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!
Sandi
My Granddaughter has an egg allergy and we are always searching for recipes for her. I made the Chocolate cake and it turned out dense, not light and fluffy. What could I have done wrong?
Also, I have some self rising flour for bread, would that work with these cakes?
The snickerdoodle turned out great
Mary Neumann
Hi Sandi – The cake should be the same density as the Snickerdoodle cake. Make sure your baking soda and vinegar are fresh, they are what make the cake rise. I have not used self rising flour but will dig and see what I can find for you.
Amanda
This looks amazing, and so perfect for right now.
We made this last night and my picky kids loved it!
I added link on my blog.
https://twomessyboys.com/meal-planning-from-pantry-staples/
Thanks!
Natanya Pillay
9
Barb
Has anyone tried using a cup of strong coffee in place of the water? I think I might give it a try!
Mary Neumann
Hi Barb, yes! Many people like to replace the water with coffee 🙂
Diane
Going to try this ,looks easy
Peggy
Any ideas for sugar free crazy cake?
Mrs. Garren
My family has passed this recipe down for generations also and we’ve always know it as Crazy Cake. The only difference between our two recipes is that you used 1 teaspoon of vinegar, while my family uses 1 Tablespoon of vinegar. Will have to try it with 1 teaspoon and see the difference, makes me curious! I’m also super excited to try the vanilla recipe!
samantha
made this a few times, my daughter has a few food intolerances and baking cakes for birthdays is a big headache, this is easy simple and doesn’t last long,, thank you, I dont have white vinegar so I just use lemon juice instead
Sharlene Gambel
I do not know where you people lived to have access to all these ingredients, but during the Depression we did not have oil except for our lamps, we used hog lard from the hogs we killed to make sausage and bacon mostly and where my Mom got lard to make biscuits or bread. Sugar was rationed so very hard to comeby.
Mary Neumann
A good read –> https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20180925-the-recipes-born-from-poverty
Misty Tovar
On your cake recipie, with no eggs, milk etc.. what size is the pan used? It says you can double the recipie in a 9×13 pan, so what size is the original cake? Thank you! Misty Tovar
Mary Neumann
Hi Misty, you must have missed it in the directions – use an 8 inch square pan. You can use an 9 inch pan too.
Kelly
Is the nutritional information available for this cake?
Thanks
Marlene
I have made this several times since I found this recipe about a year ago. I had never heard of it before, but so glad I found this. It is, hands down, one of the best chocolate cakes! I’m making it tonight, since today is National Chocolate Cake Day! Thank you for the recipe! I keep saying I’m going to try the other flavors, but then I see the chocolate and can’t resist. Yum!
Sheila Netherland
Do you know how many carbs in a serving..just curious
Nancy Alleshouse
My mother made us this cake quite regularly, between packing my Dads lunch and us kids taking a lunch to school. We loved it!! I still make it every once in awhile, because its so easy to put together and its done all with an hour, including baking time.
Alice Stephens
Can you convert the cups measurement into oz’s or grams please?
Jodi Arthur
If you double the recipe, do you double the baking time as well?
Debbie
Can you substitute Splenda for sugar, without adjusting the amount??
Mary Neumann
Hi Debbie – People have used Splenda with success. If you head here, you can see a review from Nestle for their Crazy Cake recipe – https://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/136980/crazy-cake/
Diane Cuc
Can i make crazy cake using almond flour? Or coconut flour?
June
This cake came out so amazing! i used apple cider vinegar and was very tempted to reduce the sugar but I’m glad I didn’t.. it was perfectly sweet. I followed everything else exactly and it was the perfect texture and didn’t stick to the pan at all! I put a very light chocolate buttercream frosting. I do wish the chocolate flavour of the cake came thru a bit more. Next time I will make the frosting with extra cocoa! Has anyone tried using coffee instead of water to enhance the chocolate flavour? Thanks for the great recipe can’t wait to try the other flavours 🙂
Sue Bishop
I have always used coffee instead of water with this recipe that I got as a young married from my husband’s aunt who was the best cook I’ve ver known.
Stacey
Never heard of this. This sounds easy and fun. Going to make this soon.
Thanks for the share.
Amy Bordeau
I’ve been making this cake for 40 years! I’m constantly being asked for the recipe!! Recently found the original recipe card I wrote for my Mom at only 7 years old(thanks to auntie doing the oven work)!!!! Great even just dusted with poured sugar!!
Lacey
Do you have an icing recipe you use with it?
KMP
Had this recipe saved for a couple of years and since it’s National Chocolate Day I thought I would give it a whirl…
Lisa
I made this cake this morning. It was just ok. It stuck to the bottom of the pan even though I followed the instructions to the T. But that was ok, cake is still cake right. The cake was not rich or creamy and slightly over sweet. It would be a fine cake for the era intended the Great Depression era.
Rita Kay Elmore
I grease and flour my cake pan just like normal for any other cake. Then mix all my ingredients up in a separate bowl before pouring in all up in my baking pan. There should not be a sticking problem doing it this way.
KMP
I was thinking I should’ve done that…oh well. Hope it tastes good.
Diane proeber
Cant wait to try these crazy an eacky resipes
NAVEY
I made this for my daughter with dairy, soy and cashew allergies, but I subbed vanilla almond milk for the water. AMAZING and MOIST! Thank you! I will be making this from now on!