No butter, no milk, and no eggs needed! Wacky Cake, Crazy Cake, Depression Cake, this super simple, one-bowl cake recipe goes by many names. It’s incredibly moist, rich, and fudgy despite being made with only basic pantry staples! Also includes an easy chocolate icing made with no butter, milk, or eggs!
I didn’t originally plan to share this recipe on the blog today but, considering current events and the fact that many of us are self isolating at home, I thought some basic, simple recipes were in order. Ones that would help you make the most of the ingredients you currently have on hand and don’t require any unnecessary grocery store visits.
Today’s “Crazy Cake” is precisely that kind of recipe. It uses no butter, no eggs, and no milk and yet yields an insanely moist, fudgy chocolate cake. It’s made in just one bowl and is basically fool-proof. Despite the simplicity of the recipe, it holds its own against even my favorite fudgy chocolate cake recipe.
Crazy cake (also known as “Wacky Cake”) is not my own invention. It’s a product of the depression era when ingredients were scarce and people had to make the best of what they could find in their pantry. It’s made an appearance on the blog before, in the form of the cupcake base for my grandmother’s recipe for black bottom cupcakes (recently used to make black bottom cookies!), so it might even seem familiar to you.
How to Make Crazy Cake:
- Start by whisking together all of your dry ingredients (flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt) in a large bowl. Back in the day, the ingredients were often mixed together directly in the baking pan, but I think it’s easier and worth the extra dish to make in a separate bowl.
- Make a well in the center (see photo above).
- Add your wet ingredients (water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla extract) into the well in the center of the bowl.
- Whisk all ingredients together until you have a smooth cake batter.
- Pour into an 8×8″ baking dish and bake until cooked through. Cool and cover with icing, if desired (more on the icing below!).
Wacky cake is incredibly simple to make, but the easiest way to go wrong is by accidentally over-baking the cake. Keep an eye on it and cook just until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (or with a few moist crumbs).
Icing
It goes without saying that you can really use any icing you’d like on this cake. Buttercream frosting, chocolate frosting, peanut butter frosting, cream cheese frosting, even Swiss meringue buttercream, any of these would work great (though you would only need a half-batch).
But…! All of these recipes use butter. And some of them use milk, or eggs! And if we had butter and milk and eggs… well we’d probably just be making classic chocolate cake, right? We wouldn’t be here in the first place. So I wanted to provide you with a frosting that also uses no butter, milk, or eggs.
Technically this frosting is a glaze, but it’s a thick, fudgy one (it reminds me of the glaze I use on my Texas sheet cake). It’s incredibly simple to make: whisk together powdered sugar, cocoa powder, water, and vanilla extract until smooth.
Can I Make this in a 9×13″ pan?
Making this exact recipe in a 9×13″ pan would yield a very thin cake. If you double the recipe, though, you can make it in a 9×13″ pan. You can also make the recipe as written in a 9×9″ or 11×7″ pan, you will just need to reduce the baking time by about 5 minutes or so.
What’s with the Vinegar?
I’ve had a lot of people ask me if they can make crazy cake without vinegar. Unfortunately, because this recipe is made without eggs, the vinegar is a necessity. It reacts with the baking soda to give the cake its lift and perfect texture (and does not make the cake taste like vinegar at all!) I do not know of a substitute that would work as well, though you can use white vinegar or apple cider.
Can I Make a Vanilla Crazy Cake?
Yes! Just leave out the cocoa powder for a vanilla version. I also like to increase the amount of vanilla extract used to 1 ½ teaspoons.
How to Store:
Store in an airtight container (or just cover the cake with plastic wrap) at room temperature for up to 5 days. It will keep longer in the refrigerator, but keep it tightly covered to keep it from drying out.
Enjoy!
More Recipes You Might Like:
Are you more of a visual learner? Check out my YouTube channel where I show you exactly how I make this cake step-by-step in my own kitchen.
