This chocolate crazy cake, also known as wacky cake, is rich, moist, and made without eggs, milk, or butter. It is an easy depression era dessert that mixes right in the pan.

A slice of chocolate crazy cake on a plate with a fork taking a bite to show moist cake.

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Easy Chocolate Wacky Cake Recipe

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 or wacky 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. It’s optional but add a chocolate buttercream frosting, and watch this become your go-to recipe!

Ingredients Notes

Crazy cake ingredients including oil, sugar, flour, cocoa powder, vinegar, baking soad.

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 and give it rise since there are no eggs!
  • 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.
  • Frosting (optional): Originally this poor man’s cake did not have chocolate frosting but I include it because it makes it super delicious!

How to Make Chocolate 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.

Showing how to make crazy cake by adding dry ingredients to the pan and making a well in the middle for the wet ingredients.

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 an optional layer of frosting on top.

Chocolate crazy cake baked in a pan with optional frosting on top.

Recipe Tips

  • Keep this vintage 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.
  • All ovens bake differently so be sure to check your chocolate crazy cake early to avoid overbaking.
  • 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: Use anything from a classic cake frosting to cream cheese frosting. Chocolate ganache or caramel frosting would be great.
Chocolate crazy cake with chocolate frosting in a baking pan and cut into slices.

More chocolate cake recipes include chocolate Texas sheet cake, chocolate cupcakes from scratch and chocolate cake pops.

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A slice of chocolate crazy cake on a plate with a fork.

Chocolate Crazy Cake

5 from 5 votes
Recipe by: Jamielyn Nye
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 9
This chocolate crazy cake, also known as wacky cake, is rich, moist, and made without eggs, milk, or butter. It is an easy depression era dessert that mixes right in the pan.
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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

For a thinner cake, you can use a 9×13″ pan.  Check for doneness at 30 minutes.  And double the frosting!
Store: It can be kept covered in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Freeze for 3 months without the frosting. 

Nutrition

Calories: 356kcal, Carbohydrates: 55g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 15g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 17mg, Sodium: 360mg, Potassium: 114mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 36g, Vitamin A: 207IU, Vitamin C: 0.02mg, Calcium: 15mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.