Depression Cake or Wacky Cake
An easy snack cake baked in an 8-inch square pan. This recipe works well with gluten-free flour, just use a 1:1 blend.
Servings 8
Cost 5
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour or a 1:1 gluten free blend 190 grams
- 1 cup white sugar 200 grams
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder (20-25 grams)
- 6 tablespoons good quality neutral oil like sunflower or grapeseed
- 3 teaspoons distilled white vinegar or raspberry vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup cold water or coffee (228 grams)
Chocolate Frosting & Whipped Cream
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate -- or semisweet 114 grams
- 2 tablespoons corn syrup dark -- or light (40 grams)
- 4 tablespoons butter -- unsalted cut into chunks, soft (56 grams)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ cup confectioners sugar 30 grams - Add more to taste as needed
- 2 cups sweetened whipped cream or whipped topping (optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Have ready (don't grease) an 8x8 inch pan.
- Stir together flour, sugar, salt, soda, and cocoa together in a large bowl. Make three wells. Pour oil into one well, vinegar into second, and vanilla into third well. Pour cold water (or cold coffee) over all, and stir well with fork.
- Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Place cream in a heavy saucepan and bring to a simmer. Turn off heat. Add chocolate and stir until smooth. Transfer to a mixing bowl. You can use a stand mixing bowl or just a regular mixing bowl if using a handheld mixer. Let cool to room temperature (about an hour).
- Add corn syrup and butter to chocolate mixture. Beat on low to mix. Add sugar and continue beating until fluffy (about 5 minutes). Add vanilla.
- Cover the cake with ganache frosting. If you like, spread whipped cream or whipped topping over the ganache and dust with a little cocoa powder.