Chocolate Depression Cake

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:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease or line 2 – 9 inch round cake pans, 24 cupcake tins, or a 13 x 9 dish.
2. Add the cocoa powder to a large bowl. Pour the hot water over it and let it sit for 2 minutes.
3. While the cocoa is sitting, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk to combine.
4. Add the oil, vanilla, and sugar to the cocoa mixture. Mix until well-blended.
5. Add the flour mixture to the cocoa mixture. Stir until thoroughly combined.
6. Stir in the vinegar.
7. Quickly divide the batter between the 2 greased cake pans.
8. Bake on a middle rack of the oven for 25 – 30 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
9. 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.

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Printable Recipe for Chocolate Depression Cake

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5 from 15 votes

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.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Chocolate Depression Cake Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Cooling Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Author Alea Milham

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.

More Depression Era Desserts

Vanilla Depression Cake

Tomato Soup Cake Recipe

Depression Era Dessert Recipes