Crazy Cake
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (190 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup (35 g) natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup water
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) avocado, vegetable, or canola oil
- 1 Tablespoon white vinegar¹
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
ICING
- 1 ½ cups (190 g) powdered sugar
- ¼ cup (25 g) natural cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and lightly grease an 8x8 glass baking dish².
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.1 ½ cups (190 g) all-purpose flour, 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar, ⅓ cup (35 g) natural unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
- Make a well in the center of the bowl and add the water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla extract.1 cup water, ⅓ cup (80 ml) avocado, vegetable, or canola oil, 1 Tablespoon white vinegar¹, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Whisk or stir all ingredients together until batter is smooth.
- Pour batter into prepared baking dish and bake on 350F (175C) for about 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Do not over-bake or the cake will be dry.
- Allow cake to cool before frosting.
ICING:
- To prepare the icing, whick together sugar, cocoa powder, water, vanilla extract, and salt until smooth. Icing should be a thick and fudgy consistency, but should be spread-able. If it is too thick, add additional water one teaspoon at a time until the proper consistency is achieved.1 ½ cups (190 g) powdered sugar, ¼ cup (25 g) natural cocoa powder, 2 tablespoons water, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, ⅛ teaspoon salt
- Once cake has cooled, gently spread frosting evenly overtop. Enjoy!
Notes
Store covered at room temperature for up to 5 days. Cake will keep even longer if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator by the fridge may dry out the cake a bit.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Meg
I use 1 Tbsp. of lemon juice instead of the vinegar; it always turns out perfectly. My recipe is the same, except for 1/4 of cocoa and 6 Tbsp. melted butter. I always frost with “Noreen’s frosting” recipe: 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 1.5 Tbsp butter, 1.5 Tbsp milk. Stir together and bring to boil in pot on stove. Remove from heat and add 1/4 cup of chocolate chips. Stir until melted. Pour the frosting over the cake and spread out evenly, quickly, as this frosting hardens in seconds. This frosting will not disappoint!! It has more of a fudgy consistency. I sprinkle mini chocolate chips on top too sometimes. Best. Cake. Ever. But seriously though, try the frosting guys:)
Prachi Pradeep agrawal
Hi.. wanna try this out.. but don’t have vinegar of any kind at home! Please suggest any substitute.. and what is the role of vinegar.
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Prachi! If you have apple cider vinegar at home that will work as a substitute. Vinegar, when paired with baking soda, allows the cake to rise. 🙂
Prachi Pradeep agrawal
Hi.. neither do I have apple cider vinegar and nor do I have white vinegar. I don’t have both. What should i do?
And do you have more eggless recipes?
Sugar Spun Run
I have not tried it myself, however, someone just commented that they have substituted 1 Tbsp. of lemon juice instead of the vinegar and had success. If you try it, I’d love to know if it works out well for you too. Here are other Egg-less recipe suggestions: No Bake Cookies, Chocolate Chip Snowball Cookies, and Easy Fudge Recipe. I hope that helps! 🙂
Prachi Pradeep agrawal
Yes.. thanks a lot. Stay safe and happy 🙂
Sugar Spun Run
Thanks, same to you! Happy I could help! 🙂
Callie
Hi I have an intolerance to all vinegars, can I use lemon/lime juice instead. Thank you.
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Callie! I have not tried it myself, however, someone just commented that they have substituted 1 Tbsp. of lemon juice instead of the vinegar and had success. If you try it, I’d love to know if it works out well for you too. Happy Baking. 🙂
Andrea Morse
I have been making this for over 50 years. It’s my daughter’s favorite cake. She had it as cupcakes at her wedding. We love it & especially love the expression on people faces when we tell them there is vinegar in it! Only difference I see in the recipe is I make 3 wells, one for each liquid. I wish I had thought to publish it!
