I had fun playing in my kitchen today and made a Chocolate Crazy Cake in a Mug! Not familiar with Crazy cake? The recipe is also known as Wacky Cake and Depression Cake – No Eggs, Milk, Butter, Bowls or Mixers! It’s an awesome go-to recipe for egg/dairy allergies and fun to make with kids. The recipe dates back to the Great Depression. It’s darn good cake that’s inexpensive to make, super moist and delicious.
READ GREAT REVIEWS FROM PEOPLE WHO TRIED THIS RECIPE ON PINTEREST (PHOTOS)!
Learn more about the Depression era cake recipe below.
Crazy Cake – No Eggs, Milk, Butter or Bowls
I have never made a cake in a mug in the microwave before and wasn’t sure if it could be done with the Crazy Cake recipe. I have seen tons of recipes for single serving microwave mug cakes and wanted to give it a try. I did a quick Google search for mug cakes and actually came across a Microwave Vegan Wacky Cake. After a few adjustments and attempts, I have an awesome go-to recipe for a single serving Crazy Cake that takes just minutes to make – super moist, absolutely delicious chocolate cake! The best part, everyone in my family can enjoy it because it’s egg-free.
Crazy Cake in a Mug
- 5 Tablespoons flour (all-purpose)
- 4 1/2 Tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons cocoa (unsweetened)
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- pinch of salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
- 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil (or canola oil)
- 4 1/2 Tablespoons water
Directions
- Each microwave cooks differently, adjust time accordingly! One person made the cake in 1 minute 40 seconds, and another in 1 minute 20 seconds.
- Make sure your baking soda is fresh, vinegar too, they are what make the cake rise.
- If you want a neater mug cake, mix the cake batter in a small bowl, then pour the batter in the mug.
- You can add mini chocolate chips to the batter for a super rich chocolate cake…or do what I did, throw some on top after you make it, while it’s still warm! Mmm, mmm good!
Anonymous
Can I use the oil instead of cooking spray??? I really want to try it.
marysweetlittlebluebird
Yes! But just use enough to coat it 🙂 Enjoy!
Anonymous
Hi. I made the recipe with all paleo friendly ingredients. Its a little crumbly this way but not too bad.
Anonymous
It was yummy 🙂
I'm really glad i find your site.
Anonymous
BEST CAKE EVER IM NOT KIDDING AMAZING ❤️
Anonymous
I poured a tad bit of cream and milk onto the cake after I cooked it in the Microwave to kind of recreate a chocolate tres leche cake. I also added fresh strawberries to it. It was delicious! This is now my go-to sugar fix!
Christina
Hi, I just wanted to let you know that I made it gluten free and it totally worked out.
I used Bobs Red Mill GF Pizza Crust mix (without the yeast). I've made many a Gluten Free cake and this was by far the easiest and fastest! Not gummy at all. Kids loved it!
Instead of baking soda I used double acting baking powder (Aluminum Free / Bob's Red Mill) (This isn't a plug for B.R.M., that's just what I am able to get here). Why use double acting baking powder? Rises more – reacts to heat as well as acid.
Instead of vinegar, you can use lime or lemon (lime has more acid). However, what I prefer to use is Ascorbic Acid. 500 mg should do (that's about 1/2 a 00 capsule).
Thanks!
Anonymous
Just made this with cinnamon instead of cocoa (because I was out of cocoa powder and wanted something sweet) it turned out great. It was very sweet though because it didn't have the bitter cocoa so I recommend on cutting backon te sugar drastically.
Kate
I've made this my go-to gotta-have-it-now cake recipe. Tonight I tried to do it by memory, but put in 2 *tablespoons* of oil. It came out great! Very moist, and less crumbly. I also used 4 1/2 tablespoons of leftover coffee instead of water – what a treat!
Thanks for sharing the recipe. It's a keeper!
Anonymous
so delicious. got me over my sugar fix too!
Denise
Sorry, but for me this just didn't work. Like someone posted earlier, it went all over the micro and the taste was terrible. I am an accomplished cook, so I don't quite get it. Waste of time and ingredients and I really wanted it to work.
marysweetlittlebluebird
Sorry your cake didn't turn out, Denise, I'm not sure why? I have made this countless times, so has my 10 year old and it always turns out great and tastes wonderful. If you got this recipe from another site, you may have the wrong instructions. If you followed mine above, it should turn out great. Again, sorry it didn't work out for you.
Anonymous
I was needing some sugar tonight and i tried this recipe. It was amazing! I took it out when it had 30 seconds left and put some chocolate chips on it, then put it back in. When it got out i smeared the melted chocolate chips around and i tried a bite. This definitely helped me with my sugar fix.
