This is the pie recipe that lifted the world out of the Great Depression

A vegetarian since she was 13 and a vegan since 2016, Coraline alias L’Herboriste shares her best plant-based cooking recipes on her blog and on social networks. of which the ” war cake invented in the United States by an anonymous person to make up for the shortage of means and ingredients during the First World War. A recipe that was still talked about during the Great Depression, a period of global economic crisis that began in 1929, when offering eggs, milk or butter was a great luxury. It is therefore a historic vegan cake, updated by L’Herboriste in two video tutorials to accompany its recipes depression cakes chocolate or lemon.

The chocolate depression cake according to L’Herboriste

The ingredients for a successful chocolate depression cake

• 200 g of flour
• 25 g of unsweetened cocoa powder
• 160 g of sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 260 g of water
• 1 teaspoon cider vinegar (or white, or what have you)
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 80 ml neutral oil (such as sunflower)

For the optional glaze

• 70 g of icing sugar
• 25 g of unsweetened cocoa powder
• a few drops of vanilla flavoring
• 1 teaspoon water to adjust to the right consistency

Steps to a successful chocolate war cake

1. It all starts with the choice of the mold which must have a diameter of about 20 cm. You can oil it, line it and preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. In a bowl mix the dry ingredients (the sifted flour and cocoa, then the sugar, salt and baking soda).
3. Form a central well in which to add the liquid ingredients: water, vinegar, vanilla and then the oil. Mixing coarsely with a spatula, you will make the vinegar react with the baking soda, which will make the cake puffy.
4. Immediately place your cake in the very hot oven and cook for 30-35 minutes (until a stuck knife tip comes out clean), before removing it and letting it cool on a wire rack.
5. On the cooled cake you can spread your icing (obtained by mixing icing sugar, cocoa, vanilla, a teaspoon of water at a time until you get the desired consistency). And voila!

Lemon depression cake according to L’Herboriste

The ingredients for a successful lemon depression cake

• 1 organic and/or untreated lemon
• 120 g of white or brown icing sugar
• about 200 ml of water
• Optional 1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring
• 70 g neutral oil (such as sunflower)
• 250 g of flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda (or 1 packet baking powder)

For the glaze (optional)

• 70 g of icing sugar
• 1 c. 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice or water, adjust to obtain the right consistency

Steps to a successful lemon war cake

Start by choosing a cake tin, or round, of about 20 cm in diameter, oil it, line it and preheat the oven to 180°C.

Grate the whole lemon, before rubbing the zest with the sugar to develop the flavours.

Squeeze the lemon into a measuring cup and top up with water to make a total of 250ml of liquid.

Pour the liquid into a bowl with the sugar, oil, vanillin and mix well.

In another bowl, mix the flour and baking soda or baking powder, before roughly combining the dry ingredients with the liquid ones.

It’s time to bake right away for 40 minutes, until a stuck knife blade comes out clean.

You can let it cool on a wire rack, before possibly covering it with the icing (obtained by mixing icing sugar, lemon juice and a little water until you get the desired consistency). And it’s ready!

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