User blog comment:Unownshipper/Flora and Fauna of Rapture/@comment-6024608-20131020104122/@comment-71.155.150.228-20131020170037

There are cakes created without eggs, milk and butter during the Great Depression because those were hard to come by or they became too expensive, either called Depression cakes or War cakes. They required baking soda or unbleached all-purpose flour, vinegar, corn syrup (or molasses, or boiled raisins mixed with sugar and spices to make syrup), water (or strong coffee or apple juice, shortening, nutmeg and some other spices. Most people still make it, although either traditional or adding some butter.