Sugar Spun Run
I love that your daughter served these at her wedding, what a fun treat for the guests. Thanks so much for sharing. I am glad that you are a fan of this recipe too, Andrea. 🙂
Wendie
It’s a miracle!!! This is the first time I’ve successfully made a cake and icing. I substituted 4 tablespoons of Greek yogurt for the oil. Used an aluminum pan lined with parchment paper. Needed to bake 10 more minutes. Used about 1/4 cup of water with to make the icing. Delicious!! Now I’m ready for any bake sale. Thank you. I’ve never been able to make a cake and I’m old enough to remember “seeing the first man land on the moon.” My life will never be the same!!
Sugar Spun Run
Congrats on your first ever made from scratch cake, Wendie! I am so glad that it turned out so well for you and you enjoyed it! Thanks for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
Sheep
My frosting tastes like chocolate cough syrup! I think I put too much vanilla extract!
Sugar Spun Run
Oh no, Sheep! I am sorry if your frosting was ruined. 🙁
Sheep
It turned out good! The cake itself was very moist and delicious, and after reducing the frosting down because I put too much water in it so I wanted to thicken it up, it tasted good! Next time though I will read the recipe closer! :/
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed it, Sheep! Thanks for the feedback. 🙂
Liz
Just made this and it is delicious!! It’s so moist and so easy to make, easier than a boxed cake mix. I didn’t have the 8 x 8 glass pan but I did have a 7 x 11 one and it worked perfectly; just baked it 5 minutes less. I did sift my dry ingredients to make sure there were no lumps, both in the cake and the frosting.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you loved it, Liz! Thank you so much for trying my recipe and for commenting! 🙂
Julie
My mom used to make wacky cake for after school snack. We would pour fresh cream on top. Thanks for a classic recipe 😀
Sugar Spun Run
I love it, Julie! I am glad that you have enjoyed this cake. 🙂
Teri Kirby
I bake a good bit and always enjoy simple recipes, my husband has a sweet tooth, so I try to bake to keep something sweet on hand. I want to try the fudge you mentioned. Thanks for sharing your recipes, I love them.
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much for being a fan of my site. I appreciate it! 🙂
Bonnie Strickland
I’ve had this recipe for 40 years or longer, but haven’t made it in a very long time. I remember it being moist and very tasty.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that it has brought back so many wonderful memories for you, Bonnie! Enjoy! 🙂
Angel
This has been our “secret” family recipe for years!
We started substituting coconut oil a few years ago and it makes the cake super moist. 🙂
Sugar Spun Run
That is awesome, Angel! Thanks for sharing. Enjoy! 🙂
Sam
What can I substitute for vinegar?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Sam! If you don’t have 1 Tablespoon of white vinegar, apple cider vinegar will do. 🙂
Kate
Can you make cupcakes with this ?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Kate! Yes, that should work just fine. 🙂
Manali Furtado
Can we use baking powder instead of baking soda? What’s the alternate for baking soda. Kindly advise.
Sam
Hi Manali, unfortunately I do not know of a substitute for the baking soda. The baking soda reacts with the vinegar and is critical to making the cake turn out properly. Some sources online say that you can use triple the amount of baking powder as a substitute for baking soda, but having not tried this myself I cannot say for sure that this will work. If you try it out will you let me know how it turns out for you?
Manali Furtado
Hi Sam. Will surely let u know if I try.thank you so much for your quick revert. Take care.
Zenobia
Hi Sam, baking soda and bicarbonate of soda is the same ingredient. Pls try that
Anne
This was my first cake without eggs and dairy products and I couldn’t believe how simple it is to make and how delicious, light and moist the cake is!! Absolutely amazing and everyone loved it! Thank you for sharing the recipe, Anne, Kent, UK
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed it, Anne! Thank you for commenting. 🙂
Bushra
Please guide me about the measurement of all ingredients in
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Bushra! I am sorry I am not sure what measurements you are requesting. Please reference the recipe. 🙂
Kristen
I have been making a version of this cake for years as my son was allergic to all dairy products and milk. Although he has outgrown his allergies, he asks for this cake every year. I make a vegan buttercream to go on top.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you have been a fan of this cake too, Kristen! Thanks for commenting. 🙂