Anonymous
I had been craving chocolate for days, so when I found this recipe I immediately ran to the kitchen and made it. I used a small Corningware dish and followed the recipe exactly but used Stevia instead of sugar. I cooked it for 1min. 20 sec. and it was done. I topped it with chocolate chips and a drizzle of chocolate syrup and ate the whole thing. Yummy!! Please someone tell me how many calories I just consumed!!
Elodie Forestier
It might just be me but i tried this recipe for my family and they all disliked it, saying that the taste was weird and it is true, I felt like I could taste vinegar more than the chocolate, is it normal ?
Christina
Maybe you used too much vinegar? If you have vitamin C in capsule form, use 1/2 a capsule instead.
p123417
Made this tonight…in fact just finished eating it and oh my goodness it was so good. I had my doubts about using vinegar so I used lemon juice. I added chocolate chunks into the mixture in the dry ingredients part so that they wouldn't sink and it was like finding little pockets of melty chocolate goodness. I also used brown sugar so it had a slightly fudgey taste. I increased the ingredients by half to put in a small bowl and nuked it for 2 mins which wasnt quite long enough for the amount I had so I had a small amount of uncooked mixture at the bottom but it like a chocolate lava cake. Absolutely divine. Thanks so much for the recipe. Best chocolate mug cake ive made!
Anonymous
I really wanted to love this recipe but my mug cake turned out dry and tasteless. What could I have done wrong? I followed the ingredients list meticulously, but judging from all the positive comments, I must have screwed up somewhere. I was really hoping to love this so I could make mini cupcakes for my 2-year-old's birthday party this weekend. She has a peanut and dairy allergy so this recipe would be great! Please let me know if there is anything I can do to improve my disaster : /
p123417
Are you sure you used teaspoon and tablespoon amounts for the liquids and not mixed it up? And for tasteless add an extra 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder and use brown sugar. I did and it tasted wonderful 🙂
Anonymous
I accidentally used baking powder instead of soda, but it still came out good none the less. I read the recipe wrong. That was a mistake on my part, but either way, the recipe still came out delicious and it rose just fine.
Anonymous
Very good recipe. I didn't have a big enough mug, so I used a microwave safe tupperware bowl. I like the consistency and texture, but I personally think it needs a bit more chocolate. An easy fix, though.
Anonymous
I don't particularly enjoy the dense, spongy texture a recipe with egg makes, but this one is fluffy and oh-so delicious… thank you so much!
Anonymous
Mine seemed to just erupt as molten chocolate, covering my entire microwave and mug. Any idea what went wrong?
Anonymous
Mine did the same haha. Bigger mug next time for sure for me…
Amy Braun
Just made this– it was amazing!!!
Anonymous
I have a grandson with a Gluten alergy…will try with different flours to see how they turn out. Can make the others with regular flour…great way to have desert for everyone. Excited to give it a try. Connie
Olen Soifer
I've made this too, with even simpler proportions: Equal quantities (1/4 cup) water, flour and sugar, with about 3/4 tsp of baking powder instead of the vinegar & baking soda. Baking powder has a dry acid in it, that's not activated until heated…so you don't have to worry about the multiple depressions…which are to keep the baking soda from fizzing immediately upon adding the vinegar (acid). For flavoring, I used 2 heaping tsp of hot chocolate mix, because I've run out of cocoa. Do include the oil, a couple of teaspoons. I find the salt is optional. It is necessary when using yeast as a leavening, but I don't see what it does with baking soda or powder. And, by the way, the sugar can be replaced with artificial sweetener like the "blue packs" or the yellow. 4 packs works fine. To make sure I don't scrape through the oil surface of the cup. I oil one cup, mix the mixture in another one and pour into the greased on. About 3 minutes works in a small microwave (about 700 watts). Delicious! If any is wondering, by the way, why cake batter usually has more ingredients, like eggs…it's to make the cake last. These minute cakes are moist when made, but will dry out quickly. Of course…that irrelevant when we eat it as quickly as we make it!
Josie P
I have made the full version of wacky cake for over 50 years and never make the depressions for the liquids and it comes out every time. Also, I have kept this cake for several days and it does not dry out. It is always moist to the end. I don't know about the baking powder without the videgar, but if you use baking powder instead of soda and use the vinegar, it is not edible. It is edible if you leave out the baking soda soda. It is more like a brownie then.
Maria Elena Parascan
Made this today and it's delicious and super moist! Thank you for sharing!!!!!
Maria Elena Parascan
Tried it today and it's delicious and very moist! Thank you for sharing!!!
Miss Pearl
Mary this is just superrr good!! I just made it for my husband because he's hungry and I basically have no ingredients even an egg to cook. then I found your recipe and made it right away with nutella topping at the top. My husband like crazy love it when he taste it!
I made it with oven microwave 850W for 1 min 30 sec. and it's cooked perfectly moist! thank you so much..