, then add 1 tsp vanilla extract and 1 Tbsp vinegar (any light vinegar, like white vinegar, rice vinegar, or apple cider vinegar).

Add ⅓ cup cooking oil and the water mixture to the dry ingredients.

Stir until a thick cake batter forms. A few lumps are okay, but make sure no dry flour remains on the bottom of the bowl.

Bake: Pour the cake batter into an 8×8 or 9×9 inch baking dish. You don’t need to grease the baking dish as the batter already contains plenty of oil.

Bake the cake in the fully preheated 350ºF oven for 35 minutes. If you plan to make the chocolate icing, cool the cake for at least an hour before making and adding the icing.

Make the icing: Add 1.5 cups powdered sugar, ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa, and 1 tsp vanilla extract to a bowl. Starting with 1 tablespoon water, stir in water until it forms a thick icing (about 3 Tbsp total). The powdered sugar only needs a very small amount of liquid to melt into a thick icing. If you let the icing sit for a bit, it can dry out but can be moistened again by stirring in another splash of water.

Pour the prepared icing over the baked and cooled cake, then spread into an even layer.

Serve: Cut the cake into nine equal pieces, then serve!

It’s also really good with a glass of milk or scoop of ice cream!

Serving Suggestions