Sawmill Cake

Sawmill cake belongs to a small family of Depression-era desserts also known as crazy cake or wacky cake, all built around the trick of using vinegar and baking soda for lift instead of eggs or butter. The result is a moist, deeply dark chocolate sheet cake that costs almost nothing to make and stays tender for days.

The vinegar reaction is the magic. When the acid hits the baking soda, the foam that forms is what aerates the batter and gives it lift, no eggs needed. This makes the cake naturally vegan if you swap the margarine for oil.

The two cups of water might look wrong but it’s intentional. The thin batter creates a delicate, almost pudding-soft crumb that needs no frosting to be satisfying, just a dusting of powdered sugar does it.

Pro Tips

• Sift the cocoa with the dry ingredients to avoid bitter pockets, cocoa loves to clump and won’t blend in mid-mix.
• Add the vinegar and vanilla last, right before the cake hits the oven. The leavening reaction starts immediately and you want it happening in the pan, not the bowl.
• Don’t overbake, the cake should pull away from the sides slightly and a toothpick should come out with a few moist crumbs.
• Cool fully before frosting if you choose to, the moist crumb is delicate and warm cake tears under any spread.

Variations

• Use vegetable oil in place of melted margarine and add a tablespoon of espresso powder for a fully vegan, deeper-flavored version.
• Top with a quick chocolate glaze of melted chocolate chips and cream for a fancier finish.
• Bake in a 9×13 sheet pan and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for the warm-cake-cold-cream classic combo.