This Sugar Free Chocolate Depression Cake is a simple eggless recipe that is sure to please.
Made with unsweetened cocoa powder and vinegar, this cake is moist, fluffy, and full of chocolate goodness, making it perfect for serving for dessert or sharing with others at a gathering.
What you will read about in this recipe.
What makes Depression Cake so good?
Made without dairy products or sugar, this is a moist and flavorful cake that almost always turns out perfect.
Also known a "wacky cake" or a "war cake", this cake is fluffy and moist with a slightly spongy texture.
Have you tried my Sugar Free Chocolate Sheet Cake recipe?
That sheet cake recipe is another easy and delicious dessert idea. Both this depression cake and that sheet cake are simple and tasty cake ideas when you are baking for a crowd.
To make this recipe you will need a square baking dish. You can find square baking dishes with lids (storage!) here.
Ingredients you need to make a depression cake.
- Flour. All purpose flour was used to make my cake. If you try an alternative flour, it should measure 1:1 with all purpose for best results.
- Sugar Alternative. Select a granular sugar alternative that measures like sugar and that can also be baked with.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder. Use a basic unsweetened cocoa powder that has no added ingredients in it.
- Salt. Basically a pinch of salt is added for a bit of balance.
- Baking Soda. Added for leavening.
- White Vinegar. This helps to make the cake 'fluffy', when combined with baking soda, and moist when combined with the gluten in the flour.
- Oil. Use a neutral oil such as vegetable oil.
- Water. Coffee that has been cooled can alternatively be used with some of the water or instead of water.
Ingredients needed to make sugar free depression cake frosting.
- Butter. The butter should be melted.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder. To make the frosting chocolate.
- Sugar Free Powdered Sugar. Granular alternative will not work in this recipe.
- Whole milk. To keep this frosting more 'authentic' to the cake, you can try using water instead.
- Vanilla Extract. Added for flavor.
Expert Tip 👉 The vinegar that is used in this recipe is necessary to help the cake rise. However, it is unlikely that you will actually taste it in the baked cake.
How to make Chocolate Depression Cake
- Preheat your oven to 325 and prep a square baking dish for nonstick. My cake was made in an 8X8" baking dish.
- In a large mixing bowl, use a whisk to combine together the flour, sugar alternative, unsweetened cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda. Once you have broken up any lumps and combined the ingredients you can set this bowl aside.
- Next, in another bowl, combine together the vinegar, water, and oil.
- Pour the wet ingredients in the second bowl over the dry ingredients in the first bowl. Mix until just combined and there are no or just a few lumps remaining.
- Transfer the ingredients to the prepared baking dish and bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Then allow the cake to cool to room temperature.
- To make the chocolate frosting, simply beat together the ingredients until smooth and creamy.
Tips for making the best depression cake.
This cake recipe works best when the recipe is followed as directed. The ingredients should also be measured and added in order of the steps in the directions.
More helpful tips for you.
- I often like to double prep the baking dish for a recipe such as this one. Double prepping can be as little as greasing and then dusting the dish with a small amount of flour or cocoa powder.
- When combining the wet and dry ingredients together it is a good idea to mix until just combined rather than over-mixing the batter. If you have a few small lumps they will most likely bake out.
- The frosting in this recipe is optional but, delicious just the same. Make sure that your cake has fully cooled before frosting your cake however.
- You can adjust the consistency of the frosting as needed. Simply add a small amount of additional sugar free powdered sugar if the frosting is too watery or a small amount of additional liquid if it is too thick.
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How to store Depression cake.
This cake should be stored in an airtight container. If properly stored, this cake should keep for about three days at room temperature of up to a few months if frozen (simply thaw to room temperature).
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Print the recipe for Sugar Free Chocolate Depression Cake
Sugar Free Chocolate Depression Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups Flour
- 1 cup Sugar Alternative -see post for details
- ¼ cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- ½ tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 tsp White Vinegar
- ⅓ cup Oil
- 1 cup Water
Frosting Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Butter - melted
- ¼ cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 1 cup Sugar Free Powdered Sugar
- 1 tbsp Milk
- ¼ tsp Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325 and prep a square baking dish for nonstick.
- In a large mixing bowl, use a whisk to combine together the flour, sugar alternative, unsweetened cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda. Once you have broken up any lumps and combined the ingredients you can set this bowl aside.
- Next, in another bowl, combine together the vinegar, water, and oil.
- Pour the wet ingredients in the second bowl over the dry ingredients in the first bowl. Mix until just combined and there are no or just a few lumps remaining.
- Transfer the ingredients to the prepared baking pan and bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Then allow the cake to cool to room temperature.
- To make the chocolate frosting, simply beat together the ingredients until smooth and creamy.
Recipe Notes
Also, please see the actual recipe post for further details on this recipe. Nutritional Information is only an estimate and can vary especially with ingredients that are used. See thesugarfreediva.com for details on this recipe.
most recently updated:
August 22, 2023*About Sugar Alternatives
Specific sugar alternatives are not given in the recipes presented on this site. Only suggestions are given as to the 'kind' of alternative to use. It is up to you to select the alternative to use that suits your needs best. If the recipe is heated or cooked, it is best to use an alternative that can be heated or cooked with for best results. This site does not endorse any specific ingredients,
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Nutrition
Please note: Nutritional data has been calculated using a tool that comes with this recipe card and not by me. This means that Nutritional Information is only an estimate and can vary especially with ingredients that you use. The accuracy of this tool may differ from other tools as expected. Also note that there is no instructional value to the video that may be attached to this recipe. It is only there for visual pleasure. For more information about the images in this recipe, please refer the the recipe instructions. Thank you!
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