Chocolate Depression Cake
This cake is apparently from The Great Depression because the cake itself does not contain any eggs or dairy. It's supposed to be eaten with powdered sugar, but that's boring so I made frosting that does include butter. Now the cake's not so depressed anymore. :)
I baked this on Sunday morning, when my parents were away somewhere and when the kitchen was all sunshiny and peaceful. I was in a great mood and after I made this I was even happier. This cake was one of those baked goods that disappeared very, and I mean very quickly.
The surprising thing is, the cake is very light, fluffy, and moist even if there was no air-incorporating going on. I almost literally just stirred everything together. I was also a little worried that the frosting was runny, but that problem got solved as the surface of it became crispy like the glaze of a doughnut after being set out for a while.
On the last note, I took these photos myself!
Chocolate Depression Cake (Makes one 8x8" square cake) Ingredients CAKE 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour 1 cup sugar 1/4 cup cocoa powder 1/4 tsp. salt 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1 tsp. vinegar (I used apple-flavoured) 1/3 cup vegetable oil 1 cup water FROSTING 30g butter another 40g room-temp. butter 1/4 cup cocoa powder 1 cup powdered sugar another 1/2 cup powdered sugar 1 tbsp. milk another 2 tbsp. milk 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract (Note: The frosting ingredients should be measured separately even if it's the same ingredient.) Instructions CAKE Preheat the oven to 175 degrees C. Line a 8 x 8" square pan with parchment paper after buttering it. 1. Sift flour and coca powder into a large bowl. Add sugar, salt, and baking soda. Whisk to incorporate well. 2. In a medium-large bowl, add vanilla, vinegar, oil, and water. Whisk to combine. 3. Add the wet mixture to dry and fold with a spatula until fully incorporated. 4. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for up to 30 minutes only until a toothpick inserted to the center comes out clean. FROSTING 1. Melt 30g butter in a small saucepan. Add cocoa powder and stir until a thick paste forms. 2. Transfer mixture to a medium large bowl. Add 1 cup powdered sugar, vanilla, and 1 tbsp. milk and beat with a hand mixer on low speed until incorporated. The mixture will be clumpy. 3. Add the 40g butter, 2 tbsp. milk and 1/2 cup powdered sugar. Beat on low to incorporate. Then beat on high for about 5 minutes. Finished frosting texture should be between a glaze and icing. 5. Spread frosting on cooled cake with a knife. 6. Cut the cake into squares and enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Chocolate Chocolate and More: http://chocolatechocolateandmore.com/chocolate-depression-cake/