January 23, 2024
Depression Chocolate Cake
Recipe by Amanda Rettke
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup water
FROSTING
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar
- 3 tablespoons whole milk, or heavy cream
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8-inch baking dish with parchment paper or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
CHOCOLATE CAKE
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In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda. Whisk to combine.
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Add vanilla, vinegar, oil, and water to the dry ingredients and stir using a spatula or whisk until ingredients are fully combined.
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Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes. When an inserted toothpick is removed with a few crumbs (not clean!) the cake is done. Let it cool while you prepare the frosting.
FROSTING
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With a hand-held mixer, combine room temperature butter, cocoa, honey, vanilla, and confectioners sugar.
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Turn mixer on low and let it combine ingredients for about 30 seconds.
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Slowly add milk, one tablespoon at a time, until you reach desired consistency. You may not need all 3 tablespoons, you may need 1 more, it can vary from season to season and kitchen to kitchen.
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Spread over cooled cake.