Today I am sharing a fabulous new crazy cake flavor I created from the Depression era classic – Snickerdoodle Crazy Cake! The old school cookie favorite transformed into cake.
Be sure to check out all the Crazy Cake flavors I’ve created over the years!
SNICKERDOODLE CRAZY CAKE (No Eggs, Milk or Butter)
Crazy Cake, also known as Wacky Cake and Depression Cake – No eggs, milk or butter, you don’t even need a bowl, mix everything right in the baking dish! This budget friendly from scratch pantry cake is ridiculously easy to make, super moist and delicious, loaded with all the flavors of the cherished cinnamon and sugar Snickerdoodle Cookie.
Read Great Reviews from People Who Tried This Recipe on Pinterest (photos)!
What you need to make Snickerdoodle Crazy Cake
All-purpose flour, sugar, light brown sugar, ground cinnamon, baking soda, *cream of tartar (optional), salt, vegetable oil (or canola oil), apple cider vinegar (or white vinegar), pure vanilla extract and water.
*Cream of tartar is not necessary if you do not have it on hand. Cream of tartar is used to give the signature tangy taste in snickerdoodle cookies, not as an leavening agent. You still get all of the wonderful cinnamon and sugar flavor of the cookies if you leave cream of tartar out.
Learn the difference between Snickerdoodle and Sugar Cookies.
How to Make Snickerdoodle Crazy Cake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8″x 8″ baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
Mix dry ingredients (flour, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt) in prepared baking dish until well blended. Next, make 3 depressions in dry ingredients – two small, one larger. Add the vinegar in one depression, vanilla in the other and the vegetable oil in the third larger depression. Pour water over all. Mix well until smooth. *I use a fork to mix.
Bake on middle rack of oven for approximately 35 minutes. While the cake is baking, mix the cinnamon and sugar for the topping. Check cake with toothpick to make sure it comes out clean. While the cake is still warm fresh out of the oven, sprinkle cinnamon sugar evenly over top.
This delicious cake serves 9 people.
Take this delicious cake to the next level by adding caramel sauce over top. A scoop of vanilla bean ice cream makes a perfect pairing.
CHECK OUT ALL OF MY CRAZY CAKE FLAVORS – Chocolate, Carrot, Lemon, Spiced, Coffee & Kahlua and more!
PINNABLE IMAGE
Snickerdoodle Crazy Cake (No Eggs, Milk or Butter)
Sweet Little Bluebird Original Recipe
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- *1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 5 Tablespoons vegetable oil (or canola)
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (or white vinegar)
- 1 cup water
Cinnamon Sugar Topping
- 1 Tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8″x 8″ baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
Mix dry ingredients (flour, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt) in prepared baking dish until well blended. Next, make 3 depressions in dry ingredients (see photos) – two small, one larger. Add the vinegar in one depression, vanilla in the other and the vegetable oil in the third larger depression. Pour water over all. Mix well until smooth. *I use a fork to mix.
Bake on middle rack of oven for approximately 35 minutes.
While the cake is baking, mix the cinnamon and sugar for the topping.
Check center of cake with toothpick to make sure it comes out clean. While the cake is still warm fresh out of the oven, sprinkle cinnamon sugar evenly over top. Allow to cool, enjoy!
TIPS
*Cream of tartar is not necessary if you do not have it on hand. Cream of tartar is used to give the distinctive tang taste in Snickerdoodle cookies, not as an leavening agent. You still get all the cinnamon and sugar flavor if you leave cream of tartar out.
Make sure your baking soda and vinegar are fresh – they are what make the cake rise.
Top cake with warm caramel sauce and a scoop of vanilla ice cream – so good!
Sharing my recipe at Weekend Potluck.
Thanks for stopping by!
Cheers!
On my blog you will find my favorite recipes along with tried and trues from cherished cookbooks and admired sites and magazines.
I’ve made this twice in 2 weeks and it is TERRIFIC! Thank you so much! I’m making the chocolate crazy cake tonight!
