Some cake recipes ask you to soften butter, remember to buy eggs, and pull out the mixer. This one asks for a pan and a fork. Vanilla Crazy Cake is the old-school cake you can stir right in the baking pan.
Quick answer: This version uses eight pantry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, white vinegar, neutral oil, water, and vanilla. The batter goes into an 8-inch pan and bakes at 350°F for about 35 minutes. The complete recipe card is below.
Why is it called Crazy Cake?
It is also called Wacky Cake or Cake Pan Cake. The unusual part is the method: dry ingredients go into the pan, you make little wells for the vinegar, vanilla, and oil, then add water and stir. King Arthur Baking documents this traditional three-well method for its original chocolate Cake Pan Cake. This page is a separate vanilla recipe with the amounts in our recipe card.
Vanilla Crazy Cake ingredients
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- ⅓ cup neutral vegetable oil
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
There are eight ingredients here, counting the water. The cake batter contains no egg, milk, or butter. If you are baking for someone with a food allergy, check every ingredient and topping label and account for cross-contact in your kitchen. An ingredient list alone cannot guarantee a finished cake is safe for them.
How to make Vanilla Crazy Cake in one pan
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8-inch square or round pan.
- Mix the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in the pan with a fork.
- Make three wells in the dry mixture. Put vinegar in one small well, vanilla in the other, and oil in the larger well.
- Pour water over everything and stir until combined. Scrape into the corners so no dry flour remains.
- Bake for about 35 minutes. Check the center with a toothpick; it should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Let the cake cool before adding frosting.
The vinegar and baking soda help the batter rise. The three wells are traditional, but mixing the batter evenly matters more than making perfect little holes.
Can I make it vegan or gluten-free?
The listed cake batter ingredients contain no animal products, but check your specific sugar, vanilla, and toppings if you are baking vegan. Buttercream or cream-cheese frosting changes that. This recipe uses wheat flour; we have not tested a gluten-free swap for these exact amounts. Use a recipe developed for your chosen gluten-free flour rather than assuming a one-for-one substitution will behave the same way.
Pan, frosting, and storage notes
Use the 8-inch pan in this recipe for the stated bake time. A different pan size changes the cake’s depth and may change the baking time, so check the center rather than relying only on the clock. A dusting of powdered sugar keeps it simple; frosting is optional. Cover leftovers and store them according to the frosting you use.
Want chocolate instead? Our Chocolate Crazy Cake is a separate recipe.
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix the flour, sugar, baking soda, 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!
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