Wacky cake is a vintage chocolate cake dating back to the great depression that requires no eggs, no butter, no milk – only basic pantry items.
Why this recipe works
Wacky Cake, also known as crazy cake, depression cake, or even crazy wacky cake, was coined as such because the recipe does not use eggs nor butter. Rationing was a very real and serious thing during wartime, and many ingredients we find common today, such as eggs, butter, sugar, and milk were all in pretty short supply.
That left home bakers with the dilemma of creating desserts with limited, and often crucial ingredients. The secret to this cake is the last-minute combination of vinegar and baking soda, which together are used as leavening, much like that volcano you made in science class when you were a kid. Vintage recipes are often fascinating, and the stories behind their creation are wonderful!
Ingredients you will need
Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.
Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions
OIL – Using oil instead of butter for the fat allows you the opportunity to use your favorite oil, or even something like coconut oil as an alternative. I used canola oil and have not experimented with anything else. Please do let me know your results if you do!
DRY INGREDIENTS – All-purpose flour, granulated white sugar, salt, baking soda, unsweetened cocoa powder, and powdered sugar are the dry ingredients you will need.
VINEGAR – The scientific combination of the baking soda and vinegar will cause the cake to rise.
How to Make Wacky Cake
These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In an 8-inch square baking pan, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and cocoa.
- Use a spoon to make three wells in the dry ingredients, one large well and two smaller wells. Pour the oil into the largest well, the vinegar into one of the smaller wells, and the vanilla into the last well.
- Pour the cold water over the top of everything and stir it all together with a fork.
- Immediately transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes.
- Remove the cake to a wire rack to cool. When cooled, cut into squares and sift powdered sugar over the top.
Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips
Store wacky cake in an air-tight container or cover tightly with plastic wrap. Keep at room temperature for 3-4 days.
Yes, this cake freezes well. Simply wrap the ungarnished cake in a few layers of plastic wrap followed by a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator and top with powdered sugar.
Serving Suggestions
Wacky cake is most famously topped with a dusting of powdered sugar, however, you can certainly try it with chocolate fudge frosting or use your favorite no milk or butter frosting recipe instead.
More Vintage Recipes
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Wacky Cake
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Rate ItIngredients
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 6 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup cold water
- powdered sugar for dusting
Things You’ll Need
Before You Begin
- If you decide to try this, be sure to follow the instructions, which include making little wells in the dry ingredients and placing certain liquids in each one. The scientific combination of the baking soda and vinegar will cause the cake to rise. Deviating from the recipe instructions may not yield the results you want.
- Using oil instead of butter for the fat allows you the opportunity to use your favorite oil, or even something like coconut oil as an alternative. I used canola oil and have not experimented with anything else. Please do let me know your results if you do!
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In an 8-inch square baking pan, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and cocoa.
- Use a spoon to make three wells in the dry ingredients, one large well and two smaller wells. Pour the oil into the largest well, the vinegar into one of the smaller wells, and the vanilla into the last well. Pour the cold water over the top of everything and stir it all together with a fork.
- Immediately transfer pan to the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes.
- Remove cake to a wire rack to cool. When cooled, cut into squares and sift powdered sugar over the top.
Expert Tips & FAQs
- Store wacky cake in an air-tight container or cover tightly with plastic wrap. Keep at room temperature for 3-4 days.
- Freezing – wrap the ungarnished cake in a few layers of plastic wrap followed by a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator and top with powdered sugar.
- Wacky cake is most notably topped with a dusting of powdered sugar, however, you can certainly try it with chocolate fudge frosting or use your favorite no milk or butter frosting recipe.
Nutrition
This post originally appeared here on May 3rd, 2014 and has since been updated to include new photos and expert tips.
Amanda Davis
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elizabeth s wiebelt says
I have been cooking for over 50 yrs, but I’m embarrassed to say, that I’ve never really mastered the art of baking!!! The only time I have been successful with a cake is making it from a mix. After trying this recipe, I have become amazed how simple and delicious, it is. Thank you!!!
KRL724 says
This cake has been our entire family’s go-to chocolate cake for close to 50 years!! There’s no moister or quicker and easier to make chocolate cake anywhere!! We’ve had it with classic buttercream, caramel and cooked white icings, all with the same results…DELICIOUS!!!!!!
Amanda Formaro says
Thank you so much, it’s a keeper for sure!