Can snickerdoodle and carrot cake be doubled to make in 9 X 13 pan?
Yes they can, Mary!
Hi there! I was wondering if you think this could be adapted into a law it butter version? Either adding regular peanut butter or maybe powdered peanut butter in place of some of the flour? Thanks so much!
Correction- *peanut butter sorry!
I was thinking….OMGosssh!!! thinking!!! lol would a bit of sour dough work instead of the cream of tartar? say a 1/4 c and reduce the water???
I have a “Wacky Cake” recipe that’s chocolate. Very similar ingredients (except for the obvious flavor differences). It’s in an old cookbook that I bought in 1970. Love it! Anxious to make this cinnamon version!
Would you care to share the chocolate version? Thanks so much!
Here you go, Jan: https://sweetlittlebluebird.com/tried-true-tuesday-crazy-cake-no-eggs/
I have made this twice now and it is definitely a winner!
Will try this recipe. Sounds good and it isn’t chocolate.
If you are a gluten free baker this recipe turns out great if you refrigerate the batter for 30 minutes before baking and then bake at 325° for 45 minutes.
Thank you for this wonderful recipe, can’t wait to try other variations!!!
So sorry I just posted about this recipe and requested the “sauce” recipe but now see that you referenced caramel sauce as something to possibly try too! My mistake for not reading all of the posting. Thanks for the yummy sounding and looking recipe! :)…
This looks so yummy…. will be trying it but like to know what was the “sauce” in the picture? I would love to have the recipe for that also!! Thanks so much…. 🙂
Hi Tess,
That is just store bought caramel sauce in a glass jar. 🙂
cake is in the oven……is there a recipe for the caramel sauce?
Thanks so much for this recipe! Our grandson can’t have dairy. I made this for him and we had trouble keeping him from eating the whole thing by himself. He was a very happy 16 month old boy.!☺
Can one use applesauce in place of the oil?
My husband cannot have wheat, dairy, eggs among other things and I saw in the comments that this can be done using Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose Flour – I am sooooooo excited – his birthday is coming up and it has always been a struggle finding cake that he can have.
I think you just might be what I have been looking for
I have this in the oven right now!
It took longer to take all the ingredients out of the cupboard than to mix it up!
I am excited to try this cake as snickerdoodles are my favorite cookie.
For anyone else making this: 5 tablespoons of oil is equal to approximately a scant 1/3 cup ☺️
This recipe was so good. I will pass on your website to my friends. I used the cinnamon sugar topping but want to try caramel sauce next time
I grew up on this cake…. my mother would double or triple the recipe and bake it in the top of a roasting pan. We would loved it warm and it was usually gone before she could frost it ! 🙂
Can I use melted butter if I don’t have vegetabl oil?
I really love these cakes. I have made them all. My grandsons favorite is the spice cake. Looking forward to making this one.
Our family was getting tired of cinnamon so I made this using 1/2 cup of powdered Tang in place of white sugar and lemon juice in place of vinegar. Iced with Betty Crocker cookie icing. It was DELICIOUS! My kids want to make this every Easter now!
Is there another flour I can use instead of all purpose in your crazy Cakes? I have a fried who is sensitive to eggs, all dairy! and gluten. Your crazy cake recipes would be perfect if I could use a different flour.
Hi MaryAnn -I adapted the old Depression era chocolate cake to make a lot of different flavors. Many people make my cakes using GF mixes. Head here for Bob’s Reb Mill recipe and just use the GF flour mix for this recipe.
https://www.bobsredmill.com/recipes/how-to-make/crazy-cake/
Always looking for small easy cake recipes. Large cakes go to waste here. Thank you.
While out of eggs and milk wanting a sweet planned to make. And even after friends rescued with milk and eggs still had to try for my snickerdoodle loving husband. Pronounced a 10 plus by the same man and I give it a rave review also. Used refined smell free coconut oil other wise followed recipe 100%. Great instructions and loved having the visuals also. Was so easy and great hint to mix with a fork. Passing on to all my family and friends. Thank you!