Vanilla Crazy Cake Original Recipe (a.k.a. Wacky Cake) is a Depression Era cake that has no eggs, no milk, no butter and no bowls! One of the easiest, budget friendly vanilla cakes you can make! You won’t believe how delicious this cake is!
A Depression Era Cake
You’ll be so surprised how moist this cake is without eggs, milk and butter! I adapted this awesome vanilla cake back in 2013, from the Original Chocolate Crazy Cake. The original chocolate cake was created during the Great Depression, when eggs, milk and butter were very hard to come by. People were pretty resourceful during those hard times. It took some creativity and baking science to create a cake without eggs or butter – you don’t even need a bowl or mixer. Genius! And because this cake is egg and dairy free, it’s a great recipe for people with egg and dairy allergies.
Original Date For Recipe March 12, 2013 – Updated March, 7, 2023.
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 dairy-free buttercream frosting, The Minimalist Baker has a great vegan recipe!
- For a fantastic quick and easy Buttercream Frosting, check out a great one from Sprinkles Cupcakes, a favorite go-to.
My sister made these adorable Vanilla Crazy Cake Cupcakes for her son’s class. Crazy Cake is a great go-to recipe for little ones with egg, milk and dairy allergies.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
It’s called Crazy Cake (aka, Wacky Cake, Depression Cake) because it doesn’t need any eggs, milk or butter, mixers or bowls, which is kinda crazy for cake making!
Vinegar is part of the leavening process! The vinegar reacts with the baking soda, which is what makes the cake rise. You don’t taste a hint of the vinegar in the finished cake!
Yes! Just use a 9×13 baking pan.
The cake’s moistness comes from the oil, and it becomes so fluffy because of the chemical reaction between the vinegar and baking soda!
INGREDIENTS NEEDED (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR FULL RECIPE)
- all-purpose flour
- granulated sugar
- baking soda
- salt
- white vinegar
- pure vanilla extract
- canola oil
- water
- plus your favorite frosting or dusting of powdered sugar
How To Make Crazy Cake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. then spray an 8″ square baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Mix the first 4 dry ingredients in a greased 8″ square baking pan. Next, 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 canola oil in the third larger depression. Pour water over all. Mix well until smooth.
NOTE – For a neater cake pan, you can mix the batter in a bowl, then pour it into a prepared baking pan.
When ready, place in the oven on the middle rack and bake for 35 minutes. Check with toothpick to make sure it comes out clean. Cool. When the cake is completely cooled, top with your favorite frosting, or simply dust with powdered sugar. Enjoy!
Note: Because oven baking times will vary, be sure to check your cake to make sure you do not over bake.
CRAVING MORE CRAZY CAKE RECIPES?
If you enjoy this Vanilla Crazy Cake, be sure to try my New Strawberry Crazy Cake, made with fresh strawberries!
Vanilla Crazy Cake (No Eggs, No Milk, No Butter!)
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract *see recipe notes below
- 5 Tablespoons canola oil or vegetable oil
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8-inch square pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Mix first 4 dry ingredients in the prepared pan (flour, 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 canola 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 completely before frosting (if using). You can also just sprinkle with a dusting of powdered sugar.
Notes
- Adding a 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract in place of vanilla extract is a wonderful addition. Use 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla plus 1/2 teaspoon almond extract.
- 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 canola oil with vegetable 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.
Suteri .
Hi! This cakes are awsome! My grandpa had a heart attack and now he can't eat anything with milk, butter or eggs, but the doctor let him eat a little bit of sunflower oil. I wanted to make him a father's day cake and tgat's how I found your blog and cooked the vanilla one. I does taste awsome and like real cake! 🙂 I'm so happy. If you agree I love to share this recepies in my blog, I'm from Costa Rica and we don't have depression cakes of any kind. The recepie will be in spanish and I'll add a link so anyone can come here any time! 🙂
cheryl
Our family has made the chocolate version of this cake for 30 years (we call it Crazy Cake) it was my Dad's favorite. 3 of my sister's and I have been diagnosed with gluten sensitivity in the last couple of years, so this past Saturday I made a gluten free version, using a gluten free flour blend. It was still delicious!! I'm so glad to be able to continue making this treat for our family! My daughter is also allergic to milk, so it's a good choice for her too. I can't wait to try the other flavors soon. Thanks for sharing the recipes!
