by Mary Neumann · 998 Comments
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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 childhoodDepression sandwichmygrandparentsmade?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 havecommented they have made this cake with Gluten Free mixes, and it’swonderful.
- 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:
Why is it called Crazy Cake?
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!
Why do you add vinegar to the cake?
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!
Can I double this recipe?
You can double this recipe, just use a 9×13 baking pan.
How can this wacky cake be moist?
You get the moistness from the oil and it becomes so fluffy because of the chemical reaction between the vinegar and baking soda!
Can I use a sugar substitute?
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?
- Crazy Cakes (No Eggs, Milk Or Butter)
- Snickerdoodle Crazy Cake (No Eggs, Milk or Butter)
- )
- Carrot Crazy Cake (No Eggs, Milk or Butter)
- Lemon Crazy Cake (No Eggs, Milk or Butter)
Chocolate Crazy Cake (No Eggs, Milk, Butter or Bowls)
Mary
Crazy Cake (a.k.a. Wacky Cake, Depression Cake) is a Depression Era cake that doesn't require any eggs, milk, butter or bowls! You won't believe how moist and delicious this cake is!
4.99 from 57 votes
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 35 minutes mins
Total Time 45 minutes mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 9
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.
FROSTING:
- 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!
Keyword chocolate crazy cake, crazy cake, depression cake, wacky cake
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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Reader Interactions
Comments
Elaine Tillery
It was amazing it is a game pleaser!
Elaine tilleryReply
Rho
I’m allergic to vinegar. Can I use lemon juice instead?
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Ashley
I actually like this version of chocolate cake more than one with eggs, butter, milk etc. It’s not too rich but super moist still. Topped it with a fudge frosting 😋. Perfect for when you want a quick chocolate cake when it’s a lazy day or you don’t have the time to mess around with tons of ingredients. I have made the chocolate version twice now, then the snickerdoodle version too. Next I want to try the vanilla! The texture looks amazing in the pics for the recipe.Reply
Melanie
Where can we find the snickerdoodle as well as the vanilla version?
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Mary Neumann
Melanie – please head here for the page that has all my Crazy Cake recipes. I update the page as I add more flavors. https://sweetlittlebluebird.com/crazy-cakes/
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Hela
Wow what a cake! Amazing! Wonderful! Had a great success! Thank you for the recipe!Reply
Karen Wall
Growing up in the sixties, this was my favorite cake to make , mum would let me make this often for our dessert, love it , such fun memories !!!I would make it just like this ! All in the pan and make the depressions in the middle of pan and mix it all up and bake , and I just sifted confection sugar on top !!😃Reply
Peter
This recipe was incredibly easy to make, bakes in practically no time! The result is a moist, yummy chocolate cake that everyone loved!
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Victoria Delamarter
I helped my 10 year old granddaughter make this. It was delicious. I believe you have a typo for the white vinegar. You have 1 tsp but I think you meant 1 tbl. I added 1 tbl of the white vinegar.Reply
Mary Neumann
Hi Victoria! Fun to read that you and your granddaughter made the cake. And no, that is not a typo, it’s 1 teaspoon! Some versions of this vintage recipe call for 1 Tablespoon, but this family recipe, passed down from my friend all those years back…it calls for 1 teaspoon. Happy baking!
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Julie Pryor
I have made this cake for years, and years! However, I’ve only made it in a 9×13 pan. I thought I would just halve all ingredients to make an 8×8, and that was confirmed to me when I saw your recipe, but I did add a little more vinegar because my recipe called for 2 tablespoons for the 9×13. It’s in the oven now and is gluten free for my 45 year old son’s birthday. Thank you for sharing this recipe! It is our family favorite!
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Lenette
Made this cake today. Since I doubled the recipe I mixed it in a bowl and then put in a 9×13 pan frosted with caned frosting. Cake was delicious. Moist, I thought a little heavy but that was ok. Stayed together and didn’t fall apart
Super easyReply
Sherril Caouette
Wonder if I could substitute instant coffee for the cocoa powder ti make it a coffee cake instead as I’m not big on chocolate?
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Mary Neumann
Sherril, you can see all my Crazy Cake Flavors here:
https://sweetlittlebluebird.com/crazy-cakes/See AlsoRoot Beer Chocolate CakeReply
Karen
I am assuming when you change it to 2x that it should say 9×13 instead of 8×8.
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Mary Neumann
Yes, you would use a 9×13, Karen.
karen richards
how long to you bake the cupcakes?
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Mary Neumann
Here is my post to make cupcakes, Karen:
https://sweetlittlebluebird.com/crazy-cupcakes-no-eggs-milk-or-butter/Reply
Sherril Caouette
Haven’t tried it yet but was Wi if I could substitute instant coffee for the cocoa as I’m not a big chocolate fan
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Mary Neumann
Sherril, you can replace the 1 cup of water with 1 cup of coffee. 🙂
Check out my Coffee and Kahlua Crazy Cake too:https://sweetlittlebluebird.com/tried-true-tuesday-coffee-kahlua-crazy/
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Nancy Sobien
My family is diabetic. How many carbohydrates in the cake without frosting?
