During Covid time, when we were all locked down, I made a “depression cake” for the fun of it. It turned out great!! I did use the best quality ingredients I had, because after all, that’s what I have in my pantry and fridge. This is why I called it “Organic Depression Cake”. It’s healthier than the normal cake or boxed cake you can find and make. The cake is also vegan.

What’s a depression cake?

It’s a chocolate cake that was commonly made during the Great Depression. The ingredients include little or no milk, sugar, butter or eggs, because the ingredients were then either expensive or hard to obtain.

It’s still good to do nowadays. It’s a cake that is very easy to make.

What about frosting?

I haven’t done a frosting because honestly, it’s moist and tasty and satisfying on its own. Plus frosting means extra work and extra time and extra sugar haha. So unless you’re really in the mood for frosting, skip it and you’ll still have a delicious chocolate cake. Want frosting? Make one with the ingredients you have on hand. You’re probably not locked down anymore and can probably go get missing ingredients if needed 😉 A buttercream chocolate frosting can be delicious too.

Can I freeze the cake?

Yes, of course. Freeze the whole thing or cut it into pieces first and then freeze it.

Alright, here’s the recipe.

Print Recipe

Organic Depression Cake

Chocolate vegan depression cake made with organic ingredients

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time40 minutes mins

Total Time50 minutes mins

Servings: 12 +

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour or white spelt flour
• 1 cup organic cane sugar
• 1/4 cup raw cacao powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp unrefined salt
• 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp melted coconut oil
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup cold water

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350F.
• Lightly oil an 8 x 8 inch square pan and line with parchment paper. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, mix all dried ingredients and stir to combine.
• In a medium bowl, combine melted oil, cider vinegar, vanilla and water and stir to combine.
• Add wet ingredients to dry and mix until well incorporated.
• Pour batter into prepared pan.
• Bake 30-40 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
• If frosting the cake, allow to cool down completely before frosting.