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.
Alice
I just made this cake exactly as per recipe and it turned out so yummy! I’ve been craving a gluten free cake without all the guilt and this is it! I recently found out that ‘m sensitive to milk and eggs and this was my first recipe without it. Soooo good! Next time I will try to substitute the sugar with Erythritol and probably will eat half the thing at one go, haha! I suggest if you make the frosting from the link, half the recipe as suggested but add only 1 cup of icing sugar, that’s plenty -the full recipe for 8×13 pan calls for 4 cups which is craaaaazy!
GC
Hi!
If I omit the walnuts, will the structure change? I can’t use them due to an allergy.
Thank you!
Mary Neumann
Sure, just skip the nuts, GC.
Lina
Do you have to use vinegar or can you substitute something else??
Mary Neumann
Yes, that’s what makes the cake rise, Lina (along with the baking soda). You can use white or apple cider vinegar. You do NOT taste the vinegar at all. This cake is wonderful!
Sara
For this carrot cake…can I use a sugar substitute and substitute the flour for gluten free? It sounds delicious!
Pat
would like to print this recipe or email it to keep
Mary Neumann
Pat, you can print the recipe here: https://sites.google.com/site/sweetlittlebluebird/carrot-crazy-cake
Bonni hill
Do you have the nutrition value for one serving of this cake. It sounds great as a special treat, but I’m on a very restrictrd diet
Mary Neumann
Bonni, here is a great site that shows nutritional info for recipes and allow you to divide it into servings. Great to have on hand, especially for restricted diets and when you want to adapt a recipe. https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
Sarah Corr
Must give this a try. Looks interesting. Sounds good!
Ana
Can I use coconut oil instead of canola or vegetable oil? Would it be the same amount?
honeybooboo
oil is oil
Mardy
This cake was the hit of my holiday party! I used the frosting recipe from Minimalist Baker and a 8” round tin and only frosted the top. It was enough frosting to frost 2 cakes, making the chocolate version today for my birthday. 🙂
Carol
Have you tried this using a gluten free flour?
Nancy
What changes do I make to turn this into a 9×13 size cake. I have made the chocolate crazy cake for almost 65 years. Am anxious to try this carrot cake recipe.
Ilona
How can it be baked in a 9x 13 pan?
Mary Neumann
Ilona, just double the recipe. Bake the cake at the same temp on the middle rack of your oven – it may take a little longer until it’s ready. Use a toothpick making sure it comes out clean.
Eli
Is the batter supposed to be super thin and watery, or did I do something wrong? 😫 I hope it bakes up well.
Laura
No raisin fans in our crew… if I leave them out should I substitute with more carrots or pineapple etc.? Can’t wait to make this cake!
Erma
I bet dried cranberries would be a great substitute!!!
Sharon
I have been making the “Chocolate Crazy Cake” since I was 10 yrs. old. And that’s a mighty long time, too! This recipe caught my eye because my hubby of nearly 55 years loves carrot cake and I was looking for a VERY EASY recipe. Wow! Did I ever find a winner in this recipe! Like your daughter, this is my new, favorite Crazy Cake recipe. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Aalia
Wow! Your recipes are my new crazy favorite 😁
Leilani
Love this recipe! I made 1 mod, I added a small can of crushed pineappple. I also made the cream cheese frosting in the link provided at the bottom of the cake recipe, it should be notedthat the frosting recipe is more for a 9×13 size cake. I halved the frosting recipe and it was more than enough for the 8 inch cake.
Kathryn
Hi! Just wanted to say thank you for sharing this recipe! I have used it several times over the past few years, and my second son has requested it for his birthday again! So here I am again. He is turning 9 and he loves this cake! I make it gluten free (celiac mom) and it has been an awesome treat for serving to those who have egg, dairy or gluten issues, and also I’ve made it for our vegan friends. It really is delicious! I blend the carrots in the vitamix with the water and it is a very quick recipe to throw together. Thank you again!!
Rebecca Harrington
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I am allergic to eggs, dairy AND wheat. Substituted the flour with a Gluten Free flour blend (Pillsbury Best has a great product). The Carrot Cake is AWESOME.
Carol
I was wondering. I do a lot of potlucks and the majority of my friends are vegan and/or GF.
Wendy
This was delicious! Thank you!!!
Diane Andrae
I’m wondering if it will bake up nicely in a microwave oven. Has anyone tried it? I am in Florida, and turning on the oven makes it too hot.
Lisa H.
Can I swap out some things like…coconut flour, coconut sugar, and extra virgin olive oil?
Thanks
Cassandra Scott
Hi, We just tried the lemon flavor last week and it was awesome!!! Is it possible to use applesauce in place of the oil in these cakes? I
Silvia
Im planning on making this cake for a party. But i just wanted to know if i have to make it the day i serve it or can i make it a day or two before hand?
Mary Neumann
Yes you can, Silvia, this cake recipe is even better the next day!
Tami
I have never made a crazy cake before and am anxious to try this. Would it work baked in mini bundt pans or cup cakes?
Mary Neumann
Yes – just just be sure to adjust the baking time and be sure to prep your bundt pans well for easy release. You can see cupcakes here: https://sweetlittlebluebird.com/crazy-cupcakes-no-eggs-milk-or-butter/
*Mix everything in a bowl following the same directions.