Yesterday, I saw a recipe for a Depression Cake on Facebook. Since it is a egg free cake that is easy to make, I thought I’d give it a whirl with some low carb substitutions. Heaven knows, chocolate cake is an automatic anti-depressant, isn’t it? Anyone, I swapped out one cup of flour for Bakesquick from DCC  and the other 1/4 cup for almond flour. You can probably substitute in other low carb flours for either of these.

The 35-minute cook time is a little too long for either the flour or the cast iron skillet I used as it got a little over-done. So, I adjusted the recipe to 25 to 30 minutes, check to make sure it is springy and don’t over cook. My cake is a tad bit dry, but I think that will solve the problem.  The cake has a really good flavor with a bit of tang to it that probably comes from the apple cider vinegar I used.

You can dress it up however you like. I just sprinkled sugar-free powdered sugar over the top and served it with whipped cream. You can make an icing for it if you wish.

Depression Cake

Low Carb Adjusted by Rene Averett

1 cups Low Carb Flour
1/2 cup Almond Flour
1 cup Sugar Substitute
1/4 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Salt
1 tablespoon White or Apple Cider Vinegar
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
6 tablespoons Vegetable Oil
1 cup Coffee, cooled (or water)

Make the cup of coffee and let it cool.

Preheat oven to 375°F.  Grease an 8-inch round or square pan or cut parchment paper for the bottom and spray with cooking spray. I used an 8″ cast ion skillet with parchment on the bottom.

In a mixing bowl, add the flour, almond flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt and sugar. Poke three holes into the mix. Pour the vanilla, vinegar, and oil into each hole.

Add the coffee and stir the ingredients until well blended. Be sure to get the bottom flour mixed into the liquid. Spoon into the baking pan or skillet and smooth.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the top is set but springy. Allow the cake to cool in the pan. Use a knife to loosen the edges and transfer to a plate by placing the plate over the top and flipping the pan. If you’ve used parchment, the cake should flip out easily, then remove the paper.

Ice with a sugar-free powdered sugar drizzle or sprinkle sugar-free powered sugar over the top, or just serve with whipped cream topping. Low carb ice cream is also yummy with it.

Makes 8 servings.

Recipe Note: The recipe says “Poke three holes into the mix. ” I have no idea why this is important, and it wasn’t clear if you should mix the three liquid ingredients together and divide it into each hole. I put vanilla in one, apple cider vinegar in one, and vegetable oil in the third, which overflowed and went into the other holes anyway. Then you add the coffee and mix it all together, so I don’t quite see the purpose in this division.