Found my great-aunt's recipe card for 'Depression Cake' next to a modern vegan version online.
Her 1930s recipe used cold coffee, vinegar, and no eggs or butter. The new one had fancy stuff like flax eggs and coconut oil. I baked both last Tuesday. The old one was denser but had a richer flavor, honestly better. The modern one just tasted sweet and kind of greasy. Has anyone else tried an old 'make-do' recipe that beat a new fancy version?