Also known as Depression Cake or Wacky Cake, this recipe for egg free & dairy free Vegan Chocolate Cake is surprisingly GREAT!
“We don’t need no stinking eggs!” LOL
I am not quite sure who to credit for the original posting to the internet for this recipe (since there are tons, not to mention the original recipes dates all the way back to the early 1900’s).
So I tried a couple recipes that are floating around and I’ve tweaked it slightly to suit my liking!
It is so moist and so chocolate-y and affordable too!
It also works great as cupcakes!
Vegan Chocolate Cake Recipe
Prep time
Bake time
Total time
This recipe makes 2 very thick layers of cake. If using a 2" high cake pan the batter will rise all the way to the top, giving you a perfect opportunity for 4 torted layers.
Or just halve the recipe below and divide the batter between the same 2-8" pans for 2 thinner layers
Or just halve the recipe below and divide the batter between the same 2-8" pans for 2 thinner layers
Serves: 2- 8" Layers
Ingredients
- All Purpose Flour 2 cups (250g)
- Cake Flour 1 cup (120g)
- Unsweetened Natural Cocoa Powder 8 Tablespoons (48g) *not dutched process
- Granulated Sugar 2 cups (400g)
- Baking Soda 2 teaspoons (10g)
- Ground Cinnamon *Optional 1 teaspoon
- Salt ½ teaspoon (3g)
- Apple Cider Vinegar 2 teaspoons (10g)
- Vanilla Extract 4 teaspoons (20ml)
- Coconut Oil 12 Tablespoons (177ml) melted
- Strong Brewed Coffee 2 cups (480ml) *approx 180°F
Instructions
- Sift both flours, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and sugar together in a large mixing bowl.
- Combine the natural cocoa powder with the hot coffee and then add the vinegar, oil and the vanilla extract.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the sifted dry ingredients and whisk vigorously with a hand whisk until smooth (about 15 strokes)
- Pour batter into greased and parchment lined 8" x 2" cake pan(s)
- Bake immediately in a preheated 350°f oven for approximately 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs
- Cool completely before using inyour favorite layer cake creation!
Notes
Cooled cakes can be used immediately or wrapped well and frozen for up to 1 month
Click here for more about freezing cake layers
Click here for more about freezing cake layers
Love this recipe and have made it many times, My grandma passed it down, thanks for updating it ?
I use coconut vinegar and it’s delicous
Love everything you do!!
Thanks Pamela!
You are so very welcome,? also for your vanilla cakes what is your very favorite egg replacer? I mix several sometimes with better luck, but I’m curious your thoughts on which makes the lightest cakes, since vegan cakes are sometimes heavier, Ive been folding whipped auafaba into my red velvet, then just adding the equivalent yolk replacement. This works beautifully so far.
You may be interested in my new course I created addressing exactly this topic! Egg Replacers in Vegan Baking!
But here is my BEST FAV Vanilla Cake Recipe
I only have expresso… hope this works…
yes it will work, just add to the hot water whereas I used instant coffee – espresso of course is stronger, so you may want to add less that what I did
Hi Gretchen… Love your work and recipes.. could you please tell if I use only all purpose flour, will the texture still be the same ?? I don’t have cake flour here in India. Thanks. Much love.
Hi yes you can use AP just use 2 Tbs less and CLICK HERE for more about cake flour
Thanks Gretchen …. This was a very informative read.. thanks alot for clearing my doubts. ❤️
Hi Gretchen! I waswondering if this recipe can be used to make cupcakes? Thanks ^^
yes!! Just fill slightly more than half full and they are awesome!! (about 18minutes??)
Thanks!
Hi Gretchen,
Does this cake taste like coffee?
No, coffee enhances chocolate and why you will see many recipes for chocolate (brownies included) use the liquid portion as coffee, you can use water if you prefer to stay away from coffee though. Unless you LOVE coffee CLICK HERE LOL
HI, just discovered your blog and youtube channel -awesome!
Could you please explain why you specify not dutched process cocoa?
Hi thanks! Yes , click here for more
Hi Gretchen,
I am not a vegan but I have been a fan of yours for a very long time.I want to try this recipe but wanted to know if I could use vegetable oil, like Criso, instead of coconut oil? Would it still be vegan?
Hi Thanks! yes you can use any oil you prefer
I am trying to bake more vegan snd still learning.. When recipes ask for sugar, does that mean “vegan sugar” ? That confuses me.. ?
Thx! Hope all is well!!
HI Dot! Awesome! Most granulated sugar here in the USA is processed through animal bone char, so that makes it not vegan, crazy right!? I buy a brand called Zulka and it is vegan and it is slightly darker in color than regular granulated since it is not bleached and processed as the regular sugar has been. But of course you can use whatever granulated sugar you have and the recipe will be perfect!
Hi there! Thanks for the amazing recipes!
Just curious, I am comparing this chocolate cake recipe to your “best vegan chocolate cake” recipe and I see that the recipes are nearly the same but vary only slightly in the salt and oils, why is this? Have you tweaked it a little and prefer this one better now? Or is this simply just a different recipe for different application?
Hi! The recipes are the same, The salt I increased for the one recipe and honestly did not notice a difference when I did increase. (I used to use melted Earth Balance as the “oil” and that has salt so I think that is where I used less salt.
12 Tablespoons is actually equal to ¾ cup so the oil measure is the same however I get all jammed up with ml all the time! it should read 177ml (3/4 cup = 12 Tbs= 177ml)
Oh I see now! Thanks for the response!
This cake is FANTASTIC 🙂
Hi Gretchen!
How many cupcakes does it make?
Thanks!
about 2 dz, just be sure to fill the liners a hair more than half full and bake at 375F for the first 10 minutes, then turn the oven down to 350F for the remaining approx 15min
Hey Gretchen,
It recipes always turn out great!!!! But only this time these cupcakes had a problem. The crust was hard almost like a biscuit and the liner wouldn’t peel off easily. What should I do differently ???
Hmm, This is odd, since the recipe is correct as written, I have made it a hundred times as cupcakes too. I would say double check your measurement- most often recipe fails come from incorrect measuring.
Hi, Gretchen!
is all-purpose flour and cake flour self-raising flour what you use? and how long to bake if doing this recipe as cupcakes?
Hey there, No I do not ever use self rise CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO
But you can use all AP (plain flour) here if you cannot get cake flour)