Megan Langford
I have always made the chocolate crazy cake, but am so glad there is a way to make a vanilla one too! Living in Africa, a small pack of butter is nearly $7, so this recipe was a great find! It turned out moist and fluffy and delicious!
Megan Langford
I have always made the chocolate crazy cake, but am so glad there is a way to make a vanilla one too! Living in Africa, a small pack of butter is nearly $7, so this recipe was a great find! It turned out moist and fluffy and delicious!
X
AMAZING! i made the spiced cake for a dinner party last night and it was gone within the hour! going to try the chocolate one for next weekend, awesome & easy recipe!
X
AMAZING! I made the spiced cake for a dinner party last night and my sisters boyfriend ate half of it! so amazing, going to try the chocolate one for next weekend!
The Watt
I really want to try making this cake for my mom who dislikes butter a lot. It's her birthday this weekend! But I was wondering… is it okay if I bake this in 2 circle pans by doubling the recipe? I wasn't sure if this type of cake has to stay in its baking container or if it's sturdy enough to flip onto a plate.
Thanks in advance!
Mary
Hi! I have never made round cakes, but many people do with the chocolate crazy cake. You can mix the batter in a bowl (double the recipe) following the same directions, making the depressions in the bowl 🙂 Oh, and be sure to grease & flour your cake pan well! I hope your cake turns out well! Happy bday to your mom! Here is link with a picture of a chocolate round crazy cake: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/crazy-chocolate-cake/
The Watt
I really want to try making this cake for my mom who dislikes butter a lot. It's her birthday this weekend! But I was wondering… is it okay if I bake this in 2 circle pans by doubling the recipe? I wasn't sure if this type of cake has to stay in its baking container or if it's sturdy enough to flip onto a plate.
Thanks in advance!
Karen Cosme
I have been making this cake for years, only we call it a "Mix in the Pan Cake". It is mine & my family's favorite cake! Not too sweet & I don't put ANY frosting (better for my low calorie diet). It is so moist it does not need frosting. I only had the one for chocolate & am so excited to try your lemon, spice & vanilla versions. Thank you so much for adding all of these other flavors. The part I like best is it's made of things I always have on hand & store very easily, so anytime we have a sweet tooth, I can whip it up & throw it in the oven in no time!
firefighteralan
These look great! I have had great success using a brown rice/rice flour mixture with other baking items,soooo I'm planning to try it with these. IF that works, it will be a cake that perhaps EVERYONE could eat. Thank you for the Pins!
Sheila
I ran out of white sugar so I am making a vanilla wacky cake with brown sugar. We'll see how it turns out!
Sheila
It turned out pretty good, though not as white as it would have with regular sugar and it had more of a spicy taste with the molasses of the brown sugar and vanilla flavouring combined.
I love these cakes! They are so quick and easy to make!
Sherika Leggiton
Thanks for this recipe my daughter have food allergy and this will be her first year having cake.
Nancy Martin
My mouth is watering just looking at these! Can you share the icing recipes? All of my icing recipes have milk in them.
Thank you for sharing.
Anonymous
My son has a milk, flour and egg allergy and I am so thankful for this site. I just made the Crazy Wacky Lemon cake and it was delicious. It took no time to make and turned out wonderfully. Thank you!!
Anonymous
thnaks you for the new flavors!!!!
greetings form méxico
TiffW
Could you use coconut oil in place of the veggie oil?!
