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Crazy Cake
This Depression-era crazy cake recipe combines pantry staples and leaves you with a moist, flavorful chocolate cake that is absolutely decadent!
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This crazy cake recipe will surely become a go-to in your household! Made with easy-to-find pantry staples, this Depression-era chocolate cake is flavorful, moist, and decadent. It comes together quickly with minimal cleanup for a simple and delicious budget-friendly dessert!
Crazy Cake Ingredients
You’ll need:
For the Cake
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 5 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup cold water
For the Chocolate Frosting (optional)
- ½ cup butter, melted
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup milk or more if needed for desired consistency
Substitutions and Additions
VANILLA: If you prefer vanilla cake over chocolate, leave out the cocoa in this recipe or add an additional ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract. You can also check out the full recipe for the vanilla version of this cake here.
FROSTING: You can also top this cake with store-bought frosting, powdered sugar or enjoy it plain.
How to Make This Crazy Cake Recipe
STEP ONE: Preheat oven to 350°F.
STEP TWO: In an UNGREASED 8 x 8-inch baking pan, add the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Using a whisk, stir the dry ingredients together until combined.
PRO TIP: This recipe can easily be doubled for a 9 x 13- inch cake pan.
STEP THREE: Next, make a good-sized well in the middle of the pan and two smaller ones on each side of the center well.
STEP FOUR: Pour the vegetable oil into the center well.
STEP FIVE: Pour the vinegar into one small well and the vanilla into the other.
STEP SIX: Pour water over all of the ingredients.
STEP SEVEN: Using the whisk, stir until combined and smooth.
PRO TIP: Use a spatula to scrape into the corners of the pan to ensure everything is well-mixed.
STEP EIGHT: Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Remove from oven to cool completely before serving.
PRO TIP: Ovens vary, so check the cake earlier in the baking time to ensure it doesn’t burn.
STEP NINE: Ice the top of the cake with frosting, powdered sugar, or enjoy it plain.
For the Frosting
STEP ONE: Place the cocoa in a medium mixing bowl, then add the melted butter.
STEP TWO: Using a mixer, combine the ingredients until smooth. Then add vanilla, powdered sugar, and milk and mix until smooth, beating for 2 to 3 minutes.
How To Serve
This decadent crazy cake goes well with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, and a glass of cold milk. Enjoy it any time you have a craving for something sweet and decadent.
Storage
IN THE FRIDGE: If unfrosted, store this cake in the refrigerator wrapped in plastic wrap. If frosted, allow the frosting to harden slightly by chilling it in the fridge for 15 minutes, then loosely cover the cake in plastic.
IN THE FREEZER: If you are freezing a frosted cake, freeze it unwrapped first, and then wrap the frozen slices or pan in plastic once the frosting has hardened and will not transfer. You can also freeze it unfrosted in plastic wrap or a freezer bag.
This simple and delicious crazy cake recipe may seem odd, but this Depression-era chocolate cake will quickly become a new favorite!
FAQ:
Q? Is this cake vegan?
A: As it doesn’t contain eggs or milk, crazy cake is vegan. Swap out the butter in the frosting for a vegan alternative, or skip it altogether for the perfect vegan cake!
Q? Does crazy cake taste like vinegar?
A: While it contains vinegar, crazy cake doesn’t take like it. The vinegar and baking soda in this recipe do the work of an egg, leaving you with a lovely texture in this delicious cake.
Q? What is crazy cake?
A: Crazy cake is a Depression-era recipe that allows you to have a delicious chocolate cake without using ingredients that would have been expensive or hard to acquire during the Great Depression, like butter, cocoa, and eggs.
Crazy Cake
This Depression-era crazy cake recipe combines pantry staples and leaves you with a moist, flavorful chocolate cake that is absolutely decadent!
Ingredients
Cake
- 1½ cups flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons cocoa
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 5 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup cold water
Frosting (optional)
- ½ cup butter melted
- ½ cup cocoa
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup milk or more if needed for desired consistency
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In an UNGREASED 8×8-inch pan, add the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Using a whisk stir together the ingredients right in the pan to sift it all together.
- Using your fingers or a spoon, make a good-sized well in the middle and two smaller wells, one on each side of the center well.
- Place the vegetable oil in the center well.
- Place the vinegar in a small well and the vanilla in the other small well.
- Pour the cold water over all of the ingredients.
- Using the whisk, stir until combined. You can also use a spoon to get into the corners and further mix until smooth. If there are bubbles in your batter, gently tap the pan on the countertop to release the bubbles.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. Remove from oven to cool completely before serving.
- Ice with frosting or powdered sugar or plain.
Frosting (optional)
- Place the cocoa in a medium mixing bowl. Add the melted butter. Using a mixer, mix together until smooth.
- Then add vanilla, powdered sugar, and milk and mix until smooth beating for 2 to 3 minutes.
Notes
This recipe can easily be doubled for a 9×13-inch pan.
The vinegar is a must in this recipe. It reacts with the baking soda to give the cake the desired texture, doing the work eggs would do in other recipes. The cake does not come out tasting like vinegar!
Keep a close eye on the cake at the 30-minute mark as you don’t want to overbake it.
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