Gluten-free Depression Cake Recipe (dairy-free option) (2024)

Gluten-free depression cake recipe – can you believe my recipe got nearly 2 million views when I posted it on TikTok? I certainly can’t but there you go!

Gluten-free depression cake recipe, anyone? Meet the super simple, fudgy chocolate cake that’s not only gluten-free, but also dairy-free and vegan too… but you’d never know! Plus, there’s a little history as to how it got the unusual name…

What is a depression cake?

It’s a cake that was commonly made during The Great Depression, a severe worldwide economic depression 1929 and 1939.

Though depression cakes can vary, they generally all have a lack of eggs, butter and milk in common. This is because these ingredients were either expensive or difficult to obtain at the time.

So with that in mind, here’s what you’ll need for this recipe…

Gluten-free depression cake recipe: What you’ll need…

• Water: Room temperature or slightly cold from the tap is fine here.
• Vanilla extract: The better quality yours is, the better your cake will taste!
• Vinegar: This isn’t for flavour (you can’t taste it), instead it’s to react with the bicarb and create a wonderful rise for a super fluffy cake crumb.
• Gluten-free plain flour: I use a simple commercial blend from the free from aisle in the supermarket. If you can’t find a blend like this where you live, you can always make your own using my gluten-free flour recipe.
• Caster sugar: Sugar isn’t just for sweetness – it helps to achieve a lovely crisp exterior and helps the cake to form a perfect crumb.
• Bicarbonate of soda: This is also known as baking soda, but don’t confuse it with baking powder! Bicarb is much stronger and certainly not replaceable with baking powder.
• Salt: Again, you won’t taste this, but it helps to act as a flavour enhancer.
• Xanthan gum: This helps to bind the cake crumb together so it doesn’t become crumbly, replacing the gluten that would otherwise do the same job.
• Cocoa Powder: Ideally sieve before using or it can be quite lumpy.
• Vegetable oil: In cakes that don’t use butter, vegetable oil is usually a common ingredient instead. As oil never sets hard like butter would, it means that you’ll find your cake is super moist and stays that way for longer.
• Icing sugar: You’ll need this to create the chocolatey icing. In the US it’s known as confectioner’s sugar.
• Gluten-free sprinkles: Any sprinkles will do as long as they’re gluten-free!

So here’s my own gluten-free take on the classic depression cake! Of course, a lack of eggs, butter and milk also means that it’s dairy-free and vegan too.

And as you should probably know by now, just because a cake is free from x, y or z, that certainly doesn’t mean it has to compromise on taste or texture. So not surprisingly, my gluten-free depression cake is fudgy, light and moist in texture, super chocolatey, with a sweet and sticky icing on top.

Best of all, absolutely anyone can make this. It really is a cake that you can throw together anytime as almost everything you’ll need are store-cupboard ingredients.

With the cost of living going up and up, I think it’s about time this old school bake came out of retirement, don’t you think?!

Gluten-free depression cake recipe: Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this recipe gluten-free? Is it suitable for Coeliacs?

It is gluten-free, though nobody would know just by tasting it – trust me!

Bear in mind that minimising cross-contamination is hugely important if you’re Coeliac or making this for someone who is. Here’s some tips from Coeliac UK on minimising the risk of cross contamination.

Also, make sure that all ingredients used don’t have any gluten-containing ingredients. Then make sure that they also don’t have a ‘may contain’ warning for gluten, wheat, rye, barley, oats (which aren’t gf), spelt and khorasan wheat (aka Kamut).

Here’s some more info from Coeliac UK on identifying safe gluten-free products.

How do I make this recipe dairy-free?

It is dairy-free! Just make sure that your cocoa powder is dairy-free too and doesn’t have any ‘may contain dairy’ warnings on the back.

Can I make your gluten-free depression cake recipe vegan?

It is vegan! Make sure you check the dairy-free advice above for further info on cocoa powder.

Is this recipe low FODMAP?

Yes!

Do I need any special equipment to bake your gluten-free depression cake?

Certainly not! Just a simple 9x9in baking tin like this will do.

Can I use gluten-free flours like almond flour or coconut flour to make this recipe?

Certainly not using this recipe. This recipe uses gluten-free plain flour which is easily available in supermarkets here in the UK.

If you can’t find it where you live, you can always make your own using my gluten-free flour recipe.

The reason you can’t use flours like almond or coconut in this recipe is because gluten-free plain flour is a blend of lots of different gluten-free flours and starches.

So to ditch a carefully made blend and try to substitute them all for ONE flour… it’s just not going to work!

Do I need weighing scales to make your gluten-free depression cake recipe?

In short… yes, yes and yes! And I wouldn’t advise attempting any my recipes without them. One of the worst things you can do in any recipe is alter the quantities by mistake or on purpose.

(unless you know what you’re doing of course)

Why? Well, you’re sort of just gambling with the recipe and praying that it turns out ok, don’t you think? And I’ve generally already done the hard work there for you, so you don’t have to do the guesswork with measurements!

A lot of work went into fine tuning ratios and quantities so I wouldn’t mess around with them unless you really know your stuff. I’d recommending using digital cooking scales like these so you know you’re getting an accurate measurement and replicating my recipe as accurately as poss.

Gluten-free depression cake recipe: Tips for perfection!

1. Follow the recipe and add the ingredients in stages – that way, you can ensure everything is properly incorporated before adding the next ingredients.
2. Don’t forget that you can ‘lazy line’ your baking tin. Simply place baking paper into the tin and press it into the shape of the tin – then use pegs to hold it in place. Pour in the cake batter, then remove the pegs and bake – no greasing or paper cutting required!
3. Wait until your cake has fully cooled before icing it. Otherwise the icing will melt and just drip off!
4. The icing won’t properly set hard, but it will form a smooth layer on top, yet be sticky underneath – when the smooth layer on top isn’t sticky to the touch, it’s ready to eat!
5. Watch the video below the recipe before you start. Then you definitely can’t go wrong!

@beckyexcell DEPRESSlONCAKE ? do you know why its called that? #cake #chocolatecake #veganrecipes #bakingtiktok #easybaking #moneysavingtips ♬ original sound – Becky Excell

Thanks for reading all about my gluten-free depression cake recipe! If you make it, I’d love to see how it turned out so don’t forget to take a snap of your creations and tag me on Instagram!

Any questions about the recipe? Please do let me know by following me onInstagram or TikTok and leaving me a comment on a recent post!

Thanks for reading,

Becky xxx

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