Poor Man’s Cake (Depression Cake)
Poor man’s cake is an old-fashioned dessert that was especially popular in the 1930s and is sometimes known as Depression Cake, because it didn’t call for butter, milk, or eggs.
By Yankee Magazine|Mar 21 2022|
Coffee By Design | Portland, Maine
Photo Credit : Katherine KeenanPoor man’s cake is an old-fashioned dessert that was especially popular in the 1930s and is sometimes known as Depression Cake, because it didn’t call for butter, milk, or eggs. Notice how low in fat this recipe is! Try it with a cream cheese frosting.
Submitted by Ruth Gagen of the Brentwood Historical Society in Brentwood, New Hampshire, this recipe for Poor Man’s Cake was first published in our 1996 book, Yankee Magazine’s Church Suppers and Potluck Dinners.
Yield:
12 to 15 servingsIngredients
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups hot water
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons solid vegetable shortening
1 package (15 ounces) raisins
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
3 cups all-purpose white flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch by 13-inch baking pan.
In a large saucepan, combine the brown sugar, water, salt, shortening, raisins, and spices. Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Sift together the flour and soda, add to the batter, and mix well. Pour into the pan.
Bake for about 30 minutes or until a tester inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan.
GREAT!!! The cake was very moist & very tasty.
Great recipe. Moist and tasty. Also great if you add 2 oz of citron or lemon and 1 cup of chopped black walnuts.
Makes me think of home and Christmas. Make it a family tradition.
Can you substitute something else for the shortening?
No, it says combine flour and dissolved baking soda and add to batter. The first recipe says sift the two but no mention of dissolving soda in hot water first. Skimming recipes instead of reading carefully can prove to be disastrous!
Hi Robin. Feel free to substitute butter for the shortening. Thanks!
Above says
Dissolves baking soda in hot water
Then it says
Sift baking soda and flour together
This does not seem possible as water and flour don’t sft
Hi Doug. Great question — this is an old recipe and we scratched our heads a little over here after you called this to our attention. After doing a little research, our advice is to not dissolve the soda in the water, but sift with the flour and the recipe later instructs. We’ll update the text to reflect these changes. Hopefully that will do the trick! Thanks!
Here’s the original recipe and it clearly states to dissolve soda in 2 teaspoons of hot water and to add the dissolved soda to the flour – it does not suggest the soda be sifted with the flour.
Poor mans cake
INGREDIENTS
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups hot water
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
1 package (15 ounces) raisins
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in 2 teaspoons hot water
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan.
In a pan, combine brown sugar, hot water, salt, shortening, raisins, and spices. Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.
In a bowl, combine flour and dissolved baking soda, add to the batter, and mix well. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan. Frost, if desired.
YIELD:
12 to 15 servings
My grandmother recipe has apple sauce in the recipe.
The recipe I got from my great aunt calls for 1 tsp to be added to the raisin mixture after removing from the heat and then an additional 1 tsp added with the flour.
If I substitute vegetable oil for shortening, how much oil should I use? Also, can I bake this in a bundt pan?
I used 1.5 tablespoons coconut oil instead of shortening and it was delicious!
That would add some good flavor by using unrefined cocounut oil that still has the coconut taste and smell.
My mother and grandmother made this in the 40s and 50s we called it boiled cake. First and only time I tried to make it after getting married I burnt everything including the pot never tried again. Now 55 yrs later may try loved it
My aunt made this, and at Christmas time, she added the dried fruit and nuts and made her fruitcake with this recipe—It was wonderful and moist.
My mother in law taught me how to make Suet Pudding, a recipe from her family, do you have a recipe for suit pudding?
Please send me the recipe for “suit pudding “ If you could and thank you.
my family made it for Christmas it is basically plumor Christmas pudding ground up the suet for the recipe. Steamed in for a couple of hours in coffee cans put in steaming water.
This is awesome. I only have the chocolate version of depression cake, which I make frequently. If you are a chocolate lover, it’s to die for. It’s so good you don’t even need frosting.
Rosie, can you share the chocolate version of depression cake?
Rosie,
Could I have your recipe for the chocolate one, please.
This is a family tradition that started with my grandmother (1930’s) sending it to my dad on his birthday (Dec. 25th). He served in WWII and because the cake has no butter, eggs or milk, it traveled well to wherever he was stationed. I make it every year during the holidays, particularly on Christmas Day in honor of my Dad’s birthday, without fail. We make a variation, adding 1 C of dates with the 1 C raisins and ground nutmeg and 1 T baking powder along with the baking soda. The shortening is increased to 3/4 cups which makes for a very moist cake. It takes an hour to bake in a bundt pan. If it didn’t get devoured so quickly, it would last for weeks in the frig.
