Depression Cake - also known as a War Cake or a Chocolate Crazy Cake

This cake was created and cooked during the depression because it needed no eggs, milk or butter.  You think it would be hard to make a cake without these 3 basics but women of this generation were extremely clever and adept at making a lot out of nothing.  Baking powder must also have been scarce, as this particular version of the cake has none.  Alas, it did not rise.  It is a very moist and dense cake.  Similar to a mud cake.  If you want it to be lighter and rise, I would add baking powder or simply substitute plain flour for SR flour.

This cake is all mixed and cooked in the same bowl.  

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups of flour (all-purpose)
• 3 tbsp. cocoa (unsweetened)
• 1 cup sugar (all purpose granulated pure cane sugar)
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. salt

• 1 tsp white vinegar
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 5 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 cup water

Method:

• Mix all 5 dry ingredients in an 8” well greased baking dish.
• Make 3 depressions.  2 small and 1 larger. Pour vinegar in 1 small depression.  Vanilla in the other small one.  Vegetable oil in the larger one.
• Pour water over all ingredients.
• Mix well until smooth.
• Preheat oven (or camp oven) to medium heat (178 C) and bake on a middle oven rack or on a trivet if using camp oven.
• Bake for up to 35 mins – 45 mins. 
• Poke with a toothpick to see if cooked.  Toothpick should come out clean.

NB: Check regularly to ensure you don’t over bake it.