Gluten Free Chocolate Depression Cake
This simple yet rich chocolate cake is inspired by two sources — a classic Reddit “Depression Cake” recipe and Milk Street’s Coffee-Infused Version. The result is a moist, deeply flavorful cake that’s quick to make and surprisingly indulgent despite its humble ingredients.We tested both versions and found that swapping the water for coffee (as Milk Street suggests) really enhances the chocolate flavor. Using Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour worked perfectly — you’d never know it’s gluten free.The cake stands beautifully on its own without frosting, but you can add a light chocolate glaze if you like. Either way, it’s an easy, crowd-pleasing dessert that happens to be gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan.Recipe inspired by community contributions on Reddit and Milk Street.
Equipment
- 1 set of measuring spoons
- 1 measuring cup
- 1 mixing bowl
- 1 whisk
- 1 spatula
- 1 8 inch x 8 inch baking dish
- 1 toothpick or cake tester
Ingredients
- For the Cake the cake was based off Milk Street’s Coffee-Infused Version.
- 2 cup Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1¼ cups brown sugar
- 1¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1¼ cup room temperature coffee -- we used instant decaf
- 1 cup neutral oil we used coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- For the Frosting based off of the Reddit “Depression Cake”
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- non stick cooking spray for baking dish
Instructions
- Preheat over to 350°℉/ 177℃
- Whisk together the flour, cocoa, brown sugar, baking soda and salt, breaking up any lumps of cocoa and sugar
- Then mix in the wet ingredients
- Pour the batter into the baking dish and bake for about 55 minutes. Check that the cake is fully cooked—if needed, continue baking until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean and dry.
- Take the cake out of the over and let cool
- While the cake is cooling make the frosting
- Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting. If you’re impatient like us, place it in the fridge for a few minutes to help it along to shorten cooling time, once it’s no longer hot. Then frost and enjoy.