Chocolate Great Depression Cake
A soft, egg-free chocolate cake with swirls of peanut butter frosting—it's vegan-friendly, easy to make, and so delicious that you wouldn't think it was made in the Great Depression!
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Servings: 9 slices
Ingredients
For the cake
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon white or apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 5 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 cup hot coffee or water
For the frosting
- ¼ cup butter softened (use vegan butter for a vegan option)
- ½ cup peanut butter* see note
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons milk room temperature (use non-dairy milk for a vegan option)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 350℉. Spray an 8x8 inch pan with nonstick baking spray and set aside.
- In a bowl, mix the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Make three depressions in the dry ingredients, two small and one large. Pour the vegetable oil into the largest depression, vanilla in one small depression, and vinegar in the other. Pour the hot coffee over all the dry ingredients and quickly mix until smooth and there are no lumps.
- Once combined, immediately pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely in the pan.
- To make the frosting, beat the butter and peanut butter in a bowl until smooth. Add the powdered sugar a little at a time, followed by the vanilla and milk. Mix at a medium-high speed until the frosting is light and fluffy. If the buttercream is too thick, add milk a little at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
- Spread the frosting on the cooled cake, decorate however you'd like, and enjoy!
Notes
*Brands like Jif will do better in this recipe, not organic peanut butter with peanuts and salt as their only ingredients.