Depression Cake, AGS-Friendly, Vegan

There’s something special about making a recipe that has been around for generations.

Depression Cake was created during a time when home cooks had to be creative with what they had available. They learned how to make something delicious without relying on expensive or hard-to-find ingredients.

However, even though this cake has a short list of ingredients, it’s important to verify the safety of the products being used. Alpha-gal allergens can hide in the most unexpected places.

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Organic, Unenriched Flour

For this recipe, I choose organic flour that is not enriched.

Flour itself is a plant-based ingredient, and grains are not considered a source of alpha-gal. However, some people with Alpha-gal Syndrome report reactions to enriched flour, possibly because of the additives. For that reason, I prefer to avoid it rather than assume that every flour product will work for everyone with AGS.

The Importance of Choosing the Right Sugar

One of the ingredients I pay particularly close attention to is sugar.

When I bake, I use organic sugar that I have verified is not processed using bone char.

Water Matters, Too

You might be wondering why I’m specifically mentioning the water used in this cake.

For many people, water is simply water. But when you’re trying to eliminate as many potential sources of mammal-derived contamination as possible, the filtration method can matter.

I use water that has not been filtered through a system containing bone char.

Don’t Forget the Vanilla

Vanilla is another ingredient where I recommend reading the label carefully.

I use pure vanilla or vegan vanilla and choose a product whose ingredients and manufacturing information I’m comfortable with.

“Vanilla” may sound like a simple ingredient, but flavoring products can contain additional ingredients or processing aids. The FDA notes that flavor ingredients can be declared under terms such as natural flavoring or artificial flavor rather than necessarily listing every component individually.

Let’s Bake a Cake!

Now that we’ve covered the ingredients and why I carefully choose each one, it’s time to get into the fun part – making the cake! Depression Cake is wonderfully simple to prepare, which is one of the reasons this recipe has remained a favorite for generations. With your verified AGS-friendly ingredients ready to go, let’s make a delicious Alpha-gal Friendly chocolate cake!