Depression Cake (as in indent, not sadness)

As the title alludes, this is called "depression" cake for two reasons, neither of them involving sadness (directly, anyway).

1. You combine all the dry ingredients, then make theee "depressions" in the dry ingredients into which you pour the 3 wet ingredients.

2. This is a Depression Era cake recipe: a cake that can be made without milk, butter, or eggs; expensive and difficult items to come by during hard times.

Depression Cake

from Salon

Ingredients:

1.5 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup cocoa powder, unsweetened (or black cocoa)

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 Tbs vinegar (white or apple cider)

1 tsp vanilla extract

6 Tbs vegetable oil

1 cup cooled brewed coffee (or water)

Instructions:

1. Brew coffee, if using and cool rapidly. Preheat oven to 375F.

2. Prepare 18 cupcake tins with paper cups or grease, or an 8" round or square pan with grease.

3. Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Whisk until evenly mixed.

4. Make 3 depressions in the dry ingredients with the back of a spoon.

5. Into each hole, pour vinegar, vanilla, and oil. Pour coffee over all and mix batter well to combine.

6. Pour into cupcake moulds or cake pan. Bake cupcakes for 20 minutes or cake pan for 35 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.

7. Cool cake, and then frost with chocolate ganache (or other ideas) if so desired.

Classic Chocolate Ganache

 I've never been a fan of normal confectioners sugar and butter based frostings. Don't even get me started on fondant... Why, why ruin a perfectly good cake when you could do something like a rich creamy chocolate ganache?? Or a cream cheese frosting? My best friend in high school, her British mother taught me the English way: poke some holes in the top of a cake with a fork and pour over a can of sweetened condensed milk, then dust with powdered sugar. Give me a nice citrus glaze, or brulee the top. Put a paper doily on the cake and dust cocoa powder, then carefully remove the doily on a light cake to reveal a lacey pattern. Spread some peanut butter whipped cream topping over the cake, anything but your run-of-the-mill Royal icing.

Classic Chocolate Ganache

Ingredients:

8 oz. dark chocolate bar, chopped small

1 cup heavy whipping cream

Instructions:

1. Place chopped chocolate in a thick walled bowl.

2. In a double-boiler or in the microwave, heat cream until just steaming. Keep a careful eye on it up until that point then immediately remove from heat and pour over chocolate.

3. Let sit for 2 minutes without stirring.

4. Gently stir chocolate and cream together with a fork until just combined. 

5. Spread ganache across cake, or pour into a bowl to let cool.