I’ve got the craziest recipe for you guys today! But I suppose you already knew that from the title, didn’t you? Vanilla Crazy Cake – also known as Wacky Cake or Depression Cake, doesn’t need dairy or eggs to make them. In fact, you don’t even need to get a separate bowl dirty – you can make it right in the 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!
What You’ll Need To Make Vanilla 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 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
How To Make Vanilla Crazy Cake:
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!
- 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 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 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!
Want to check out our Chocolate Crazy Cake recipe? Click on the image below!
I don’t have white vinegar but I do have Apple cider vinegar that should work right?
Made as cupcakes to send to school ( dairy and egg allergies in the class). Rose nicely and looked good, but definitely didn’t have the flavour of a regular cupcake recipe. Fine with icing and sprinkles on top though. Thanks for a simple and useful recipe!
after comparing the chocolate crazy cake to the vanilla. It seems the vanilla recipe that calls for 1 tsp of vinegar should be 1 TBSP. also, instead of 5 TBSP (or 1/3 c) of vegetable oil, Use 1/2 cup. PROBLEM SOLVED! Great Recipe otherwise. for cupcakes, bake on 350 for 25 minutes. oven times may vary, just stick a fork or tooth pick through the center or a couple of the cupcakes to make sure they are done.
This recipe is simply amazing. Each time I do it everybody fall in love with the cake ! The only modification I do is replacing the water with non-dairy milk (hazelnut milk is the best one so far) and double the recipe for making it 2 steps.
I recommand it !
Hi,
I have been baking for over 30 years. I have tried this recipe twice and it
has come out terribly gummy and pasty.
Maybe I am doing something wrong, but I can’t figure it out.
My baking soda is fresh as are all my other ingredients.
I have made chocolate wacky cake with no problems.
Sorry.
Thanks
Can you make this recipe into cupcakes? I am wanting to make cupcakes for Dr. Seuss’ birthday for my class this week (and I have a few allergies in class) If so, what would change? Thank you for your help.
I don’t think you would change any thing just mix everything in a bowl and put it in the cup cake pan.
Unfortunately this recipe tasted weird for me i had to throw out the whole cake
Me too, the cake tasted terrible 🙁
Hi Sarah! If you’re not against all dairy I make this recipe all the time for cakes and cupcakes and use milk and butter for the water and oil and it’s so tasty!! My family and I don’t eat eggs so that why I liked this recipe to begin with the the water makes it taste bad (in my opinion). Just a thought since it’s such an easy recipe 🙂
great recipe! (and I’ve tried many, per my son’s egg allergy) I’m going to attempt to convert this to a strawberry cake recipe, and I’m nervous. I use buttermilk and omit the vinegar for this recipe. I’m torn between fresh strawberries and gelatin for the strawberry version. I’ve never made strawberry cake… ever. Wish me luck!
You could try putting some freeze dried strawberries (make sure they are FREEZE dried) in a food processor and adding them to the batter. It always works well for me when flavoring frosting. I’m sure it would work for a cake too.
Is it moist? And do you think a box of pudding would work if mixed in?
I have made the chocolate one twice turned out great.
I had a problem with the Vanilla cake.
it didn’t rise enough like the chocolate one.
any ideas why?
help
Someone already mentioned that the vanilla cake had two typos . First one was vinegar should be 1 tbsp not one tsp . Second was 1/2 cup oil , not 1/3 . Maybe this will help .
I am sorry to tell you that this cake is not to my liking after all I follow exactly as instructed.It is a no wonder it is called a crazy cake or depression cake. For me, making cake is must included butter or oil, egg and milk. Again, sorry it is not a save recipe for me.
It’s a great recipe! Try replacing the water with buttermilk, omitting the vinegar. That will make it richer for you. I bake egg-free, per my son’s egg allergy, and this recipe is a winner. I don’t serve my son substandard foods. Whatever I cook for him is for the rest of the family, as well.
Hi Paula, you just replace the water with buttermilk and omit vinegar? Then you keep all other ingredients as per the recipe?
Your picture has it layered. But instructions appear to be for one baking dish. Will i need to double ingredients to get a nice 8 inch?
Also, do you have a vegan buttercream?
Do you think this recipe wouldwork well with a brown rice flour blend? I would really like to make this gluten free on top of everything else!