Lemon Depression Cake Archives - Sweet Little Bluebird

This week I am sharing another Crazy Cake recipe, Lemon Crazy Cake – no eggs, milk or butter.

CRAZY CAKE – also known as Wacky Cake & Depression Cake – No Eggs, Milk, Butter, Bowls or Mixers! Super moist and delicious. Go-to recipe for egg/dairy allergies. Great activity to do with kids. Recipe dates back to the Great Depression. It’s darn good cake!

Read great reviews from people who tried this recipe on Pinetrest!

I still cannot believe the amount of visits for these cakes since my first share of the Chocolate Crazy Cake last month. I absolutely love reading all the stories and comments shared on this Depression era recipe. Crazy Cake, also known as Wacky Cake, Vinegar & Oil Cake, Depression Cake and many more names, is loved by so many. I am thrilled that people who lost this recipe, found it again. And I am so happy people stumbled on this recipe for family and friends that suffer from egg and dairy allergies. Everyone should be able eat real cake!You can learn more about the cake here, in my first post for Chocolate Crazy Cake. Since first posting the Chocolate Crazy Cake, I’ve added new flavors and a few mug cake versions too – you can check them all out by clicking the photo below:

Today I finally made a Lemon Crazy Cake. It only took two attempts to get it perfect! The first try, I used fresh lemon juice in the water…it tasted delicious, was super moist, but was a little flat in the center. The second try I added lemon zest and lemon extract….ding, ding, ding, ding…winner!!!

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LEMON CRAZY CAKE - NO EGGS, MILK or BUTTER from Sweet Little Bluebird

Lemon Crazy/Wacky Cake

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Ingredients

1 1/2 Cups flour + 3 Tablespoons (all-purpose)
1 Cup white sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp lemon zest

1 tsp. white vinegar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tsp. pure lemon extract
5 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 Cup water

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.Mix first 5 dry ingredients in a greased 8″ square baking pan, starting with the flour first. Mix well. Make 3 depressions in dry ingredients – two small, one larger (see #3 in photo below). Pour vinegar in one depression, vanilla and lemon extracts in the other, and the vegetable oil in third larger depression. Pour water over all. Mix well until smooth.Bake on middle rack of oven for 35 minutes. Check with toothpick to make sure it comes out clean. Cool. Top with your favorite frosting ( I used vanilla for this lemon cake), or dust with powdered sugar. Enjoy!

Frosting Recipes
Vegan Fluffy Buttercream frosting
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting (contains dairy)

Tips
You can double this recipe, just use a 9×13 baking pan.

You can add more lemon zest for a stronger lemon taste, or use lemon frosting or a lemon glaze.You can also mix the batter in a bowl for neater, easier mixing. Be sure to follow the directions the same way – mixing the dry ingredients then making the depressions for the wet ingredients. Don’t forget to grease you pan. Although I have not used Gluten Free flour mixes for this recipe, many people have and said the cake turns out wonderful! “Yes it is yummy and very moist. It even works with gf flour mixes!”