I can’t wait to try poor man’s cake, thank you for the information on how to make it
I always loved this cake but we always used lard for the shortening, as that was what the original recipe called for. Great taste!!!
I made this for my Dad many times in his final years. It was his favorite boyhood treat. He was born in 1928.
We always called it War Cake and it often had dates in it too
I recall eating parochial school lunch in Omaha NE that served this cake called “wacky cake.” Helen
WoW. Dates would be very nice. Thank you
It is gretamac@yahoo.com.
Not gretama6 no
Our grandma’s recipe was the chocolate version using cocoa powder & extra cloves.
Would love to have recipe for the chocolate version.
I have a recipe for poor man’s soup, and yet my great aunt made poor man’s cake but a different version and she made it in the 60’s. the soup is great!
Dissolving the baking soda in water is seen in many old recipes. Sifting the soda with the flour and adding it that way produces better leavening. That is why in modern recipes the instructions will be to sift baking soda with other dry ingredients.
My NJ born and raised grandmother made this all the time. It was a family favorite!
I have had my Grandmother’s recipe for this in her own handwriting for many years but she called it the eggless, butterless, milkless cake and made it a lot during World War 2 when everything was rashioned. Remember the rashion stamps? I do, but then I am in my 80’s. Thanks for the memories.
I remember, too.
I remember also. I’m 81.
I was born in 1950. My Mother told me stories about recipes like this cake. In my 70’s now and thank you for sharing your memories.
My family always made this at Christmas. Still make it today, and we know it as Poorman’s Cake. A favorite!
Could you cut back the sugar? 2 cups seems alot!!
My grandma made this cake but used 2 cups black coffee instead of the water. She called it YumYum cake. I make it now and love it.
We called it Yum Yum cake, too!
My Mom was born in the late 20’s,her brother was 18mo. Older.I think their mother would make this as a birthday cake ,so in later years my mother would make this for her brother as a gift on his birthday
YES!!! My mother’s all time, signature cake request from family and friends is Yum-Yum cake! She adds maraschino cherries, nuts and dried pineapple along with the raisins.
This “Yankee New Englander” remembers this and there’s a similar recipe in my Cape Cod Kitchen cookbook called “Economy Cake”! Grew up on so many of these famous New England recipes! My late maternal grandmother was such a great cook/baker she could have had her own bakery, but having been born in 1887, women didn’t have their own businesses back in the early 1900s. I also have three other great cookbooks for New England cooking…The Mystic Seaport Cookbook which has some very old recipes, the Durgin-Park Cookbook, thankfully,because now that old landmark restaurant at Quincy Market has closed down, major BOO and the Kennedy Compound cookbook! Also, the Peter Hunt cookbook , he was a famous decorative painter on the Cape in the 1940s, 50s and 60s! We have to keep this culture going so it doesn’t die out, we owe it to our Yankee forebears who came here before us ever since the 1600s and 1700s, like mine did along with many other’s forebears as well! “Remember the Spirit of 1776” even in the kitchen!
Amen!!!
Can’t wait to try this cake recipe. I loved reading everyone’s memories of having this cake, especially at Christmas time. I always have bread pudding. My best friend’s mother always had me over the day after a holiday so I could share in the leftovers. thanks for sharing this.
Enjoyed reading of all the suggestions.I will put some to the test. Thank you Mary Lou
can you use crisco for the shortening?
I thought Crisco was shortening
I just googled it yes it is and yes you can
You can use any oil or fat.. butter, margarine, lard, shortening, crisco. vegetable oil. It doesn’t matter.
DEPRESSION CAKE IS AWESOME .. MY GRANDMA AND MOTHER MADE THIS ..
I GREW UP WITH THIS CAKE ..
MY GRANDMA STARTED MAKING IT IN THE 1920’S MY MOM WAS BORN IN 1928 AND SHE MADE THIS CAKE AFTER SHE GOT MARRIED IN 1951 .. OUR FAMILY LOVES THIS DEPRESSION CAKE .. I MAKE AT LEAST 3 TO 4 TIMES A YEAR …
ANOTHER FAMILY RECIPE OUR MOM MADE IS BOW TIES .. LOVE THE BOW TIES ALSO .. THANK YOU ALL FOR THE POST ..
