This easy water cake recipe is simply the best! Chocolate depression cake is made of simple inexpensive ingredients that you always have on hand, it bakes up perfectly moist and delicious every time without egg and milk.
Since it's made without milk or eggs, this is one of the most budget-friendly cakes that you can make.
You can use this basic water cake recipe to make layer cakes, sheet cakes, or cupcakes. It's the perfect vegan birthday cake and is sure to be a crowd-pleaser!
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🍰 What is depression cake?
When I became vegan over 20 years ago, there weren't many vegan cookbooks and recipe blogs weren't invented yet. I was telling my mother that I wanted to make a chocolate birthday cake but wasn't sure how to do it without milk and eggs. That's when she told me about depression cake. (It's an old cake recipe that they made during the depression when eggs and milk were scarce.)
Well, the cake was delicious - like my favorite cake ever! I've made numerous vegan cake recipes over the years and I always come back to this one, it's the best vegan chocolate cake I've ever had, and it even impresses my non-vegan friends.
It's the easiest to make, perfectly moist, light and spongy, and not too sweet. I like the basic recipe so much, I even converted it into a vegan vanilla cake recipe and a gluten-free chocolate cupcake recipe.
❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
- It's simple and easy to make with everyday ingredients you already have.
- This makes a perfect dairy-free birthday cake that everyone will love.
- It's made without a mixer or fancy tools - just a whisk and bowl.
- This can be easily adapted to be gluten-free.
- It's free of dairy, eggs, soy, and nuts so everyone can enjoy it.
🧾 Ingredients and substitutions
- White Flour - for the base of the cake. You can also use half whole wheat and half white flour. Any general gluten-free flour mix will also work well to make this cake gluten-free.
- Sugar - for sweetness.
- Cocoa Powder - for a chocolate taste.
- Baking Soda - to make your cake rise.
- Salt - for flavor.
- Water - for moisture. - you can also use plant-based milk like soy milk or almond milk if you would like or swap the water out for coffee for a cafe mocha-flavored cake.
- Oil - for a rich moist cake. You can use any neutral flavored oil, like vegetable oil or canola oil, or swap it out for apple sauce if you want an oil-free cake.
- Vinegar - to interact with the baking soda and make your cake rise.
- Vanilla Extract - for flavor.
- Frosting - you can use any vegan frosting that you want. I like my chocolate vegan buttercream frosting with my homemade vegan butter or dairy-free whipped cream frosting on this cake.
🥄 How to make water cake
Prepare your cake
Step 1 - Preheat your oven to 350° F (177° C) and rub 2 round cake pans with oil and then dust them with flour to prepare them for the batter.
Make the chocolate cake batter
Step 2 - Measure the dry ingredients (all-purpose flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt, into a large bowl) and give them a stir with a whisk.
Step 3 - Measure the wet ingredients (water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla) in a separate medium bowl (I measure them all in a large measuring container).
Step 4 - Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
Step 5 - Stir with a whisk until you have a smooth batter and you can no longer see dry flour.
Bake your cake
Step 6 - Immediately pour the batter into your prepared cake pans and bake at 350° F (177° C) for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Step 7 - Allow cakes to cool to room temperature on wire racks for 30 minutes in the cake pan then invert them onto a plate in the fridge to cool completely before frosting.
Assemble the cake
Step 8 - Once your cakes are cool, it is time to assemble your layer cake. Put the first layer topside down on your serving dish.
Step 9 - Top with a thick layer of buttercream, pastry cream, jam, or jelly to stick the two layers together.
Step 10 - Put your next layer on the top right side up.
Step 11 - Frost the cake with a thick layer of vegan chocolate buttercream, whipped cream frosting, or any other frosting you would like.
🌟 How to make a sheet cake
- Use a 12 X 18-inch sheet pan to bake the cake.
- Pour all of the cake batter into an oiled and lightly floured sheet pan.
- Bake at 325°F for 40-45 minutes until the top is dry to the touch and springs back up when pressed slightly.
- Let cool completely and frost in the pan.
🌟 How to make cupcakes
- Pour the batter into cupcake liners that have been placed in a muffin tin.
