The skyrocketing price of eggs prompted one reader of The Active Age to send us this recipe for an egg-free chocolate cake, but not for that reason alone. She says her sister-in-law regularly makes this dairy-free cake simply because it’s delicious.
The cake is known by various names, including Depression Cake and World War II Cake. It doesn’t call for ingredients such as eggs, milk and butter that were in short supply during those times (although milk can be substituted for the water to make a richer batter).
It’s also been called Wacky Cake because some cooks mix it in the baking pan.
The King Arthur Baking Co. says it’s been one of its most requested recipes over the years. It was the company’s 2014 Recipe of the Year.
Whatever you call it, our reader predicts you’ll enjoy it.
Chocolate Pan Cake
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa, Dutch-process or natural
½ teaspoon table salt
½ teaspoon espresso powder, optional
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon cider vinegar or white vinegar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup water, cold
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8-inch square or 9-inch round pan.
Whisk dry ingredients together in a bowl. Whisk vanilla, vinegar, oil and water in a separate bowl. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients, stirring until combined. Pour bater into prepared pan.
Bake cake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Serve cake warm from the oven.
Optional Icing: Heat 1½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips with ½ cup half-and-half until the chips melt. If frosting cake, let it cool first. For non-dairy icing, substitute 1/3 cup cold brewed coffee or water for the half-and-half.
Wacky Cake Version: Measure all the dry ingredients into the prepared pan. Blend the ingredients together thoroughly with a fork or whisk and scoop out three holes, or indentations. Pour the vanilla into the first hole, the vinegar into the second, and the vegetable oil into the third. Take the cup of water and pour it directly over everything in the pan. Stir all the ingredients together with your fork until well blended. Finish and bake as directed.
