There’s a new moist cake recipe with vinegar (by Chef RV Manabat) called Moist Cake (surprise!) going around Facebook recently and I was reminded of this Sharing Cake (or Friend in Need Cake) we used to do a lot with our (now expired) toaster oven.
It’s very easy to do with none of the usual preparation when making a cake. You just dump them together, making sure not to over-mix the ingredients.
The Moist Cake History
This simple baking soda vinegar cake hails from the Great Depression era when ingredients were scarce and people had to make-do. That meant stretching a dollar and making cheap ingredients taste good. The so-called Moist Cake quickly became popular due to its convenience and flexibility.
This moist cake recipe makes use of very few ingredients and isn’t fancy or complicated to make. In fact, it’s so easy that most any home cook could whip one up in little time. As a result of its widespread popularity during the Great Depression, this simple cake also came to be called a “Depression Cake” — and it remains one of the best vintage recipes around.
The Moist Cake recipe lives on today as an easy, no-fuss cake that’s almost impossible to mess up – even for beginners.
The No-Fail Vinegar Baking Soda Secret
This Moist Cake is a science-d cake because it has no butter, milk, or eggs but it is able to stand up because of the vinegar. The baking soda reacts with the vinegar to give the cake its lift and moist texture which is why it’s renamed as Moist Cake. Surprisingly, the vinegar does not make the cake taste like vinegar at all. The vinegar neutralizes itself, so you taste no tang – just a nicely textured cake.
The beauty of this cake recipe is that it is so easy to make. You can make it as is, or you can adapt it to suit your pantry availability or your own tastes.
And because it has no eggs and milk, those with allergies can eat them without being worried about allergies.
This Depression-era recipe is perfect for breakfast or as a snack. Perfect for forgotten birthdays, and last minute visitors. You can also bake it for friends as it is a sharing and friend-in-need cake!
Tips for Making Moist Cakes
– Sift the flour to ensure there are no lumps and to aerate it. This will help the cake texture and make it rise better.
-Dont overmix the cake as it will make the cake rubbery.
– Use a baking dish that is at least 2 inches deep to ensure the batter doesn’t overflow.
-Use brewed coffee instead of water to make the chocolate taste more intense!
– Don’t overbake the cake or it will be dry. It should still be soft in the center when it’s done.
– Let the cake cool completely before slicing.
-I added a simple chocolate frosting if you want to elevate the Moist Cake. It has butter though~!
– Store the cake in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap.
– Use fresh ingredients for the best tasting cake.
– You can change the flavor of this cake by adding vanilla, almond, lemon extract, or even a bit of liquor like rum or brandy. And you can also change the sweetness level by increasing or decreasing the amount of sugar in the recipe.
– You can also change the color of the cake by changing the food coloring.
-And finally, if you want it cupcake style, you can also do so!
PS. When adding liquor to a cake recipe:
• Replace an equal amount of liquid called for in the recipe – usually milk or water Therefore remove 1 tbsp of water from the 2 cups of water and replace it with 1 tbsp of rum or brandy.
• Start with a smaller amount and taste the batter before adding more.
• The higher the alcohol content, the more it will evaporate during baking so the final cake won’t be boozy.
• The flavor of the liquor will be most prominent right after baking but will mellow over time.
Ingredients
- 3 cups flour (all-purpose)
- 6 tbsp. cocoa (unsweetened)
- 2 cup sugar
- 2 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. white vinegar
- 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 10 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- 2 cups water (or brewed coffee -optional)
Chocolate frosting:
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 big can evap milk
- 2 tbsp flour
- 4 tbsp butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180 degree C.
- Use any size pan you want then add in flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt.
- Mix all the dry ingredients.
- Add vanilla essence and white vinegar and the oil.
- Pour 2 cups of water over it and mix well.
- Bake for 30 minutes in preheated oven or until tooth pick inserted comes out clean.
Frosting
- Mix everything except the butter.
- Cook over low fire.
- Once desired consistency is achieved, add butter and mix until shiny.
Notes
*Note
1. Watch the cake and temperature making sure not to overcook it. Once inserted toothpick comes out clean, you may turn off the heat and take out of the oven.
