I did not develop this recipe, and I am pretty sure no one alive did because it has been around since The Great Depression! In present times it has come to be known as “Crazy Cake” or “Wacky Cake,” largely because the baking process is pretty out-of-the ordinary. This dessert was made during war-time and The Great Depression because it doesn’t require milk, eggs, or butter – ingredients that were scarce and expensive. Plus, you don’t even need a bowl to make it; the ingredients are combined in the pan it is baked in!
For all this craziness, you might expect the cake to turn out decent, but it surpassed my expectations by a long shot! Even with the missing ingredients, it is super moist & rich.
CRAZY CAKE
Serves 9
1 and 1/2 cups flour
3 tablespoons cocoa
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup water
1 batch thick chocolate frosting
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8×8 baking dish. (Double recipe to use a 9×13 pan). Combine flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, and salt in pan and stir. Create 2 small and 1 large depression in the surface of dry ingredients. Pour vanilla and vinegar into a small depression and vegetable oil into the large. Pour water over surface and stir until batter forms. Bake for 35 minutes.
- 1 and ½ cups flour
- 3 tablespoons cocoa
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup water
- Thick chocolate frosting (link above)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease an 8x8 baking dish. (Double recipe to use a 9x13 pan).
- Combine flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, and salt in pan and stir.
- Create 2 small and 1 large depression in the surface of dry ingredients.
- Pour vanilla and vinegar into a small depression and vegetable oil into the large. Pour water over surface and stir until batter forms.
- Bake for 35 minutes.
