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Want another amazingly crazy crazy cake recipe? Last week I shared our Vanilla Crazy Cake and not even kidding – y’all went nuts.
Get ready to strap yourself in ’cause this Chocolate Crazy Cake is just as amazing and how can you go wrong with chocolate? Don’t know about crazy cakes yet?
They’re also known as Wacky Cake or Depression Cake, don’t need dairy or eggs to make them, and somehow still taste just as amazing if you swap in gluten-free flour, too.
Plus, forget about washing tons of dishes – these are all made in the same pan! These cakes became popular during the Great Depression when eggs and dairy products were expensive and hard to come by. Nowadays, they’re great for people with food allergies, and everyone will love them! Enjoy!
What You’ll Need To Make Chocolate Crazy Cake:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp white vinegar
- 5 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 cup water
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
How To Make Chocolate Crazy Cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix the flour, sugar, baking soda, cocoa powder, and salt in a greased 8″ square (or round…I prefer the round, but I’ve made this in both) baking pan.
Make 3 depressions in the dry ingredients – two small and one large. Pour the vinegar and vanilla in each of the two smaller depressions, and the vegetable oil in the large one.
Pour water over the entire thing and mix until smooth.
Bake on the middle rack of the oven at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Let it cool, then top with your favorite frosting and enjoy!
This cake is downright chocolatey deliciousness.
Chocolate Crazy Cake
This crazy cake is made with no eggs, milk, or butter!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp white vinegar
- 5 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 cup water
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix the flour, sugar, baking soda, cocoa powder, and salt in a greased 8" square (or round...I prefer the round, but I've made this in both) baking pan.
- Make 3 depressions in the dry ingredients - two small and one large. Pour the vinegar and vanilla in each of the two smaller depressions, and the vegetable oil in the large one.
- Pour water over the entire thing and mix until smooth.
- Bake on the middle rack of the oven at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Let it cool, then top with your favorite frosting and enjoy!
This recipe was adapted from this chocolate crazy cake recipe here.
Lu says
Has anyone made this cake strawberry flavored? I am looking for a vegan strawberry flavored wacky cake.
Lydia Douglas says
Was amazing. Making the white one today as unfortunately hubby is not a fan of chocolate.
TRICIA COBIRM says
Ca you send me the recipe for the vanilla one please
Gotten Candy says
Can I use apple vinegar?
Jamie says
I haven’t tried it. Sorry!
Devorah Goldblatt says
This is the BEST cake I have ever made and eaten IN MY LIFE. And everyone else loves it too! Every time we need a dessert they ask for this. THANK YOU!!
Melinda says
The chocolate cake is delicious! The only difference was using white wine vinegar – all I had. Do you have any nutrition specs for it? Thank you this is a keeper
Kristine Starr says
Love this recipe and the vanilla one! This is now my go to cake and even my non vegan friends and family love it. I have even tried adding lemon extract instead of vsnilla and grated lemon and it was delicious! Thanks so much for sharing. Now looking for an icing without all the sugar!
Candis James says
How do we make the frosting?
Linda says
Follow directions on can of cocoa So easy. If you are dairy intolerant use vanilla rice dream water
Barbarainnc says
So do I double the ingredients to make the two layers shown or do I split the one layer??
mxf video says
it’s absolutely gorgeous.
Laura M Morgan says
I have my Nannie’s old cookbook from the 30s. It was the first cake that I made and I was all of 6 years old and standin on my grandfather’s chair and cleared away the dirty dishes! So proud of myself! Great, simple cakes!
Caitlin says
Does this recipe make only ONE 8″ round cake? To make a layer cake, double recipe?
Mother of 3 says
I wanted to make depression cakes with my boys when we were studying the great depression.. what a fun history and science lesson in one and oh so yummy! Pinned!
Bunny says
My version of the chocolate cake – aka Mix-In-the-Pan Chocolate Jiffy Cake – calls for 1 cup of cold coffee, not water. Coffee enhances the flavor of chocolate.
I also use this recipe to make any flavor cake, by omitting the cocoa, and using other extracts – i.e. lemon cake by using lemon extract and lemon zest, or any flavor I want. I used this recipe to make a lemon cake for 100 people when the resort I was the Pastry Chef at, ran out of eggs.
I also use this recipe, with variations, for all my clients who have allergies. I even use this recipe for diabetics by replacing the sugar with Swerve Granulated Sugar Replacement. And I use Swerve Confectioner’s Sugar to make diabetic frostings – like SMBC, or French Buttercream. (Swerve also makes a brown sugar – I buy them at my local health food store).
Kristine Starr says
I will have to try the non sugar icing soon. Thanks for the tip!
Lovebirdsplus3 says
Made the vanilla cake yesterday and just wanted to keep eating it, lush and for me dairy free a bonus. Going to try the chocolate one next, thank you for sharing. ?
Angela says
Please how many grams or ounces per cup. In English
Thank you.
Little Cooking Tips says
Amazing cake Jamie! It’s the first time we see such a beautiful chocolate cake without butter in the list of ingredients! Loved it, pinned!
Panos and Mirella
Aenun Nadifah says
Her chocolate cake tempts me hehehe … I’ll try to make this beautiful cake, thank you for a variety of recipes
Loraine says
I made. ?ade the chocolate cak and it was so good. I will bemakinking this again.
lyn berryman says
is there a vegan recipe for frosting for the cake?
Maria says
I use 1 cup of vegan butter (Earth Balance), 4 cups of icing sugar, 1 tsp of vanilla and about 1 to 2 tblsp of water, just enough to get the right consistency.
lyn berryman says
could you use date syrup or coconut nectar instead of sugar?
Lee says
Could you make this into cupcakes?
Janna says
Bake for how long?
schrodie says
Step 4 in the recipe: Bake on the middle rack of the oven at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Let it cool, then top with your favorite frosting and enjoy!
Tammy says
RE: the chocolate cake, you just talk about 1 round pan. It looks like you need 2 round pans from the picture, no?? Also, what size round pan – 8″, 9″ ?? thank you in advance for your response.
Shelly says
I have never heard of crazy cake! I going to make this right now. Your pictures got me hungry for chocolate cake. Pinning so I don’t lose the recipe!
Megin says
Oh, dear. This looks so easy… and delicious! I’m pinning to give this a try!
I would love for you to join us and share each week at Brag About It link party on VMG206 (Mondays at Midnight).
~ Megin of VMG206
Sara @ Life's Little Sweets says
This chocolate cake looks amazing, I found your website through the Artsy Fartsy Link Party, pinning!
Di says
Been making this for years. The best. Double ingredients for 9 x 13. Sprinkle 1 cup chocolate chips on top while hot and spread after melted.
Meghann De La Cruz says
Is this a more dense or light and fluffy cake? I’m looking for a recipe to use for an ice cream cake.
LizZ H. says
WOW!! This is the simplest vegan chocolate cake I have ever seen! I’m SOO gonna try this 😀