Crazy Carrot Cake (a.k.a. Wacky Cake) is a Depression Era cake that is made with no eggs, no milk and no butter! One of the EASIEST, tastiest, budget friendly carrot cakes made with pantry staples – it’s super moist and absolutely delicious!
A Depression Era Cake
You will be surprised how moist this carrot cake is without eggs, milk and butter! I adapted this delicious cake from the Original Chocolate Crazy Cake. The original chocolate cake was created during the Great Depression, when eggs, milk and butter were hard to come by. It took some creativity and baking science to create a cake without eggs or butter – you don’t even need a bowl or mixer. Genius! And because this cake is egg and dairy free, it’s a great recipe for people with egg and dairy allergies.
Read great reviews from people who tried this recipe on Pinterest!
Original Post Date, October 25, 2015. Post updated, March 17, 2023.
TIPS FOR MAKING CRAZY CARROT CAKE
- For this Crazy Carrot Cake, it’s easier to mix everything in a bowl then pour the batter in a prepared baking pan. Unlike the other Crazy Cakes, you do not need to make depressions for the wet ingredients due to the thickness of the batter with the carrots, walnuts and raisins.
- Crazy Cake can be made with Gluten Free mixes! Many people have commented they have made this cake with Gluten Free mixes, and it’s wonderful.
- More cake flavors have been added since this post! Check out the whole list HERE! There are mug cake versions too!
- For a great dairy-free buttercream frosting, The Minimalist Baker has a great vegan recipe!
- Sugar Spun Run has a great Cream Cheese Frosting recipe – “The Best Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe”
- For a great go-to Basic Buttercream Frosting, check out Winterborn’s recipe shared on allrecipes.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
It is called Crazy Cake (aka, Wacky Cake, Depression Cake) because it doesn’t require any eggs, milk or butter, or mixers – which is kinda crazy for cake making!
Vinegar is part of the leavening process! The vinegar reacts with the baking soda, which is what makes the cake rise. You don’t taste a hint of the vinegar in the finished cake!
Yes! Just use a 9×13 baking pan.
The cake’s moistness comes from the oil, and it becomes so fluffy because of the chemical reaction between the vinegar and baking soda!
INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO MAKE CRAZY CARROT CAKE (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR FULL RECIPE)
- all-purpose flour
- granulated sugar
- baking soda
- salt
- ground cinnamon
- ground cloves
- ground allspice
- ground nutmeg
- carrots – peeled, finely grated
- walnuts, chopped
- golden raisins
- white vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
- pure vanilla extract
- canola oil (or vegetable oil)
- water
How To Make Crazy Carrot Cake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and grease an 8″ x 8″ square baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.
In a large mixing bowl, mix the first 8 dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg) and blend well.
Next, add carrots, walnuts and golden raisins – blend well. Last, add the wet ingredients – vinegar, vanilla and oil, then pour the water over top – mix well. Pour in greased baking dish.
Bake on middle rack of oven for *35 to 45 minutes. Check with toothpick to make sure it comes out clean, remove when ready. Allow to cool and top with your favorite vanilla, cream cheese or buttercream frosting. Enjoy!
Please Note: Oven baking times will vary, be sure to check your cake to make sure you do not over bake.
WANT MORE CRAZY CAKE RECIPES?
My daughter declared this her new favorite Crazy Cake flavor, next to chocolate. I hope this becomes a new favorite for you as well.
Crazy Carrot Cake (No Eggs, No Milk, No Butter!)
Ingredients
DRY INGREDIENTS
- 1 ½ cups plus 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¾ cup carrots, peeled, finely grated
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
- ½ cup golden raisins
WET INGREDIENTS
- 5 Tablespoons canola oil (or vegetable oil)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and grease an 8″ x 8″ square baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix the first 8 dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg) and blend well. Next, add carrots, walnuts and golden raisins – blend well.
- Last, add the wet ingredients – vinegar, vanilla and oil, then pour the water over top – mix well. Pour in greased baking dish.
- Bake on middle rack of oven for *35 to 45 minutes. Check with toothpick to make sure it comes out clean, remove when ready. Please Note: Oven baking times will vary, be sure to check your cake to make sure you do not over bake.
- Allow to cool and top with your favorite vanilla, cream cheese or buttercream frosting.
Notes
-
- For a great dairy-free buttercream frosting, The Minimalist Baker has a great vegan recipe!
- Sugar Spun Run has a great Cream Cheese Frosting recipe – “The Best Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe.”
- For a great go-to Basic Buttercream Frosting, check out Winterborn’s recipe shared on allrecipes.
Joan A Leigh
I’m going to try these cakes. Do you know the nutritional facts?
Yoyo
Hi, I was justwondering if your Crazy Carrot Cake No Eggs No Milk or Butter is freezer safe?
I’ve just baked it and am tempted to freeze half of it.
Lois
Can this be made without the nuts? I cook at a child care centre so no nuts allowed 😱
Mary Neumann
Yes, Lois, you can just skip the nuts. You should try the Chocolate Crazy cake too – https://sweetlittlebluebird.com/tried-true-tuesday-crazy-cake-no-eggs/
Maria
Great recipe! We doubled it for a two layer cake. Very happy with the results. Will definitely make again.
