To make Depression cake, I gathered the necessary ingredients.Ingredients for Depression cake. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider The ingredients for Depression cake are as follows:1/4 cup cocoa powder1 cup hot coffee or boiling water, or a mix of the two2/3 cup granulated sugar1/3 cup light brown sugar1/3 cup neutral oil1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar1 teaspoon vanilla extract1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour1 teaspoon baking soda1/2 teaspoon kosher saltI already had most of the ingredients in my pantry, but I did run out to buy all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and a foil pan to bake the cake in. Additionally, I substituted dark brown sugar instead of light brown sugar since I already had some on hand.I spent $17.15 on ingredients. The cake yields nine servings, bringing my total cost to about $1.90 per serving.The average price of a dozen eggs in the first quarter of 2025 is $4.80, according to data from the US Department of Agriculture, but this recipe didn't require me to use any.I preheated my oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and sprayed a foil pan with cooking spray.Preheating the oven. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider The recipe called for an 8-inch square pan.Next, I bloomed the cocoa powder with boiling water to enhance its flavor.Blooming the cocoa powder. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider I used hot water since I'm not a fan of coffee. The smell of hot chocolate wafted from the bowl.I added the rest of the wet ingredients to the bowl, including a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar.Apple cider vinegar was an odd ingredient. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider I was skeptical about adding apple cider vinegar to a chocolate cake, but I dutifully followed the recipe and added it along with the granulated sugar, brown sugar, oil, and vanilla.Once the wet ingredients were combined, I mixed the dry ingredients.The wet and dry ingredients. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider The flour, salt, and baking soda all went into a separate bowl.When I added the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, the batter immediately began to fizz and bubble.Bubbles in the batter. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider The chemical reaction of the baking soda and vinegar filled the batter with bubbles, which would help the cake become light and fluffy without using eggs.I poured the batter into the pan and put it into the oven to bake.Baking Depression cake. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider The recipe said to bake the cake for 25 to 30 minutes.While the cake was baking, I started working on the accompanying chocolate glaze.Ingredients for the chocolate glaze. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider The glaze called for 1 cup of powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, 1 to 2 tablespoons of coffee or water, and a pinch of salt.I measured out the ingredients and mixed the glaze.The chocolate glaze in progress. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider Once again, I used water instead of coffee.After a few additional tablespoons of water, the chocolate glaze reached the perfect drizzly consistency.The chocolate glaze. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider I sampled a bit of the glaze and enjoyed the sweet, chocolate flavor.In my oven, the cake needed a little more time than the prescribed 30 minutes to cook all the way through.The cake passed the toothpick test. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider After a few toothpick tests, I pulled the cake out of the oven after around 45 minutes, when the toothpick emerged clean of batter.From the outside, Depression cake looked just like any other chocolate cake.The finished cake. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider The only difference I noticed is that the top of the cake had baked into a slightly crispy shell, which I haven't encountered before while baking with eggs and butter.As I cut into the cake, I noticed its spongey texture.Cutting into the cake. Coren Feldman The baking soda and vinegar worked their magic.I drizzled some chocolate glaze on top and marveled at how good it looked.Depression cake. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider I couldn't believe that this cake didn't have any eggs or dairy in it.The flavor of the cake struck the perfect balance of sweetness and richness, and the glaze added even more chocolate goodness.Trying the Depression cake. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider As an experiment, I offered a slice of cake to my partner but didn't reveal that it was dairy-free and egg-free. My partner said they appreciated how it "wasn't sickly sweet" and went back for seconds.After I shared the "wacky" nature of the recipe, they said they'd never have guessed it didn't have dairy or eggs.I found Depression cake to be anything but depressing.The remnants of a slice of Depression cake. Talia Lakritz/Business Insider As the price of eggs continues to skyrocket a dozen eggs cost $10 at my local Manhattan grocery store last time I checked I'm grateful for timeless recipes like Depression cake that have allowed generations of penny-pinchers to have their cake and eat it too.