Crazy Cake (a.k.a. Wacky Cake, Depression Cake) is a Depression Era cake that doesn’t require any eggs, butter, milk or bowls! You won’t believe how moist and delicious this cake is!
A DEPRESSION ERA CAKE
You’ll be so surprised how moist and chocolate-y this cake is even without eggs, milk and butter! It’s a fabulous go-to recipe for egg/dairy allergies as well! This cake was created during the Great Depression, when eggs, milk and butter were very hard to come by. Remember my favorite childhood Depression sandwich my grandparents made? People were pretty resourceful during those hard times. It took some creativity and baking science to create a cake without eggs, milk or butter. You don’t even need a bowl or mixer. Genius!
TIPS FOR MAKING CRAZY CAKE
- If you don’t want to mix this in the baking dish, you can combine all the ingredients in a bowl, then pour the batter in to a greased 8-inch square baking dish.
- 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.
- This can also be made into cupcakes!
- More cake flavors have been added since this post! Check out the whole list HERE! There are mug cake versions too!
- For a great, easy chocolate frosting (my favorite), I use the frosting recipe from The Yum Life!
- For a dairy free frosting recipe, head over to Oh She Glows for a simple 2-ingredient chocolate fudge frosting recipe!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
It’s called Crazy Cake (or Wacky Cake) because it doesn’t need any eggs, milk or butter, which is kinda crazy for cake making!
It is part of the leavening process! The vinegar reacts with the baking soda which is what makes the cake rise. You don’t taste the vinegar at all in the finished cake!
You can double this recipe, just use a 9×13 baking pan.
You get the moistness from the oil and it becomes so fluffy because of the chemical reaction between the vinegar and baking soda!
Yes! Readers have commented that they have made this with monk fruit sweetener, and it turned out perfect! I would think many sugar substitutes would work here, but I haven’t tested this recipe with anything other than real sugar, so if you try it, please come back and let me know!
INGREDIENTS NEEDED (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR FULL RECIPE)
- all-purpose flour
- unsweetened cocoa powder
- granulated sugar
- baking soda
- salt
- white vinegar
- pure vanilla extract
- vegetable oil
- water
- plus optional ingredients for frosting (see recipe card)
HOW TO MAKE CRAZY CAKE:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix first 5 dry ingredients in a greased 8″ square baking pan. Make 3 depressions in dry ingredients – two small, one larger. Pour vinegar in one of the smaller depressions, vanilla extract in the other small depression and the vegetable oil in the third larger depression. Pour water over all. Mix well until smooth.
Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 35 minutes. Check with toothpick to make sure it comes out clean. Cool. Top with your favorite frosting. Enjoy!
Note: Oven baking times may vary, be sure to check your cake to make sure you do not over bake.
CRAVING MORE CRAZY CAKE RECIPES?
Chocolate Crazy Cake (No Eggs, Milk, Butter or Bowls)
Ingredients
FOR THE CAKE:
Dry Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 5 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 cup water
Optional frosting (not dairy free)
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- ¼ cup evaporated milk
- 2 Tablespoons salted butter (cut into chunks)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8-inch square pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Mix first 5 dry ingredients in the prepared pan (flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda and salt.)
- Make 3 depressions in the dry ingredients – two small, one larger.
- Pour vinegar in one of the smaller depressions. Pour the vanilla extract in the other smaller depression 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. Note: Oven baking times may vary, be sure to check your cake to make sure you do not over bake.
- Cool completely before frosting (if using). You can also just sprinkle with a dusting of powdered sugar.
To make the frosting:
- In a microwave-safe medium bowl, add in semi-sweet chocolate chips, evaporated milk, butter and vanilla extract.
- Microwave on full power for about 30 seconds. Note: it can be hard to tell if everything has melted so it's If not melted, microwave for an additional 15 seconds and stir. Repeat process until fully melted.
- Stir in the powdered sugar and mix until smooth and combined.
- Frost cooled cake.
Video
Notes
- This cake is wonderful with a simple dusting of powdered sugar, or top with your favorite frosting.
- The cake does not need to be kept refrigerated if it’s not frosted. Cover and it will last 3 days. If it is frosted, it will need to be kept refrigerated. Cover and refrigerate for up to 6 days.
- If you don’t want to mix this in the baking dish, you can combine all the ingredients in a bowl, then pour the batter in to a greased 8-inch square baking dish.
- You can sub vegetable oil with canola oil
- You can sub white vinegar with apple cider vinegar.
- Use the batter to make Crazy Cake Cup Cakes!
- Double the recipe using a 9×13 baking dish or make a Two-Layer Crazy Cake.
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- For a great, easy chocolate frosting (my favorite), I use the frosting recipe from The Yum Life!
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- For a dairy free frosting recipe, head over to Oh She Glows for a simple 2-ingredient chocolate fudge frosting recipe!
Ameenah Y Cave
Mary thank you so much, I have been making this chocolate cake For 5 years now its my go to chocolate cake my husband and sons love chocolate cake and let me tell you they prefer this one hands down. I make it for holidays you name it I use coconut oil and apple cider vinegar in mines and let me tell you you don’t taste the coconut oil at all. You are a super star in my household thank you.