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Joyce
Ma’am, I’m diabetic myself, and just the AP flour alone is not acceptable for type 2 diabetics. From what I understand, though, type 1 diabetics can have it. I have no idea how to calculate carbs, being 100% keto, and never using anything that would harm me. I’m going to make this cake, but with coconut flour and with sweetener that won’t hurt me. I have no idea yet about proportions as I have to experiment to find out what works, but I do know how to keep foods safe for diabetics, including avoiding them altogether when necessary. Also, all those sugars are incompatible with diabetic needs. I have all the necessary replacement sweeteners, but even so, it’s going to be a tricky recipe to adjust for my health needs. If it’s too crazy to figure out, I’ll just write it off for keto/diabetics.
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Claudia Dyment
I make this cake for family gatherings that my vegan kids attend. They can eat it and everyone else enjoys it too! I’ve made lots of different flavors of wacky cakes. Much easier than making two separate desserts!
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Ann-Marie
Curious if anyone has ever used Splenda instead of regular sugar? Being diabetic, would be great if it worked out. Splenda is expensive so thought I’d ask before trying.
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Keto Cal
Trying with monk fruit instead of sugar since 1 cup of sugar is too much for my family and using almond flour instead of AP flour
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Laurie
Did the almond flour work? I’m thinking about making this!
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Pat
I started making this cake for my husband about fifty years ago from a recipe in the “I Hate to Cookbook” by Erma Bombeck. When we had people over, he often told me make us a chocolate cake. I would get up and whip up this cake just sprinkling it with powdered sugar instead of icing it. He loved this cake!
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Esmerelda
Pat, I love to re-read, laugh about, and occasionally cook from the “I Hate To Cook Book” AND I love Erma Bombeck. However, this hilarious cookbook is by Peg Bracken. I forgot about this recipe!
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Cindy
Growing up we only had apple cider vinegar. It worked perfect. My friends would make a double batch (adding more cocoa) and would eat about half of it before we put into the pan to bake. I love how it doesn’t need frosting. The top is almost like a brownie and so delicious. I started making this as a kid in the 60’s it was my grandma’s go to cake. It was the 1st cake I taught my kids to make. They still love it.
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Jeanie
I’ll be 65 in a cpl months and I’ve been making Wacky cakes since I was 4 or 5 n could stand on a chair to be able to stir up the cake in the pan!! No one in my family ever bothered with frosting the cake because we had most of it eaten before it was cool enough to frost!!!
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Melissa Spellman
Did I miss at what temperature?
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Paula J Huff
I remember this cake recipe from my ex mother in law. Freaked me out when I saw there were no eggs. Turned out great. As for the frosting, she used some milk and flour and cooked it until it was thick then she creamed shortening, butter and granulated sugar together until the sugar was dissolved. Then added the two mixtures together very well. It was the best. The only problem I have is that I don’t have the recipe anymore and can’t remember the measurements for the ingredients. Does this recipe sound familiar to you?
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Mary Neumann
Is it this recipe, Paula, Poor Man’s Cooked Frosting?
This recipe has great reviews and photos, also tips on how people adapted the recipe: https://www.food.com/recipe/poor-mans-cooked-frosting-3730Reply
Becky
My mom passed this recipe on to me and had called it “Three Hole Cake!” Easy to make & a delicious taste!
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June
If following Gundry, what other type of flour can you use as we don’t do barley, rye, oats or wheat?
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Jan
My mother made this for our family a lot. I’m 76 years old and still make it. The only difference is she didn’t use icing. She made a sauce out of flour, sugar, milk, margarine or butter and vanilla. After it was cooked she would pour it over the cake while it was still hot and was so good. Love this recipe.
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ashley
One of my favorites, thank you! Love how easy and reliable this recipe is.
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Donna Correll
This recipe would not let me print. I’m so disappointed.
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Mary Neumann
Donna, sorry you are having issues with printing, it’s working on my end. Would you like me to email the recipe to you?
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Deb
click on “print recipe” then when new page opens RIGHT CLICK (any blank area) then choose print. page 1 was mostly blank so I changed my print options to only print page 2.
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Elizabeth
So quick & easy to make. It’s on the oven now. I’m going to top it with leftover coconut whipped cream I made. I made it for my Iron!
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Sandra
I do have 1 question regarding the mixing.
I always mix my dry ingredients in 1 bowl and the wet separately in another.
If you have sprayed your baking dish with an oil/spray, how do you continue to add the rest of the entire ingredients in there? What I do not understand is, aren’t you putting the oil into the batter as you scrape the dish to incorporate the ingredients? I am concerned because I would not want this beautiful cake to stick to the plan.If possible, please clarify. Thank you!
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