Roberta B
I love the Carrot Crazy Cake. Due to food allergies I can not eat dairy, eggs or gluten. I have been craving carrot cake lately. I saw this recipe and decided to try it. I’m glad I did. The only difference I made was to use King Arthur Measure for Measure Gluten free flour. The cake came out moist and delicious. I will definitely make this again. I will be trying the other crazy cake recipes as well especially the single mug cakes!!! Please do more recipes like this one!!
Lisa
Oh! I’m so happy to read that you did the GF swap. I’m vegan, so I’m all about these Crazy Cakes. My sister is GF, so we compromise with a GF Vegan cake. 🙂
marysweetlittlebluebird
If you followed the directions, anonymous – more than likely your baking soda was not fresh, also check the date of your vinegar. The baking soda and vinegar are what makes the cake rise.
How to check if your baking soda is fresh: https://www.thebalance.com/how-to-tell-if-baking-soda-is-still-good-1388327
Anonymous
Thanks alot Mary, i think you might be right. Will try it again after making a trip to the grocery
Anonymous
I made this cake last night. It tasted really delicious and was easy to make but my cake did not rise even though i followed the exact recipe. Can anyone help make a suggestion what went wrong?
Anonymous
This is a recipe I've been making for over 50 years! It was the first cake I was allowed to make on my own!
When my kids were young, and I packed school lunches, I would make two recipes, one chocolate one vanilla. I used tuna cans (well washed) as mini cake pans and put a swirl of the opposite cake batter on top. The kids accepted this as baked in icing! Heads up, they don't take as long to bake.
Momof3boys
I have friends who are vegan, and I'd like to make a version of this for them. Do you have any recipes for an apple cider or pumpkin cake?
marysweetlittlebluebird
Anonymous – That has never happened to me, but this may have been what happened: https://www.nigella.com/ask/carrots-turning-green-in-carrot-muffins
Anonymous
Really weird! I left mine on thw counter,covered in foil and the carrots seemed to turn geeen the next day…any idea why that would happen? The cake was delicious though…I was just skeptical about eating it after that
Andrea
Love, love your cake recipes. I have a Grandson who is severely allergic to eggs and peanuts. Do you have an egg free red velvet crazy cake recipe? We have always had red velvet cake on Christmas Eve but have not been able to have it for the last 2 years because of the allergies to eggs. Thanks for all of your wonderful recipes.
Anonymous
WOW these Wacky cakes really must be popular! I am going to try making the carrot cake, but I am going to use brown sugar. I have to stay dairy free, so no cream cheese frosting for me. Think I will use Brown Sugar frosting on mine. Great comments ladies! Such great ideas on how to change it! Have fun eating yours, I know I will!
Ann Moya
Hi there
I made this carrot cake and it was absolutely fabulous so I made a parsnip cake too, just substituting the carrot for parsnip – that came out great too.
I'm 52 and have never been that bothered about baking until now! A friend introduced me to your site and though I don't personally have any allergies, I have friends with children that do. So I am an avid fan.
How could we adjust your recipe to make a coconut cake?
favgrl3
If you want to add pineapple just run the pineapple through your juicer to remove moisture then add pineapple pulp. I am making this right now.
CYNTHIA FIEG
I wonder if the oil could be coconut oil?
Cassandra Scott
Hi, I used coconut oil (I used refined so that it wasn’t flavored) the other day in the lemon recipe and it was awesome!
Lisa Nicosia
Can you use almond flour or coconut flour instead of all purpose flour…
Lisa Nicosia
Could I substitute flour with almond or coconut flour
mija
Do you have a persimmon recipe?
mija
Do you have a persimmon recipe?
Anonymous
If I leave out the nuts and raisins, do I need to add in more carrots to make up for it? Or will it still turn out okay?
Kerry Lee
Really good! I made 2 this week…one with brown sugar…and one with maple syrup….both were really good….better the next day…nice and moist. Also I use Macadamia oil for all my cakes that need oil.
Mavis F.
I made this cake and brought it to a restaurant, for
my Daughter's birthday.
We gave our server a piece of it.
She came back in a few minutes and said
" I don't know who made this cake,
but it is the best carrot cake I have ever eaten"
Thanks for sharing your recipe.
I did use brown sugar instead of white,
and I think it was one of the reasons
it stayed so moist.
Rachel Ward
I made my own pineapple (not carrot) version of this cake using canned crushed pineapple in juice, pecans and slightly different spices than the original. I also used dried mango to replace the raisins. I added baking powder to the dry ingredients to make up for the heavier, wetter pineapple. It turned out dense, moist and very flavorful and just yummy! Here is my recipe:
dry ingredients
1 1/2 cups + 3 tablespoon all purpose flour
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
chunky ingredients
1 15.25 ounce can crushed pineapple in 100% juice, juice reserved
1/2 cup pecan chips or finely chopped pecans
3/4 cup finely chopped dried mango
wet ingredients
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
5 tablespoons coconut oil (warm enough to be liquid)
reserved pineapple juice
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and sugar a round 8-inch cake pan. Put all dry ingredients in a bowl, mix well. Put chunky ingredients into bowl, mix well. In juice bowl, put all other wet ingredients. Whisk to combine. Mix into dry/chunky mix. Pour batter into greased and sugared cake pan. Bake 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Turn out onto a flat serving dish covered in parchment paper. Let the cake cool completely before cutting.
Cindy L
Has anyone made this with whole wheat flour? I made it with mostly all purpose and 1/2 whole wheat it was great but what about all whole wheat..