Depression Cake by Cindy Flores Martinez

 

Have you ever baked a Depression Cake? Last year, when things became scarce at the supermarket, I began seeing recipes online for Depression Cake, which I had never heard of before. I learned that during the Great Depression, ingredients like eggs, milk and butter were no longer widely available for baking, so people made cake without them. I saw recipes in a variety of flavors that went by the names Crazy Cake and Wacky Cake, in addition to Depression Cake.

I decided to give it a try. I followed the chocolate cake recipe, and the result was a light, spongy cake that was surprisingly good.

If you haven’t tried it and you’re in the mood for something new and different, here’s the recipe:

Chocolate Depression Cake

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup water

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon white or apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting of your choice

Directions:

Mix the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients in separate bowls. Combine them together and mix well. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Let cool and add frosting. Note: I baked mine for 4 minutes in the microwave.

One of these days, I plan to try the lemon and cinnamon flavored Depression / Wacky / Crazy Cake.

What about you? Have you tried any of these cakes and was there one you liked the best?

Cindy Flores Martinez is a USA Today bestselling author who writes sweet and Christian Romance. She has an MFA in Creative Writing with an emphasis in Screenwriting. Her debut novel, Mail-Order Groom, started as a screenplay and movie project, which she shopped around Hollywood, New York, and other parts of the world. You can learn more about her at www.cindyfloresmartinez.com