Lemon Crazy Cake (No Eggs, No Milk, No Butter!)

Name: Lemon Crazy Cake (No Eggs, No Milk, No Butter!)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups plus 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour; 1 cup granulated white sugar; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 Tablespoon Lemon zest from 1 lemon; 1 teaspoon white vinegar ((or apple cider vinegar)); 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 1 teaspoon pure lemon extract; 5 Tablespoons canola oil ((or vegetable oil)); 1 cup water

by Mary Neumann · 200 Comments

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LEMON CRAZY CAKE – THE ORIGINAL RECIPE (a.k.a. Lemon Wacky Cake and Lemon Depression Cake), is a vintage Depression Era cake that has no eggs, no milk, no butter and no bowls! One of the EASIEST, budget friendly lemon cakes you can make! You won’t believe how moist and delicious this cake is, perfect for any occasion!

This is a 2 photo collage. The top photo has a piece of cake on a white plate with a fork. The bottom photo is a piece of Cake on a plate with a fork with a piece of cake, ready to eat.

Lemon Crazy Cake – A Depression Era Recipe

You will be shocked how moist and delicious this cake is with no eggs, no milk and no butter, made right in the pan or in one bowl! I adapted this wonderful Lemon Crazy Cake back in April 2013, from the Original Chocolate Crazy Cake. The original vintage chocolate cake was created during the Great Depression, when eggs, milk and butter were hard to come by. 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! Because this cake is egg and dairy free, it’s a great recipe to have on hand for people with egg and dairy allergies. But you don’t have to have allergies or be vegan to fall in love with this inexpensive and easy to make cake – it’s fantastic!

The Original Post Date for this recipe was on April 9, 2013. Post was updated, March 29, 2023.

Ingredients Needed (see recipe card below for full recipe)

This awesome budget friendly cake is made with pantry staples and one lemon!

all-purpose flour
granulated sugar
baking soda
salt
lemon zest
pure vanilla extract
pure lemon extract
white vinegar
canola oil
water
plus your favorite frosting or dusting of powdered sugar

How to Make Delicious Lemon Wacky Cake from Scratch

You are going to love how easy it is to make this Lemon Crazy Cake! You can mix the batter right in the baking pan or use one bowl.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. then spray an 8″ square baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Start out combining the first 5 dry ingredients in a greased 8″ square baking pan – mix well. Next, you need to make 3 depressions in the dry ingredients – two small, one larger. Pour vinegar in one depression, vanilla and lemon extracts in the other, and the vegetable oil in the third larger depression. Next, pour water over top. Mix well until smooth.

This is a 3 photo collage. Two photos a piece of cake served on a white plate with a fork. A third photo is a collage with 8 pictures showing the cake being made in the baking dish.

Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 35 minutes. To be sure the cake is ready, check with a toothpick to make sure it comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Last, top the cake with your favorite frosting (I used vanilla for this lemon cake), or dust with powdered sugar. Enjoy!

NOTE – For a neater cake pan, you can mix the batter in a bowl, then pour it into a prepared baking pan.

This is a photo showing a piece of Lemon Crazy Cake on a plate with a fork with a bite, ready to eat.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS FOR LEMON CRAZY CAKE:

Why is it called Crazy Cake, Wacky Cake?

Because this cake don’t require eggs, milk or butter, mixers or bowls – which is kinda crazy for cake making!

How can this Lemon Crazy Cake be moist without eggs and dairy?

The cake get its moistness from the oil, and becomes fluffy from the chemical reaction between the vinegar and baking soda.

Do I have to use vinegar in the cake?

Vinegar is must in crazy cake recipe because it’s an important 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.

Can cake recipe be doubled?

Yes! Simply use a 9×13 baking pan.

What are the depressions for? Can I skip this step?

Because there are no eggs, you want the baking soda and vinegar to combine and react/interact last, right before baking, this is what makes the cake rise. Some people think you don’t need to do this, I always have whenever I make a Crazy Cake. It’s a quick step, and all the crazy cakes I have created over the years have ALWAYS turned out perfect.

TIPS FOR MAKING CRAZY CAKE

Because mixing in a pan can be a little tricky and a bit messy, if you want a neater cake pan you can mix the batter in a large bowl, then pour it into a prepared baking pan.
Crazy Cakes can be made with Gluten Free mixes! Many people have commented they’ve made the cakes with Gluten Free mixes, and they have turned out wonderful.
This recipe can also be made into cupcakes!
Check out the full list of Crazy Cake flavors HERE!
For a great dairy-free buttercream frosting, The Minimalist Baker has a great vegan recipe you will want to add to your recipe box!
For a fantastic quick and easy Buttercream Frosting, be sure to check out a great one from Sprinkles Cupcakes, a favorite go-to.

MORE DELICIOUS EASY PANTRY CAKE RECIPES

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