I live in the UK, and this cake, when I was a child in Liverpool, was called Wet Nellie. My family made this during and after the war years, as so much was still on ration, in fact until 1952 and didn’t end until after Queen Elizabeth II Coronation.
My best friend’s mother used to make this when Imwas young 7 decades ago. They are both long gone, and see in this evoked so much nostalgia further proving the ability of certain seemingly unimportant aspects like a song, a smelly , a food etc.. to have significance. Thank you.
Can anyone explain why my original recipe (from my grandmother) dilutes the baking soda in warm water? Does this not break down the baking soda? I wondered about it for years and hope someone can explain why we do this.
My dear Nana would make this for me to take back to college with me so I would not be hungry. Act of love that still makes me teary.
Judy thanks for bring back a very fond memory. As a pilot trainee in the USAF during Vietnam, my grandma knew I would miss the summer fIshing season so she sent me a box of fried eels. My favorite. My roommates in the BOQ had never had eels so that and a couple of beers made the night. I too have tears in my eyes as I remember her and those eels. Thanks for the memories.
I have my Grandmother’s recipe for this cake called Eggless, Butterless, Milkless cake that she made during the 2nd World War when I was just a little girl. We loved it.
Ditto! I made it again recently from the recipe card written by my Grandma!
I’m 86 and I grew up calling it eggless butteries milkless also. My favorite cake ever.
We made a cake during WW2 using a can of tomato soup. It can be found in Joy of Cooking as Mystery cake . Very good. Somewhat like a spice cake.
I still make Tomato Soup cake often, my family and friends love it.
Curious about this. I will be making this later today.. I may leave out the cloves since I’m not a clove fan..
I agree and wondered about nutmeg in place of cloves. I do love nutmeg. I think ‘how much’ should be a work in progress. Nutmeg has that unique way of hiding it’s potent’ness until it’s cooked.
Absolutely LOVED this cake! Simple to make and delicious. Only thing I would suggest, is pouring the banking soda in the warm water do it dissolves, it’s a recommendation someone told me once and it works. Besides that, the cake came out beautifully and tasted better than I expected!
I just saw a video on YouTube from the hillbilly kitchen. She also dissolved her baking soda in some really warm water and then added that at the end before baking it. I’m not sure what it does.
This cake is also called a WW1 cake. My grandmother used to make it all the time!
This has been made in my family for generations I live this cake sometimes I add walnuts to mine very very good
Sounds good for my necessary ultra low fat diet. Thank you.
I have not made the Depression cake and think I might try it. However, suet pudding was a staple of our Thanksgiving dinner. My Maternal Grandmother always made it and my Mom and I followed the tradition.
Someone mentioned Whacky cake and I have that recipe handed down from Mom.
I am very nostalgic and in my 80’s. Oh, how I miss those old days!
All of above comments brought back so many memories of my MOM and her Poor Mans Cake. Thanks for sharing!! Helen
I recently made this cake and I found it very heavy. It must have stayed in the bottom of the stomach for a few days because it was so heavy. Taste was good but I won’ make it again.
My mother made this every year at Christmas time, adding a cup or so of candied fruit and baking it in a loaf pan. Easy and economical fruitcake. I make it every year.
We always had it every Christmas with the addition of candied fruit. We always called it War Cake and it was often made for Weddings in CAnada as the Groom’s Cake. I’m not sure it is a tradition in the USA but here the groom passes out the tiny wrapped slices of this cake to take home to eat or if you are single you put the wrapped cake under your pillow and whom ever you dream of that night is the one you are to marry.
Long story short it’s a great cake but meant to be eaten in small slices.
When in Wales at a weaver’s tea shop, I tried a slice of cake called Bara Brith and had to buy the recipe. It is very similar to this recipe except it calls for currants and strong tea instead of hot water. Very tasty anytime and useful for vegans or those who of us who periodically fast from animal products for religious reasons.
Brown sugar— packed or loose?
Brown sugar is always measured packed.
I’m now 87 and I remember my mom making this ‘Depression’ Cake with Campbell’s tomato soup. I have no idea how she made it but it sure was good and oh so moist.
I have my mother’s recipe for Tomato Soup Cake.
I would love to try that recipe
If you wouldn’t mind sharing it?
This is the same recipe my family called Missionary Cake. It has been a family favorite for at least 3 generations. We bake it in two bread pans.
Mom made this when we were kids. She would get a pint of vanilla ice cream from the stand near our house for a real treat.
This was back in the 50s.