This chocolate depression cake recipe is sometimes called chocolate crazy cake, chocolate wacky crazy cake. or chocolate surprise cake because it is made without eggs, milk, or butter. Which is surprising and sounds both crazy and wacky! The cake rises by using baking soda and vinegar, thus eliminating the need for eggs.
I have been making my Grandma’s Vanilla Depression Cake recipe for years. Recently I went through my other Grandma’s recipe box and found that she had a Chocolate Depression Cake recipe. It is slightly different than the other chocolate crazy cakes and wacky cakes that I have seen, so I thought I would share it with you.
It uses both baking powder and baking soda. If you don’t have baking powder, increase the baking soda to 2 1/2 teaspoons.
Since this is flavored with unsweetened cocoa powder, the recipe uses either boiling hot water or hot coffee to help the flavor of the cocoa to bloom and give the cake a richer chocolate flavor.
This cake recipe makes a two-layer eight or nine-inch round cake, a 13 x 9 cake, or 24 cupcakes.
Chocolate Depression Cake Recipe
This chocolate Depression cake recipe is also called Chocolate Crazy Cake or Chocolate Wacky Cake because it is made without eggs, butter, or milk.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 2 cups boiling hot water or hot coffee
- 2/3 cup oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 cups all-purpose flour*
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease or line 2 – 9 inch round cake pans, 24 cupcake tins, or a 13 x 9 dish.
- Add the cocoa powder to a large bowl. Pour the hot water over it and let it sit for 2 minutes.
- While the cocoa is sitting, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Add the oil, vanilla, and sugar to the cocoa mixture. Mix until well-blended.
- Add the flour mixture to the cocoa mixture. Stir until thoroughly combined.
- Stir in the vinegar.
- Quickly divide the batter between the 2 greased cake pans.
- Bake on a middle rack of the oven for 25 – 30 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow the cake layers to cool on a cooling rack. Once cooled, frost.
You can use all-purpose gluten-free flour to make this cake gluten-free.
Chocolate Frosting Recipes for Depression Cake
Fluffy Dairy-Free Chocolate Frosting
Printable Recipe for Chocolate Depression Cake
Chocolate Depression Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 2 cups boiling hot water or hot coffee
- 2/3 cup oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 cups all-purpose flour*
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease or line 2 - 9 inch round cake pans, 24 cupcake tins, or a 13 x 9 dish.
- Add the cocoa powder to a large bowl. Pour the hot water over it and let it sit for 2 minutes.
- While the cocoa is sitting, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Add the oil, vanilla, and sugar. Mix until well-blended.
- Add the flour mixture to the cocoa mixture. Stir until thoroughly combined.
- Stir in the vinegar.
- Quickly divide the batter between the 2 greased cake pans.
- Bake on a middle rack of the oven for 25 - 30 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow the cake layers to cool on a cooling rack. Once cooled, frost.
Paul B says
I made this cake (which was awesome BTW). The only problem I ran into was that the cakes cracked while cooling. Did I do something wrong?
Alea Milham says
Sometimes a cake will crack if you over mix the ingredients adding too much air to the batter.
It could’ve been overbaked. You may want to do a toothpick test 5 minutes earlier than the time you pulled it out this time.
The other reason cakes crack is if the oven is too hot. You may want to put a thermometer in your oven to ensure the temperature you set it at is the temperature it is inside once heated.
Paul B says
Thank you! I do think my oven runs a bit hot ( I run into this problem when I make seitan/tofu turkey loaf as well). This was my first time baking a cake in this oven. Oh well! It doesn’t look great, but it tastes awesome (love the vegan icing recipe too)!
Gonna go have a bowl of cake now. 🙂
Lisa Sandvik says
Would it work to use a 9”x13” baking dish?
Alea Milham says
Yes, it would.
Jeanne says
Any particular brand of gluten free flour that is known to work with this recipe? Can’t wait to try this for my celiac daughter!
V says
My mom uses equal parts Tapioca flour & Rice flour for her general baking .. I have had her over for mother day brunch and that’s what she said worlks for her .. and you couldn’t tell the difference between the 2 kinds we had .. i have also used that combo for pumpkin cookies ..
Laureen says
How long do u cook this cake if u make it into cupcakes please
Odette says
Hi, thanks for this great recipe. My son is allergic to dairy, eggs, flour. Very challenging.
But my question is, to replace with flour with gluten free, is it equally 3 cups. Would GF flour have the same density as normal flour?
Tibeca says
When subbing out melted stick butter (or vegan butter) for the oil, you will likely need 1/4-1/2c more liquid.
I like using almond milk as it gives it a little “oomph” over water. You can of course also use dairy milk if you prefer.
Michelle says
Great recipe and so straight forward to bake . A keeper of a recipe . I had a craving for a really rich chocolate cake and this cake didn’t disappoint. I also made the frosting recipe that’s linked in the recipe and that also was delicious. Thank you for sharing
Diana Parker says
How many calories are in this cake?
Maria Pagán says
If you add the ingredients in an app to track calories, like My Fitness Pal, it will calculate all that, including the macros.
Cat Rambo says
I edited a cookbook for a writer’s organization at one point and got this recipe submitted by three different people, including one as “Mars Colony Cake” and another as “Mommy is Writing Here is Some Cake”. It’s a good one to have in your repertoire for when the pantry is a little bare!
Lynn says
This has been a fave in my family for years. Wacky Chocolate cake on our recipe card. People always love it, and so easy to throw together!
Mary Jane says
Imade this cake for a very dear friend with a deadly egg allergy. It was the first time in years, that she was able to eat chocolate cake. I used applecider vinegar, strong coffee and coconut oil in this cake. It turned out so very moist and tender. I frosted it with the mocha fudge icing. We also added a dollup of cherry pie filling and whipped cream when the cake was served. I am proud to say I didnt have any cake left at the end of the evening. The only problem I had was, the cake sank in the middle after being pulled from the oven. It might have looked a little wonky….but oh my goodness, it was very delicious!!! Thank you for the recipe.
Jenn says
Hei Mary Jane, you had me at Apple Cider vinegar,coconut oil and cherry pie filling. I have to try it next weekend, thxx 4 sharing
Annette says
Hi! I use a similar recipe for depression cake and it also will fall in the middle if it’s not 100% done when taken out of the over, which isn’t ideal when doing a layer cake. However, when baked as a single layer cake served from the pan for everyday snacking, the slightly fallen middle is my favorite piece as it’s SUPER moist and delicious. 😉 I love the idea of the hot water in this one and can’t wait to try it!
Kathryn C says
I have made this for years. We call it (jokingly) Runny Cake, because I my mom usually made it on Sundays when we had guests after church, and she’d be talking to them while mixing and invariably leave something out or put too much of something in. It didn’t make a difference to us—we ate it anyway, even if the middle was a bit runny. Lol
Kathryn C says
My mom’s frosting recipe for this cake:
1 stick of butter or margarine
6T milk
4T cocoa
Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add one box (1 lb) powdered sugar and 1 t vanilla. Pour over hot cake.
Alea Milham says
Thank you for sharing your Mom’s frosting recipe!
Alea Milham says
I love hearing memories attached to recipes! Those memories bring us joy every time we make the recipe!
Ang says
That is precious- the hospitality, the gracious joke about the cake, all of it! I’m going to try this recipe with your mom’s frosting!