LMS
Yes, you can use coconut oil. I’ve made the chocolate version for decades. Over time the recipe has been adjusted for dietary requirements (I do a reduced carb diet: currently coconut oil, fine almond flour replaces 1/4C of flour, half the sugar is replaced with granular sucralose) . This is my “camping” cake (dry ingredients are stored in a plastic bag or glass canning jar). It’s also been used as birthday cake by request. Also I don’t do the grooves, particularly if I know I will not be stepping away while mixing up the cake. To be successful, the cake has to be mixed then popped straight into the oven, with no delay. This is due to the chemical reaction between the vinegar and baking soda. And that is why some people have flat cakes. I first found this in the I Hate To Cook Cookbook by Peg Bracken where it was called Cockeyed Cake (Chocolate)
TiffW
Could you use coconut oil in place of the veggie oil?!
Anonymous
I haven't made Wacky cakes in a long time. I was craving something chocolate and thought of Wacky cake. I came across your website, which I love! I found all these recipes for different flavors of Wacky cake, which is so exciting! I'll be trying all of them! Your frosting's look out of this world. What is the recipe for those?
Goldielover
My mother taught me how to make chocolate wacky cake fifty years ago, and I've been making it ever since. Its always been my go-to recipe for chocolate cake. The only difference from your recipe is that hers called for a teaspoon of baking powder in addition to the soda. Gives it a slightly lighter texture, I would think. Will have to try the variations. I've been using an almost as old recipe for a white cake (lazy daisy) but it does have eggs, milk and butter in it. Very tasty, but no good for those with allergies.
Anonymous
Can you please try to make a red velvet one?
bpaula1
Replace egg in regular red velvet cake recipes with FLAX SEED egg. I use butter, but you can use oil. Recipes are written for both.
Anonymous
Thank you for doing this! I live in Asia where things like butter are expensive. I am going to share these with our school cafeteria. You will have made over a hundred children very happy!
Milaxx
Have you tried this with other flours?
Josie @Skinny Way Of Life
Hi!
Can I make this into cupcakes? I teach a preschool Art class and I'm planning on having the kids decorate beach themed cupcakes for our last class but I have two kids with egg allergies. Any suggestions?? Thanks!!
Mary
Hi Josie!
Yes, you can make them into cupcakes. 🙂 I have only made cupcakes with the chocolate, but all of them should work great. The chocolate is lighter (not as dense) as the vanilla recipe, but all of the cakes taste great and are a perfect alternative for allergies! EVERYONE gets to eat cake!!! What you need to do is use a BIG bowl and follow the same directions doing the depressions. You'll probably need to double the recipe. I recommend using paper or foil cupcake liners too. I have also made cake pops with the chocolate cake recipe too. 🙂 You will love having this cake recipe on hand as a preschool teacher! There are a lot of can frosting that don't have egg, that should make it easy for you! If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to ask! Thanks so much for the visit! I hope you are having a great weekend!
Mary
Hi Christy,
Hmmm? I'm not sure. Maybe try it without the extra 3 Tablespoons of flour, that may make it lighter for you. I'm glad you think it tastes wonderful! If you make it again and it works out the way you like, please stop by and let me know what you did!
I hope you have a great night!
Christy Capek
That's a great idea. Thanks so much.
Thanks!
Christy Capek
Hi – I made your cake today and I found my batter was not at all at a "normal" cake consistency. I ended up adding 1/4 cup of soymilk to thin it out. Do you have any ideas what I could've done wrong?
Mary
Hi Christy! I am so used to making crazy cakes, that I am not sure what regular cake batter looks like anymore. How did your cake turn out with adding the extra soy milk? Did you double the recipe?
Christy Capek
I made it twice. I didn't double the recipe. It was the same each time. The taste was wonderful but the texture was very dense. Not at all like the chocolate wacky cake I usually make. It rose, it browned, the taste was wonderful but it was heavier than a pound cake. I'm hoping it was just me!!! Any ideas?