ELIZ says
NICE AND HELPHUL RECIPES. TANX MUCH
Fortune Goulais says
Thank you for sharing, I’m going to make this for dessert tonight, I’ll let you know how it turns out?
Amanda Formaro says
Fun! I love this recipe, let me know how it goes!
Shannon Kruger says
My daughter recently make this cake in home economics class. She said all the mixing was done in the baking pan. Less clean up!!! Very tasty cake! I still prefer the old baking powder and egg recipes, but I think it’s a great lesson about how people did things in the old days!!
Amanda Formaro says
That’s awesome!
Beverly says
This is a family favorite. I make it all the time and we have always called it the Farm Cake and frost it with peanut butter frosting. I have even doubled the recipe and put it in a 13×9 pan. It comes put perfect every time. It is always requested for our family reunion.
Joan says
With the war going on ,We were so hungry for cake we would have eaten any cake. But this was good,, I think after reading about this cake it made me want to enjoy to again.I remember traveling by bus with my sister many time to see if we could get to the store before it they sold out of sugar and many times they were.. So, after having this cake that needed no sugar. it became one of our favorites.
Amanda Formaro says
Hi Joan, thanks so much for sharing that! I love hearing stories from peoples’ pasts, especially when it relates to recipes :)
Marge says
1 cup of sugar
Kate Riker says
We used to ice this recipe with peanut butter icing on this with crunchy peanut butter, confectioner’s sugar and a little milk.
Amanda Formaro says
Sounds yummy Kate!
Mallory says
Um um um one of my favorite frostings! I’m a retired pastry chef and when I moved to Arkansas, I was bored out of my mind so I went back to work…for the school district and this was one of the desserts we made. The kiddies loved it….I had never heard of it before, so it was a treat for me as well. Now my 11 yr old granddaughter makes it, with chunky peanut butter frosting. Num num, Nana approves. Now to get her to clean up after, hahahaha!
Amanda Formaro says
oh peanut butter frosting! Yum!
Lea Ann (Cooking On The Ranch) says
I love this post. Amazing how our grandmother’s adjusted and made due with ingredients on hand. I’m surprised I’ve never heard of Wacky Cake.
Amanda Formaro says
I agree Lee Ann! And I love any history behind certain foods, so fun to learn the origins.
R Ward says
This cake has been around longer than the 40’s – I got it from someone who clipped it from a Winnipeg Manitoba newspaper in the mid 30’s…a depression era cake. She always made it with a brown sugar fudge frosting (sometimes called penuche) and I still make it, and when I do everyone loves it. My brother-in-laws Mother used to make it too, got the recipe from her mother when she married in the early 40s. – also lived in Manitoba at the time, so I have always thought of it as a “Prairie” recipe. The prairies were hard-hit in the depression so this would have been a cheap meal. Also doesn’t require a lot of beating, as with a butter cake, and in the days of no mixers this was a godsend.
I doubt it was made much in England in the 40’s – everything was rationed, sugar and cocoa were hard to get. Don’t think they made many sweets at all. (Sugar reserved for their tea!)
This has always been a “first lesson in cooking” for any child who ventures into my kitchen since it is all done in one pan, just a fork for mixing, and an easy way to teach a child to stir. Even pre-schoolers can manage it.
Incidentally, I never find I have to make the separate indentations for the vinegar etc.. Just add the vinegar last.
R.
Amanda Formaro says
Awesome information thanks so much for sharing it R Ward! Everything I had found only dated back to the 40s. Maybe it was popularized in the 40s? :) Adding the vinegar last makes total sense too as it’s the vinegar and baking soda combo that really matters. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience of this recipe!
Allen Vergakis says
Since I’m wacky, this will go nicely with me. I love the image of your father and grandmother, thank you.
Amanda Formaro says
Thanks Allen :) I love that picture too!
Jessica @ Sweet Menu says
Wow, how unusual! The cake looks delicious and moist! Yum.
Amanda Formaro says
it is, thanks Jessica!
Tamara says
Used to make this a lot as kid with peanut butter icing. Updated with a gluten-free 1 to 1 flour mix and coconut oil.
Amanda Formaro says
Yum, PB frosting!
sue buresh says
I can remember my mom making this cake when I was a child. This would of been back in the late ’40s
Amanda Formaro says
Yes, it’s definitely been around a while!