Chocolate cake has never been easier with this simple, low-cost crazy cake recipe! Popularized during the Great Depression, this no-dairy cake is a great option for our friends who are vegan or otherwise dairy-free. Some call this dairy free chocolate cake “Depression Cake” or “Wacky Cake.”
Moist and delicious without any milk or dairy, this Chocolate Crazy Cake is sure to impress! We know you and your guests will love this delicious cake. For our homeschooling friends, make this cake with students to teach them about the Great Depression, and have a fantastic treat to remember it by.
While this recipe was popular during the Great Depression, it’s actually thought to have been developed for cooking demonstrations–this recipe uses ingredients that don’t need to be refrigerated and can be left out for hours. It was during this time frame that the name depression cake came about.
This recipe calls for store-bought frosting, but feel free to make your favorite homemade chocolate frosting if you’re an overachiever! You can even make a delicious dairy free chocolate frosting!
Ingredient Notes
- Flour—All purpose works best.
- Cocoa Powder—Preferably unsweetened, but sweetened can also be used.
- Sugar—Granulated, for sweetness.
- Baking Soda—To help the cake rise.
- Salt—Just a pinch.
- White Vinegar—Activates the baking soda.
- Vanilla Extract—Or vanilla bean paste.
- Vegetable Oil—Can be replaced by canola oil or coconut oil.
- Chocolate Frosting—Store bought or homemade is fine–or whatever flavor you’d prefer.
- Water—Room temperature
What Is Chocolate Crazy Cake?
As we mentioned, this cake became popular during the Great Depression. During a time when the price of eggs, butter, and milk skyrocketed, people were forced to find creative solutions to make classic desserts. As a result, the low cost crazy cake was born. This cake relies on baking soda and vinegar to give the cake its rise instead of eggs, like most traditional cakes.
Equipment You Will Need
This recipe needs only a few kitchen staples. Grab a couple of mixing bowls, your measuring spoons, and a baking dish (we recommend a 9×13 pan). You will want a metal whisk or large wooden mixing spoon, or you can use a hand mixer if you have ones available.
How to Make Chocolate Crazy Cake
- Preheat the oven and spray a 9×13-inch with non-stick cooking spray.
- Combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
- Once the dry ingredients are whisked together, make a hole in the center of the bowl. Make two smaller holes to the side of the center hole.
- Pour the vinegar into one small hole and the vanilla into the other. Add the vegetable oil to the large hole.
- Add the water to the bowl and whisk the ingredients together until fully incorporated.
- Pour the cake batter into the baking dish and bake until a toothpick can be cleanly removed from the middle of the cake.
- Allow the cake to cool to room temperature before frosting.
- Serve and enjoy!
How to Store and Serve Crazy Chocolate Cake
This cake can be sealed and stored in the fridge for up to five days. Alternatively, you can freeze it for up to 3 months! If freezing your cake, we recommend cutting it into squares so you don’t have to thaw the whole cake if you don’t want to.
This is a great cake to have on hand in case you have unexpected company. You can serve this cake straight from the oven, or cooled if you plan on frosting it. We recommend topping your crazy cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of chocolate or caramel syrup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it called a Crazy Cake?
This cake gets called “wacky” or “crazy” because of the technique used to mix the liquid ingredients together. It’s also called this because it uses no eggs–which is crazy, as far as cake is concerned.
Why is this cake mixed this way?
Crazy cake mixes the wet ingredients by using the well technique explained above to ensure the cake stays moist and fluffy. It helps prevent overmixing, while also ensuring all of the ingredients are incorporated together.
Is Crazy Cake vegan?
As long as you’re using a plant-based frosting on top, yes! We love this option for our plant-based friends. Plant-based frostings are easy to make at home and can be purchased at most major health-food stores like Whole Foods.
Expert Tips and Tricks
- Mix some sprinkles in with your dry ingredients for some extra fun!
- Traditionally, this cake is made entirely in the pan you bake it in. Give it a try for some additional historical accuracy. This is also a great way to save some time on cleanup by cutting back on dishes.
- If your cake needs to keep cooking after the specified time, you can cover the pan with aluminum foil. This will keep the top of the cake from overbaking as the inside finishes.
No Dairy Chocolate Crazy Cake
Ingredients
- 1½ cups All-purpose flour
- 1 cup Granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup Cocoa powder unsweetened
- 1 tsp Baking soda
- ½ tsp Salt
- 1 tsp White vinegar
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- ⅓ cup Vegetable oil
- 1 cup Water room temperature
- Chocolate frosting homemade or store-bought
Instructions
- Preheat the oven and spray a 9×13-inch with non-stick cooking spray.
- Combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
- Once the dry ingredients are whisked together, make a hole in the center of the bowl. Make two smaller holes to the side of the center hole.
- Pour the vinegar into one small hole and the vanilla into the other. Add the vegetable oil to the large hole.
- Add the water to the bowl and whisk the ingredients together until fully incorporated.
- Pour the cake batter into the baking dish and bake until a toothpick can be cleanly removed from the middle of the cake.
- Allow the cake to cool to room temperature before frosting.
- Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
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