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.
Has any tried this recipe using whole wheat flour instead of white flour?
I am thrilled to find these recipes! I have a wheat corn and dairy allergy. I’m wondering what flour substitutes you’d recommend? And what oil i could swap for the veg/canola? Thank you x
I have made this cake twice now. My father-in-law tells me it is a “really good” cake – high praise from him! My husband loves it! He suggested adding apples, so I chopped up two apples, sauted them in a little butter and brown sugar (about a 1 teaspoon each), and then added them to the batter – it was great! Thank you for this simple, but totally delicious cake recipe!
Great minds think alike – I was planning on adding apple to my next cake!! 🙂 Happy to hear you and your family enjoyed the recipe, Gloria! Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing.
If you want a vinegar substitute for baking, use lemon juice. If you require ¼ cup white vinegar for baking, replace it with ⅓ cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice, or ¼ cup of apple cider vinegar. If you need a vinegar substitute for cooking, use lemon juice.
If you use substitute sugar (e.g. stevia) will the results be the same?
This recipe reminds me of a spice cake my Oma made when I was a child. I absolutely love this cake and thank you for sharing and bringing me a fond memory. 😊
I am allergic to vinegar – is there a substitute?
This is a delicious depression era cake. The chocolate cake is the recipe I was afraid I had lost after my grandmother had passed away. Thank you so much for bringing back a family tradition. 🙂
This was our dessert tonight. Everyone loved it! I am not a fan of caramel and we didnt have ice cream to serve with it so I sauteed chopped apples on the stovetop with a little cinnamon, brown sugar and butter. Yummy! Thank you for the recipe. 🙂
Is there any way to make this gluten free?
Hi Molly, People have used GF mixes with success for the original Chocolate Crazy Cake and with many of the new Crazy Cake flavors I have created.
Check out this post made with GF flour–> https://www.bobsredmill.com/recipes/how-to-make/crazy-cake/
All my Crazy Cake Flavors –> https://sweetlittlebluebird.com/crazy-cakes/
Use gr flour
I have always loved Snickerdoodle Cookies, bet this is just as amazing. Will try it soon
This cake was really good!!
Hi I just made this it didn’t come out right. It basically cooked the top and bottom half was still dry ingredients. Any idea how I messed up.
Made this cake for my husband yesterday and he can’t stop eating it. The batter was a bit lumpy and not runny or smooth so it came out a bit more dense than I like but it’s still a delicious cake that I e saved to make again!
So I follow this recipe and my batter was lumpy not watery as shown in your pics. What did I do wrong? Added more water just in case but still lumpy
I dont have vingor i have the rest ingredieance
Just made this cake since I love snickerdoodle cookies. Oh my goodness, it is so delicious! So moist. I put warm caramel topping on it and oh my…definitely a keeper!
Have you made it with nuts? If I add them in the batter ..or on top…will it rise as nicely as your did? Thanks..
You can add nuts, Helen. I have a carrot crazy cake with walnuts, you can see the recipe here: https://sweetlittlebluebird.com/crazy-carrot-cake-no-eggs-milk-or-butter/
If you wanted to make this using a 9X13″ instead of an 8X8″ pan, what would the measurements be for the ingredients?
Hi Jacki – you would just double the recipe and bake at the same temp. You may need to adjust the baking time, test with a toothpick to make sure it comes out clean.
Wow! Just tried this cake and I am amazed. Really great flavor and so easy!! I cook a lot and I love trying new recipes. But I am not usually one to comment. But I HAD to this time. Wow! This cake is the bomb. Sounded too simple and I almost didn’t try it, but I was running short on time. I am soooo glad that I did. Thanks for sharing this with us. Will make this again and again.
Linda,
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a sweet review! I am thrilled to hear how much you enjoyed my new crazy cake favor!
Just in the oven now and looking good! First attempt so let’s see if it tastes as good as it looks n smells!! 🥮
Lynn, Happy baking, I hope you enjoyed the cake!
I loved it but my husband didnt! He commented on its consistency! He said it was more of a pudding type! I disagree! It was light n fluffy!
Glad you liked the cake, Lynn. Pudding type? lol! It’s definitely moist but not like pudding, especially if it’s baked through. Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing.
I think they mean pudding in the European way. Think Christmas pudding which is like cake. Not like custard.
Ahhh, that makes sense now. Thanks, Jess!
I love all of your crazy cakes, but this is an especially fun twist. I’ll have to make it this weekend!
Thank you, Carlee! This new Crazy Cake flavor was an instant hit!
I am a chef and and our pastry chef makes a chocolate cake similar to this one with no eggs, butter, or milk and it is hands down the most moist, flavorful, delicious chocolate cake I have ever eaten in all my life. So I am super excited to share this recipe with her and have her try it out. I’m certain it will be a big hit as well. Thank you so much for sharing. I will let you know how it turns out.
Thank you so much, Nacole!