Pronto Cake

This cake is known by many different names – depression cake, wacky cake and most recently busy day dump cake. I was first introduced during to it in home economics class in the early 1980s but it is said the recipe dates back to the Great Depression when eggs and butter were scarce. We love this recipe because it is quick, easy and a great option for vegans! We decided to put an Italian cowboy spin on the original recipe with the addition of espresso powder and balsamic vinegar. 

Spray a 9 inch square baking pan with apart. We also recommend using parchment to create a sling so that your cake easily lifts right out if the pan. 

Combine all ingredients in a bowl.

Mix ingredients with a spatula until well blended. There’s no need for a mixer.

Pour into pan. Bake at 350 for 23 minutes. If using an 8 inch pan, add a few minutes to the cooking time. It’s ready when the top has a slight spring and a toothpick comes out clean. 

Dust with powered sugar or top with your favorite buttercream frosting. A future post will have our mocha buttercream frosting so stay tuned. Or you can do what we did and eat it plain with coffee for breakfast. Pronto translates to ready in Italian and is a standard phone greeting. Since this easy cake is ready in a snap we named it pronto cake.