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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.
Want more cake recipes? Check out:
- Bailey’s Mousse Cake
- Almond Bundt Cake
- The Best Icebox Cakes
- Rainbow Unicorn Cake
- Chocolate Crazy Cake
- Victoria Sponge Cake
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!
All things aside, sometimes we just need a quick and delicious way to satisfy our sweet tooth and this is it!
The beauty is, you can change out ingredients or add to it as needed. Take the basis of this recipe and add sprinkles or a different flavored extract. Maybe you want to make it a fun color, you can add some food dye and truly make it fun and colorful.
Have fun making this cake and we cannot wait to see the look on your face when it’s made without those eggs and and dairy products!
What You’ll Need To Make Vanilla Crazy Cake:
- All-purpose flour
- Sugar
- Baking soda
- Salt
- White vinegar
- Vegetable oil
- Water
- 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!
If you’re more of a chocolate fan, check out our Chocolate Crazy Cake recipe!
Vanilla Crazy Cake
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 1/2 tsp Pure vanilla extract
Instructions
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!
Deanne says
I made this last weekend for hubs birthday- my frosting was a disaster
The cake was perfect
Made again today for a family gathering
I found a coconut milk whipped topping
And decorated with raspberries and blueberries
Marilyn says
This was a very easy cake to make. As previously described, it was on the denser side but moist. I would most likely not make this cake again as I found it to taste it to taste like flour! Sorry!
Shawntay says
I agree with Marilynn’s review.
I tried the recipe for my daughter’s birthday. The cake was very dense, flour taste and looks like cornbread. Thumbs down.
Gabrielle says
This was such a great cake. I was sceptical at first to try it but I ran out of butter and my son is allergic to dairy so this was fantastic and we ALL enjoyed it. Totally making this a staple cake in our house. Will try adding lemon and other fruits sometime in the future too. Thanks!
gabrielle says
Mine came out more on the dense side, the top more orange, and it didn’t rise like the chocolate version. I cook full time for work, there is no way that the cake in the pictures is the one from the recipe.
gabrielle says
Update: I tested again, because I always test 2x, and it came out perfect! I recommend following to the instructions to the T as it makes a huge difference in the final result.
Grit says
What did you do different? I followed the instructions and mines came out dense and more orange too.
Julia says
Made mine today taste nice, but like you say it’s dense
Deb Bernstein says
Can I use gluten free flour?
Brownj says
Followed directions completely, my cake was dry, and tasteless the vinegar smell dominated the vanilla extract.
Jenny McKinsey says
I grated fresh lemon zest in the icing. Used buttermilk and and it is delicious. I’ve made the chocolate version for 40+ years.
Jennifer says
We crushed up Oreos in ours, but your recipe I think says 5tbs oil and the chocolate one I’ve always made has all the same measurements except only 5 tsp oil?
Pilar says
Unfortunately did not rise and taster like corn bread not cake. Do not recommend. Followed all the steps so I don’t know why it didnt work
Shannon Moore says
I just made this, it was super moist so good. I did do something different, I added a package of Kool aid sharleberry fin. It made pink and strawberry flavor with vanilla frosting. Totally delicious!
E says
Can I bake this in a toaster oven?
Shannon Moore says
I did, can out perfect.
John says
No
Denise says
Just made these- and WOW- far exceeded my expectations! They did have almost a sweet cornbread taste- but no complaints!!
Pat says
Sounds Delish!! I need to make an 11 x 15 sheet cake, how many times do you think for at least a 2″ thick cake
Pat B says
I have made the chocolate version many times. That recipe calls for a tablespoon of vinegar instead of a teaspoon. Just want to make sure that I make this a great cake especially since flour is tough to find during this quarantine. Thanks!
Aju says
I tried the cake it’s quite dense not light and fluffy what could I have done wrong ?
Alana says
This cake didn’t turn out great . Very sticky and not like the white cake I wanted . I ended up throwing it out as no one likes it . They all turned their noses up at it .
Kim says
Can I use apple cider vinegar instead of white vinegar?
Wen says
Yes, you can.
Rashmi says
Can I use white wine vinegar instead of white vinegar?
Christiana says
I made this cake because I was craving cake. I ended up not finding a pan the right size, so i made cupcakes instead. they t took about 20 min to bake, and they taste amazing!!!
Denise says
Thank you for posting! I used this to make cupcakes also!
Abigail says
I was trying to find a basic cake batter recipe to make cupcakes to practice piping on.
This recipe is super good, a little different of a texture than I’m used to but delicious none the less!
For cupcakes this makes about 16 cupcakes, filling the tins halfway full!
I baked them for 15-17 minutes and they turned out awesome!
I also decided to be a bit fancy and marbled the cupcakes.
I portioned out some of the batter (maybe if I was eyeballing it, a half a cup?) in a separate bowl and mixed it with some cocoa powder (maybe a tablespoon). Then you dollop some into the filled cupcake tins and “cut” into it with a knife to marble it. It worked amazingly and they looked adorable!
Stephanie says
I’ve always made the chocolate version of this cake, super easy as well, but wanted a vanilla cake to go with some lemon curd I made with the plethora of lemons I have right now. Oh My Goodness, it was so good. I did bake the cake for 5 minutes longer as my toothpick was a little moist when I tested for doneness after 35 minutes. Popped the cake out of the pan after it cooled, split the cake horizontally (even though it wasn’t super tall) to make two layers, spread a copious amount of lemon curd in between the layers, made a super simple butter cream frosting with soft butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, a splash of milk and a spoonful lemon curd, smeared it all over the cake and it was delicious. This cake is moist and flavorful and I think is an amazingly quick, one pan wonder.
Becky says
Great idea and comnent! Think I’ll try thus.
Barbara says
I added a cup of blueberries to the batter. Came out flatter but baked perfectly. Great as a coffee cake. Also used combined brown sugar and half white sugar.
Kathryn says
Made during quarantine, had no milk and since this recipe had so many amazing reviews tried it. Amazing and easy, followed recipe exactly but now I regret only making 1 layer.
Mackenzie says
My cake came out tasting like a rotten egg
Jen says
I just made this cake, it turned out very nice and so was so excited because I’ve been looking for a reliable cake recipe that actually has binding agents but lacks egg. It held together nicely and popped right out of a greased and floured pan, but the flavor was definitely lacking. I added a half tsp of vanilla and used brand new flour and soda, not sure what needs to be done, maybe it’s best with cocoa or as a spice cake cuz it absolutely has mounds of potential, and a binding, even, eggless cake is almost impossible to master so I really appreciate the recipe! I will be twerking this over and over until it becomes the sweet cake I’m looking for. Thank you!
Stephanie says
The recipe called for 1.5 teaspoons of vanilla. It sounds like you may not have added the full amount.
Kris says
Thanks for sharin. I followed the recipe and cooking time but the bottom of the cake turned out very moist. And I have added additional 15mins, and the cake still look and taste sticky. Any thoughts and suggestions?;)
liyah says
what do you mean by “depression”
Abbey says
The great depression
Elaine says
She means small little “bowl like holes”, there is a picture of it at the beginning.