Dani
I tried this cake and it came out great, i made the peanut butter chocolate frosting to accompany it. I also mix all purpose flour with integral flour, rice and oatmeal flour. The dough is very soft however you can taste the oil a bit but with the frosting you don’t notice it.
Kathleen
My mother made this cake when I was little, I’m 65 and my 2 grandchildren were allergic to eggs when they were small and I made this cake for each of their birthdays! This is my favorite go to cake always!!
Linaa
Can this be made with gluten free flour?
Mary Neumann
Yes, Linna – head here for a recipe –> https://www.bobsredmill.com/recipes/how-to-make/crazy-cake/
Paloma
Hi. I love these crazy cake recipes, thank you for sharing them. However, I have trouble when meassjring the ingredients. I have used different cup meaxsurements, but each give a different weightr . Some say a cup is 240gr, others I have 125gr, so I go a bit crazy, not really knowing if the cake is going to come out right. Would it be possible that you wrote/ send the recipe in grams, please? Thank you
Mustafa
In this recipe you use tap water or Luke warm water
Mary Neumann
Tap water, Mustafa.
Starr omdahl
Can you add pineapple to the wacky carrot cake.
Dianna M
I have been making wacky cake for about 45 years, since I was in high school. It comes out great every time and is a hit with everyone. I’ve also given the recipe to people that are dairy intolerant. However, I have never greased the pans. My original instructions specifically state NOT to grease the pans. There is no difference between this recipe, other people’s recipes and mine. The only residue left in the pan is the same as if it were greased. I’ve even made it and taken it out of the pan to decorate. Just my thoughts that I wanted to share.
Julie Hudspith
Do you have to use the vinegar?
Mary Neumann
Yes – you can use white or cider vinegar, Dawn.
Suzie Martin
We have had Wacky Cake for the last 65yrs that I know of and Im sure longer. This was the only cake mom made for us. Moist and delicious. Our dad would smear butter onit like it was toast.
Maxi
I’m a chef and I’ve made so many chocolate cakes and this one is by far the best recipe so far! Moist and really fluffy. Not too much sugar but just enough.
Yum! & thank you 😊
Colleen
I’ve made this cake many time, mostly in chocolate, and it’s delicious 🙂
Terrie Bergman
I am on Keto is their substitutes for the sugar and flour. COconut flour or almond flour? Sugar maybe monk fruit or swerve?
Brooke Armstrong
You would have to make some adjustments with measurements with coconut flower since it is so much more absorbent than regular flour, I would stick to almond flour as you can use it as a 1:1 substitute. Swerve also works well as a sugar alternative.
Kim
Will this cake recipe work for a layered cake?
Dianna M
yes
Marlene
I made this cake tonight because it looked quick and easy. I was expecting it to be okay, but it was amazing!!! I was so surprised that it is one of the best chocolate cakes I’ve had,and I’ve made a lot! The texture was so much better than regular cakes and I don’t think it needed the frosting I put on it (a basic butter, powdered sugar, cocoa concoction). It was so good, this will be my go-to chocolate cake from now on. Thank you for the recipe!
Wendy
I’m at 8400 feet above sea level. What changes, if any, would you make to this recipe?
Do you have any recipes for cookies?
Thanks
sandy
I am 65 and we made this cake in HOME ECONOMICS CLASS WHEN THEY OFFERED HOME ECONOMICS (1968) it is OK but I’d rather have something else…..if YOUR IN A PINCH AND NEED A CAKE THEN MAKE THIS ONE.
Anita
We made this all the time when I was a child. We did it slightly different. We did not mix the baking soda with the other dry ingredients – we put in the the hole made for the vinegar and poured the vinegar over it. Watching that bubble up was one of the fun parts of making this cake. It was still moist and delicious.
Lauren
I have a really severe dairy and egg allergy, and had been making/eating a dry, flavourless chocolate cake that paled in comparison to this cake. I was first made this cake by my Scout leader, who just turned up with it out of the blue one day. There was nothing more special than eating the same delicious cake that everybody else was and feeling like one of the gang. Thanks for bringing back great memories.
sHERRY SHADLE
I MADE THE CHOCOLATE CRAZY CAKE AND DOUBLED THE RECIPE. WHAT A HIT WITH MY CHOCKY LOVERS. THAT ONE WAS FOR MY GRANDSON’S BIRTHDAY YESTERDAY AND MAKING THE REGULAR SIZE TODAY FOR HUBBY!! THE ICING WAS TOO DIE FOR TOO!! THANK YOU!
Dianna M
Try it with cold coffee instead of the water. I do that all the time for an intense chocolate flavor.
Tess
I used to make this regularly when I was a kid.
I remember being in a cooking class and teacher said it wouldn’t work without three depressions in the dry ingredients. Mine came out best in the class.
Pamela Foye
What dose the depression do? Has anyone ever tried this without making the depressions and how did it turn out?
Debbie Perkins
can you use applesauce in the place of the vegetable oil