Chocolate Orange Depression Cake is Tasty and Easy to Make!
Chocolate Orange Depression Cake is a simple to make, vegan and gluten-free version of the old-fashioned recipe that uses commonly found pantry items.
What is Depression Cake (and Water Cake)?!
During the Depression, when times were hard and certain foods were scarce, inventive cooks improvised and created with what they did have. That’s always good advice, in my opinion. Use what you have. Because that’s all you’ve ever got anyway. Amirite?
Anyway … Back in the Depression, eggs, milk, shortening, and/or butter could be expensive or not available at all. Back then, just as today, home bakers discovered we don’t need those items to have delicious, tasty dishes, and that even delectable desserts can be made without them. The cakes made without were called “Depression Cakes,” or, “Water Cakes.” On the plus side, they were accidentally vegan or nearly vegan.
This Chocolate Orange Depression Cake is also Gluten-Free!
This recipe goes just a step further and, like all Planted365 recipes, is vegan and also gluten-free. If you don’t have these flours on hand, just use your favorite GF blend. My favorite ready-made GF flour blend is THIS ONE. If you don’t need to be GF, simply replace the GF flours with the same amount of regular, all-purpose flour and omit the xanthan gum.
I love orange and chocolate together. It’s one of my favorite flavor combinations. So I’ve added so orange extract here as well as some yummy ginger. It’s a great blend of tastes. However, like with the original Depression Cake (or Water Cake), just omit these if you don’t have them on hand or don’t like them as much as I do. It doesn’t change anything in the recipe overall except for the taste.
This recipe makes enough for one 8″ round or square cake pan.
I didn’t make frosting for it and instead dusted the top of the finished cake with powdered sugar and added a few orange slices. It’s so pretty I want to paint it! And so good!
Chocolate Orange Depression Cake Vegan Gluten-Free Recipe
Chocolate Orange Depression Cake is a simple to make, vegan and gluten-free version of the old-fashioned recipe that uses commonly found pantry items.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1/2 cup white rice flour see recipe notes about flours
- 1/2 cup tapioca starch or tapioca flour
- 1/2 cup oat flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp finely ground flax seed
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp xanthan gum can omit or use 2 tsp psyllium husk powder instead
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp powdered ginger optional
Wet Ingredients
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil, any
- 1/4 cup applesauce
- 1 tsp orange extract optional
- 1 tbsp vinegar
- 3/4 cup water
Garnish
- powdered sugar
- orange slices
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
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Grease one 8" round or square cake pan. Optionally, a layer of parchment paper cut to fit the bottom of the pan will make the cake even easier to get out once baked.
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In a large mixing bowl, sift together all the dry ingredients and stir together until well mixed.
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Add in the wet ingredients and mix with a hand mixer or wooden spoon for a few minutes until all ingredients are well incorporated.
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Pour into the prepared cake pan and bake at 375 degrees F for about 35 minutes, until the center is done. It will feel springy and will not dent easily.
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Remove from the oven and let cool in pan until the cake can be turned out of the pan and placed on a cooling rack.
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Cool completely and then dust with powdered sugar and add a few orange slices and/or grated orange zest.
Recipe Notes
If using a packaged gluten-free flour, simply replace the three flours listed with 1 1/2 cups of your favorite gluten-free flour. You must still add the flaxseed but can omit the xanthan gum if your flour already contains it.
If using regular flour, simply replace the GF flours and xanthan gum with 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour.
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Want more vegan chocolate recipes? Try these!
Vegan Cookie Fries with Chocolate Chips
Vegan Cookie Fries are easy to make, totally delicious, and these are also gluten-free! They’re made even better with mini-chocolate chips!
Vegan Lavender Chocolate Candy
Vegan Lavender Chocolate Candy is simple to make, takes only a few minutes, and is delicious. Culinary lavender is available in most groceries now and this recipe is just a simple blend of coconut oil, cocoa powder, and sugar. It’s refrigerator chocolate and hardens up best when cooled.
Chocolate Sweet Potato Pie
Here’s a chocolate sweet potato pie that’s vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free, and oil-free, too. It’s a pie that’s good for you! Does that sound deliciously impossible?
Hello! I’m Lisa, a vegan artist, photographer, author, Vegan Life Coach Educator, and RYT 200 yoga teacher. I love showing others how simple and delicious a plant-based diet can be. I draw and paint, cook, write, take lots of pics, eat lots of chocolate, and practice gratitude daily.