Rich, chocolatey, and moist even without milk, butter, and eggs! This timeless crazy cake originated in a time of scarcity, but is still the perfect way to indulge in a sweet treat!
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Depression Era Chocolate Cake
If you’ve never heard of a crazy cake before, you’re in for a fun surprise. It’s also known as depression era chocolate cake because it doesn’t contain what were considered the more costly and hard-to-find ingredients (milk, eggs, and butter!).
It’s as simple as a chocolate dump cake (no mixing bowls required) and as chocolaty and moist as the best chocolate cake recipe. Topped with a chocolate buttercream frosting, one slice is never enough.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Wacky cake is made with no eggs, milk, butter or bowls!
- It’s as rich, moist, and chocolaty as any chocolate cake.
Ingredients Notes
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Cocoa powder: Use natural unsweetened cocoa powder for best results. The acid will react with the baking soda and vinegar giving the cake a nice lift and a soft, tender crumb.
- Baking soda and white vinegar: Used to leaven the cake.
- Olive oil: The fat needed for moisture. It’s a cost-effective replacement for butter. You can also use vegetable oil or canola oil instead.
- Pantry staples: Sugar, salt, vanilla. You’ll also need warm water.
- For the buttercream: Butter, powdered sugar, cream (and a few other ingredients already listed). Bring the butter to room temperature so that it is softened enough when you need to cream it.
How to Make Crazy Cake
Add flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt to a greased 9×9 square pan. Whisk gently, then make a hole in the center.
Fill with the vinegar, oil and vanilla. Pour warm water overtop and whisk everything well.
Bake the cake in a preheated 350°F oven for 33-35 minutes and allow it to cool completely before adding a layer of frosting on top.
More chocolate cake recipes include chocolate Texas sheet cake, chocolate cupcakes from scratch and chocolate cake pops.
More Chocolate Cake Recipes
Crazy Cake
Video
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 1 cup warm water
Chocolate Frosting
- ¼ cup butter , softened
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 Tablespoons cream
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare: Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×9" square pan with butter. See notes for a 9×13" pan.
- Add dry ingredients to pan: Directly into the greased pan, add 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 cup sugar, 1/3 cup cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Whisk gently.
- Add wet ingredients to pan: Make a hole in the dry ingredients and add 1 teaspoon vinegar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1/3 cup oil. Pour 1 cup of warm water over the top and whisk to combine the batter well.
- Bake cake: Bake cake for 33-35 minutes. Cool completely.
- Make frosting: While cake is cooling, add 1/4 cup butter, 1/4 cup cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 cup powdered sugar, 2-3 Tablespoons cream, and a pinch of salt to a medium sized mixing bowl. Mix with a hand mixer until smooth and fluffy.
- Frost cake: Frost cake and serve!
Last step: Please leave a comment and rating after you make the recipe.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Recipe Tips
- Keep the cake out at room temperature. It tends to dry out quicker when kept in the fridge.
- If you prefer to make this in a large mixing bowl, you can. Combine all the ingredients and pour the cake batter into a prepared baking pan.
- Top the frosting with festive sprinkles depending on the occasion!
Variations
- Vanilla crazy cake: Just omit the cocoa powder and use a vanilla buttercream frosting.
- Chocolate glaze: To truly stick with the no-butter theme, add cocoa powder to a powdered sugar glaze.
- Cupcakes: Make the batter in a bowl, following the same steps. Pour it into a prepared cupcake tin 3/4 of the way up the liner and bake for 15-20 minutes.
- Other frosting options: This cake can be made with your favorite frosting. Anything from a classic cake frosting to cream cheese frosting. Chocolate ganache or caramel frosting would be great.
Recipe FAQs
For a thinner cake, you can use a 9×13″ pan. It’ll bake faster, so check for doneness at 30 minutes. You’ll also need to double the amount of frosting you make.
You need an acid to help the cake rise because there aren’t any eggs in this crazy cake mix. I have never tried an alternative, but I might suggest trying apple cider vinegar as a substitute. I don’t know about lemon juice.
This cake doesn’t need to be refrigerated, unless you decide to use a different frosting, like a cream cheese frosting. It can be kept covered in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Totally. I would suggest freezing it before adding frosting. Either way, you’ll be able to freeze leftovers. Thaw in the fridge and bring it to room temperature before serving.