- Bake at 375°F for about 22 minutes until the top is dry to the touch and springs back up when pressed slightly.
- Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting.
👩🏻🍳 Pro Tips
- Spoon your flour into the measuring cup and level it off with the back of a butter knife. Don’t scoop the flour out of the bag with a measuring cup. This will pack the flour down too much resulting in too much flour.
- Don't over-stir the batter or the cake will have a chewy texture.
- Don't let the batter sit once you have added the wet ingredients or the baking soda and vinegar will stop interacting by the time you bake the cake.
- If you take the cake out of the oven and it deflates in the center, it is not done. Quickly put it back in the oven for at least 5 more minutes.
🍞 Gluten-free water cake
Since my son had to be gluten-free for many years, I have made this cake gluten-free numerous times. The only thing that you need to do is swap out the flour for an all-purpose gluten-free flour mix.
I have tried many different brands and they have all worked well. Just be sure to add 1 tsp of xanthan gum to the dry ingredients if it doesn't already have it in the mix. It will not work with almond or other grain-free flours, it has to be a grain-based gluten-free mix.
You can check out my recipe for gluten-free vegan chocolate cupcakes for more details.
This cake has been a favorite in my house for years and made for countless birthdays and holidays.
I hope that you enjoy it as much as we do! If you want to check out some more vegan cakes try this vegan vanilla cake, vegan carrot cake, or vegan sponge cake.
🍰 More delicious vegan desserts
- Super Easy Vegan Cake
- Veggie Brownies - with zucchini and beets
- Vegan Oatmeal Cookies
- Silken Tofu Chocolate Mousse
- Vegan Chocolate Pie
- Vegan Cherry Pie
📌 Be sure to follow me on Pinterest for new vegan recipes!
📋 Water cake recipe
Chocolate Water Cake
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose white flour or gluten-free flour mix if desired
- 2 cups sugar
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 2 cups water or plant-based milk
- 3/4 cup oil any neutral-flavored oil will work
- 2 tablespoons vinegar any type will work
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups vegan buttercream frosting
Instructions
Prepare your cake
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C) and rub two 9 inch round cake pans with oil and then dust them with flour to prepare them for the batter.
Make the chocolate cake batter
- Measure the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt, into a large mixing bowl) and give them a stir with a whisk.
- Measure the wet ingredients (water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla) in a separate bowl (I measure them all in a large measuring container).
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
- Stir with a whisk until you have a smooth batter and you can no longer see dry flour.
Bake your cake
- Immediately pour the batter into your prepared cake pans and bake at 350°F (177°C) for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Allow it to cool for 30 minutes in the cake pan then invert them onto a plate in the refrigerator to cool completely before frosting.
Assemble the cake
- Put your first cake top side down on your serving dish.
- Top with a thick layer of buttercream, jam, or jelly to stick the two layers together.
- Put your next layer on the top right side up.
- Frost the cake with a thick layer of chocolate vegan buttercream or any other flavor you would like.
Notes
- Spoon your flour into the measuring cup and level it off with the back of a butter knife. Don’t scoop out the flour out of the bag with a measuring cup. This will pack the flour down too much resulting in too much flour.
- Don't over stir the batter or the cake will have a chewy texture.
- Don't let the batter sit once you have added the wet ingredients or the baking soda and vinegar will stop interacting by the time you bake the cake.
- If you take the cake out of the oven and it deflates in the center, it is not done. Quickly put it back in the oven for at least 5 more minutes.
- Let the cake cool for at least 30 minutes before inverting the pans and taking the cake out.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting. Colder cakes are easier to frost and will not have as many crumbs when you frost it.
Nutrition
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Click the stars above or leave a comment! I'd love to hear from you!
I’m not vegan my sons girlfriend is so I made this cake and it is now our favourite chocolate cake recipe yum and keeps really well. I am going to try it as a vanilla cake .
I'm so happy that you all liked it! 🙂
Great cake paired with the chocolate frosting. Only thing is that it dries the mouth a bit, I assume its the baking soda. Can I used baking powder next time? If so, how much?
