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Chocolate Depression Cake with Mocha Buttercream with step by step photos. Chocolate Depression Cake is also known as War Cake was first made during the Great Depression. This cake is made without eggs, milk, and butter.
What is Chocolate Depression Cake?
Depression Cake is known as Wacky Cake or War Cake dates back to World War I. This type of cake was made during wartime when there was a shortage of eggs, milk, and butter.
Despite the Depression Chocolate Cake not containing eggs, milk, and butter, it is actually very moist. Top it with a Mocha Buttercream on top which makes it taste even better, and yes, Mocha Buttercream does indeed contain butter.
Depression Cake with Mocha Buttercream while in Quarantine
Somedays I just want dessert with a cup of tea/coffee to make myself happier. Baking is therapeutic for me, but I try to bake in moderation since I don’t particularly like eating too much sugar. I delivered this delicious Eggless Chocolate cake to family and a few friends. Who doesn’t love homemade cake while in quarantine? This chocolate cake is super easy to make and I’m sure you’ll have all these ingredients on hand.
How has Chocolate Depression Cake been modified?
- The original recipe calls for 1 cup of sugar, I used 3/4 cup. Personally, I like my desserts sweet, not painfully sweet.
- Originally, all-purpose flour is used in this recipe, I modified this to use gluten-free flour. They are both interchangeable.
- Traditionally, there is no frosting on this cake, I topped mine with a Mocha Buttercream which is made with butter.
Chocolate Depression Cake with Mocha Buttercream is:
Moist
Delicious
Affordable
Simple
Eggless Dessert
Gluten-free (or you can use all-purpose flour for a gluten cake)
How to make Chocolate Depression Cake with Mocha Buttercream
STEP 1 – Make the Cake
1. In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients… gluten-free flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar. All-purpose flour works just fine.
2. Stir dry ingredients.
3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry… vanilla extract, vinegar, oil, and water.
4. Mix until well combined, do not overmix.
5. Pour the batter into a greased square pan.
6. Into the oven for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.
STEP 2 – Make the Mocha Buttercream
1. Over a double-boiler on medium heat, add chocolate. The chocolate will take about 5-7 minutes to melt.
2. Using an electric mixer, cream butter until light and fluffy.
3. To the butter, add the vanilla extract, powdered sugar, and instant coffee mixed with 1 tsp of water.
4. This is now Coffee Buttercream.
5. Once the chocolate is melted, let it cool for about 10-15 minutes. DO NOT ADD HOT CHOCOLATE TO THE BUTTERCREAM, ELSE IT WILL MELT.
6. Slowly add the cool and melted chocolate to the buttercream.
7. Mix well… this will turn into Mocha Buttercream
8. Once the cake cools, frost it with the Mocha Buttercream.
9. Slice into 16 pieces. Enjoy the cake with a cup of coffee, or tea!
More Chocolate Desserts!
- Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies
- Absolute Best Chocolate Brownies
- Sour Cream Chocolate Cake with Almond Buttercream & Coconut
- Flourless Chocolate Cake
- The New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies
Tried this recipe? If so, please leave a comment & rate this recipe. That would mean so much to me. If you’re on Instagram, please tag me so I can see your creations. I’m happy to share and mention you. Thank you!
Chocolate Depression Cake with Mocha Buttercream (eggless, gluten-free, vegan – the cake part)
INGREDIENTS
for the Chocolate Depression Cake
- 1 1/2 cups gluten-free flour, or use all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp vinegar
- 1/3 cup sunflower oil, or any flavorless oil
- 1 cup water
for the Mocha Buttercream
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp instant coffee
- 1 tsp hot water
- 3 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted
INSTRUCTIONS
How to make Chocolate Depression Cake recipe step by step?
- In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients… flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar. All-purpose flour works just fine.
- Stir dry ingredients.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry… vanilla extract, vinegar, oil, and water.
- Mix until well combined, do not overmix.
- Pour the batter into a greased square pan.
- Into the oven for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.
How to make Mocha Buttercream?
- Over a double-boiler on medium heat, add chocolate. The chocolate will take about 5-7 minutes to melt.
- Using an electric mixer, cream butter until light and fluffy.
- To the butter, add the vanilla extract, powdered sugar, and instant coffee mixed with 1 tsp of water.
- This is now Coffee Buttercream.
- Once the chocolate is melted, let it cool for about 10-15 minutes. DO NOT ADD HOT CHOCOLATE TO THE BUTTERCREAM, ELSE IT WILL MELT.
- Slowly add the cool and melted chocolate to the buttercream.
