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Lemon Depression Cake – No Eggs, Milk or Butter

When you’re stuck at home with limited ingredients on hand, this Lemon Depression Cake is the easiest way to satisfy a sweet tooth. The best part is, there is no eggs, milk or butter required!

Lemon Depression Cake Recipe

Lemon Depression Cake is similar to our Vanilla Depression Cake in that it gets its name from the Great Depression.

It was a popular cake due to its ability to be made easily without the need for milk, sugar, butter or eggs, because the ingredients were then either expensive or hard to obtain.

We took that traditional depression cake recipe and switched it up a bit to give you a more lemon filled flavor that is perfect for Spring and Summer munching.

This cake is also known as “Crazy Cake” and “Wacky Cake” because it uses non-traditional cake ingredients.

This cake is both dense and moist and is filled with a light lemon flavor. If you love lemon, you’ll love this!

Ingredients Needed:

  • Flour
  • Sugar
  • Baking soda
  • Kosher salt
  • White distilled vinegar
  • Canola oil
  • Water
  • Lemons, zested and juiced
  • Yellow food coloring

How to Make A Lemon Depression Cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9×9 square glass baking dish.

In the baking pan, mix the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt until combined.

Next, using your fingers or a spoon, make 3 impressions into the dry ingredients.

Pour the lemon juice in one impression, the oil into another impression, and vinegar into the last impression. Don’t worry if they mix into each other.

Now add lemon zest to the dry ingredients (just sprinkle on top).

Pour the water over all ingredients and mix until combined.

Mix in the yellow food coloring (you only need a few drops to give it that nice yellow color).

Bake in the oven for 35 minutes.

Once done, allow to cool completely before frosting.

Check out our cream cheese frosting recipe below too!

Serve and Enjoy! You can also store any leftovers in the fridge for about a week.

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 1 – 8oz pkg cream cheese, softened
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3 Cups Powdered sugar

Cream Cheese Frosting directions

Using a mixing bowl, combine the softened cream cheese and mix until smooth

Add in the vanilla and powdered sugar and mix until combined

Spread onto the cooled cake. You can also top off with some more lemon zest, a slice of fresh lemon and mint.

Lemon Depression Cake

4.54 from 15 votes
Brittanie
When you’re stuck at home with limited ingredients on hand, this Lemon Depression Cake is the easiest way to satisfy a sweet tooth. The best part is, there is no eggs, milk or butter required!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Additional Time 10 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 9

Ingredients
  

For The Lemon Crazy Cake

  • 1 ½ cup Flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp white distilled vinegar
  • 5 tbsp canola oil
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 lemons zested and juiced
  • 3 drops yellow food coloring

For The Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 1 package cream cheese 8 oz, softened
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3 cups Powdered sugar

Instructions
 

For The Lemon Depression Cake

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9×9 square glass baking dish.
  • In the baking pan, mix the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt until combined.
  • Next, using your fingers or a spoon, make 3 impressions into the dry ingredients.
  • Pour the lemon juice in one impression, the oil into another impression, and vinegar into the last impression. Don’t worry if they mix into each other.
  • Now add lemon zest to the dry ingredients (just sprinkle on top).
  • Pour the water over all ingredients and mix until combined.
  • Mix in the yellow food coloring (you only need a few drops to give it that nice yellow color).
  • Bake in the oven for 35 minutes.
  • Allow to cool before frosting.

For The Cream Cheese Frosting

  • Using a mixing bowl, combine the softened cream cheese and mix until smooth
  • Add in the vanilla and powdered sugar and mix until combined
  • Spread onto the cooled cake. You can also top off with some more lemon zest, a slice of fresh lemon and mint.

NUTRITION

Serving: 1 | Calories: 703kcal | Carbohydrates: 117g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 720mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 89g

Nutrition information is a rough estimate only; actual values will vary based on the exact ingredients used and amount of recipe prepared.

Keyword depression cake, lemon cake, lemon desserts, lemon drepression cake
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Did you try this recipe?Mention @simplisticallyliving or tag #simplisticallyliving!
Recipe Rating




Rosemary

Saturday 1st of April 2023

I don't normally have fresh lemons here---could I use lemon juice (from a bottle)? And if yes, how much would I use? Thanks!

Rae lynn Juarez

Saturday 21st of January 2023

can’t wait to try this, I have a lemon tree always looking for new ideas.

Sharon Christen

Wednesday 24th of August 2022

My question is do I have to add yellow food coloring or can I just leave it the way it is and just have the flavor I don't usually care for artificial coloring.

Brittanie

Sunday 28th of August 2022

You can totally skip the food coloring, it just won't look as yellow.