I would love to make this and was wondering if you store this cake in or out of the fridge. Sorry if its on the posting but I read it several times and couldn't find it.
You can store it out of the fridge for up to 5 days. It will last a little longer in the fridge. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months. Enjoy! 🙂
Thanks. Would that be the same is I used your chocolate frosting?
Can I use carob instead of coco powder?
I have never tested it, but I think that it will work just fine.
My mom made cake like this when I was little. It was called wacky cake. The dry ingredients go into the cake pan and then you make 3 wells. One is for vinegar,one is for oil and I guess the other is for water. Then she would stir it up and bake it. It was my favourite. It was magical for a little girl. She didn't ice it and it was delicious.
Do you know what the difference is if you use water or plant mylk? Is one better than the other?
The cake comes out a little richer and denser with plant milk and lighter and fluffier with water.
Thank you, Monica.
Hi, I’m planning to make this cake and wanted to know if I can half the recipe and if so, does the temperature and cooking time remain the same?
As long as you are using 1 round cake pan instead of 2 then the baking temperature and cooking time will remain the same. Enjoy! 🙂
My 1st attempt at a vegan chocolate birthday cake. My 15 year old loved it (as did the rest of the family). Made into a gateaux with jam (jelly in the US?) whipped coconut cream and fresh fruit. Now my go to chocolate cake. Thanks for sharing.
You're welcome, Susan! I'm so happy that you and your family loved it! 🙂
Thanks Monica. If I want to sub the oil for apple sauce, how much apple sauce would I need? Also does this affect the amount of sugar that I need to use?
You can sub the oil for apple sauce in equal amounts, so you will need 3/4 cup or if you just want to reduce the oil, you could use 1/4 cup oil and 1/2 cup apple sauce. I usually use unsweetened apple sauce, so it doesn't make it too much sweeter.
I love this cake so much! Moist and delicious! I came home from the gym and my 13 year old daughter baked it and I couldn't resist it. I was like, "Why did you bake this cake on a Tuesday?!!" Well, I guess we both couldn't wait for the weekend.
LOL! What a sweet daughter! Cake is always good on a random Tuesday! I'm so happy that you guys liked it! 🙂
Hi, is the us recipe considered plant based as well?
Thanks
That depends on how you define plant-based. Some people define it as foods that come from plants, if this is the case, then yes. Some people are whole foods plant based. This recipe would not meet that criteria since it contains processed sugar and oil. I hope that helps.
Hi!
I have a question;
Your cake looks round so I don't understand the cakepan size.
How many inches/cm should my springform be?
(I'm sorry if my question is weird - English is not my first language)
I used 2 (9-inch) round cake pans and layered the 2 cakes on top of each other. You can also make it 1 layer as a large sheet pan which would be about 12 X 18 inches.
I used this recipe for cupcakes and they were SO. GOOD. I had made the vanilla cake recipe of yours and it was the best ever, so I thought I’d give the chocolate version a try, and it far exceeded my expectations. I recently made chocolate cupcakes from the Oh She Glows cookbook, which does have amazing recipes that I love, but they came out really heavy and a bit dry. Your chocolate cake, on the other hand, is light, fluffy, moist and DELICIOUS. This will definitely be my go-to cake recipe from here on out!
I'm so happy that you liked it, Ashli! 🙂
Hi! I follow your site and also bought your homemade vegan staples e-book. I’m the cook at home, but my wife loves to make desserts. I give her this chocolate cake recipe and she made it yesterday. She loves it!!! It’s really good, fluffy and chocolatey with a great flavor like any other conventional chocolate cake. This recipe it’s a keeper for a long time. Thanks a lot, Monica!!!
Aww, thanks so much, Hernan! I"m so happy that you guys liked the cake! It always amazes me how such a simple recipe can taste so good! 🙂
I made this for my husband and kids on Easter. I couldn't believe how easy and delicious it was! This is my new go to chocolate cake recipe!
I'm so happy that you liked it, Elizabeth! 🙂
Where can you get the vegan buttercream frosting?
You can make your own. (click the blue words that link to my recipe) Many store-bought frostings are also vegan if you don't want to make your own.