- Mix well… this will turn into Mocha Buttercream
- Once the cake cools, frost it with the Mocha Buttercream.
- Slice into 16 slices. Enjoy a piece with a cup of coffee, or tea.
Everyone loved this recipe! Super easy as well 🙂 Used 1c cake flour and .5 coconut flour and used half the butter and sugar for the frosting, doubled espresso, with toasted coconut flakes on top. So good and making it again today!
This recipe is easy to make and delicious!!
Chocolate depression cup cake with Mocha buttercream…
I bought an oven last week and was waiting to try your recipe. Amazingly perfect and my family loved it. Thanks for the beautiful recipe Nisha
Okay wowwww!!! This cake was beautiful and so soft and the buttercream was just out of this world.
My substitutes –
1. Used Whole wheat Gluten free flour in place of APF or other flour.
2. Coconut Sugar 2/3 cups
3. Skipped confectionary sugar in the butter cream as my chocolate chips were not the semi sweet one, it was loaded with sugar.
Also didn’t have a hand mixer, I saw some YouTube videos on traditional process of making butter cream and hand whipped those babies. I microwaved the butter for 15 secs and put it in the freezer for 5 mins and started whisking so it wasn’t too hard or runny to get the butter cream like texture.
Thank you for this detailed recipe Nisha! This was by far my fav dessert to make and eat and I don’t even have a sweet tooth! 🙂
The cake turned out so well. The buttercream was perfect combination of coffee and chocolate. Usually we skip the icing because we like plain cakes, but I’m glad I decided to make it.
I made this cake and it came out moist and fluffy. I really loved the espresso buttercream! I am going to make it again because I don’t have to do extra shopping for the ingredients. All the ingredients I could find it at home!
Good job Nisha!
We don’t bake often in my home but being quarantined has triggered some new hobbies!! Nisha, thank you for this simple and scrumptious recipe! I have never had an eggless cake so moist before! And the coffee and chocolate combination is so rich!
This cake is delicious. If you are craving something sweet, make this, very minimal effort and with the ingredients already available in your pantry. Must try.
HI–does it matter if white vinegar or apple cider vinegar is used?
Hi Kelly. It does not. 🙂
I’ve always loved baking but never knew I could make this amazing decadent chocolate cake with simple ingredients! It was moist and delicious! I didn’t do the mocha frosting because of my kids and instead did fresh homemade whip cream! The depression cake helps during these times! Thank you for the great recipe!
This was such an easy recipe with ingredients easily found in the pantry! I was about to not make the buttercream frosting, but then I decided to make it…and I’m so glad I did. It was my first time making buttercream and it was finger licking good! Thanks for sharing this Nisha!
I made this cake last weekend for a social distancing picnic we had with a couple friends – it was the perfect choice to satisfy that afternoon sweet tooth craving. SO, so easy to make, my husband said “why do people buy birthday cakes when they can make this every year?” I’m not usually a mocha drinker when it comes to coffee, but this frosting was amazing, I’m so glad I still had some instant coffee on hand (almost running out)! The sad part was I only had a couple pieces left to bring home, it was a hit with my friends as well!
This was such an easy one to make I feel it’s going to get addictive! It’s my first eggless cake attempt and it turned out so nice. Thanks for such an easy recipe!
This cake recipe is amazing .
Very easy to follow and can be wiped up without the need of a electric mixer . The sponge was light and airy . Thank You!
Made this cake for Mother’s Day for my Sister-in law and sister! They absolutely loved the frosting. Perfect cake for my family that doesn’t eat eggs. The frosting is divine! Can’t wait to try it on otjer cake/cupcake recipes. Thank you Nisha for another hit recipe
I made this cake for my sister’s birthday this week, and it was such a hit! Loved how moist it was, even without eggs! The buttercream frosting was so simple to make, and tasted great with or without the chocolate!
Thanks for sharing, now I can make my own frosting from home 🙂
This cake is amazing. The recipe Is very simple that my husband followed and made. He enjoyed making a cake that actually turned out so moist and great in taste. We loved that we can use pantry items and it’s eggless so I can make it for relatives! My favorite was the coffee in my frosting.
Thanks to you, I’ll never buy frosting again! Never realized how easy it was to make…
Loved this simple easy to follow recipe. I am not a baker but wanted to make a cake for a birthday celebration. This turned out soooooo good. My family loved it.
Tastes yum!!
No need of baking skills just follow what she said and boom it’s done
Amazing! This cake was super moist! The mocha buttercream frosting is a must, don’t skip this step!!