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!
Vanilla Crazy Cake
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Category: dessert
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Pin RecipeDescription
This vanilla crazy cake has no milk or eggs! Perfect for people with food allergies, delicious for everyone! Enjoy!
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!
Want to check out our Chocolate Crazy Cake recipe? Click on the image below!
I just made this cake and it’s delicious!!So easy to make.Im having some with tea.
★★★★★
I used 1tsp of lime juice and 4tbsp of baking powder to replace the vinegar and baking soda because I was out
Can you use canola oil instead of vegetable oil don’t have vegetable oil in and want to try this tonight thanks as my daughter has a high intolerance to eggs
A great recipe. Always turns out. I mix it in a bowl first and then put in a pan. I like to use coconut and/or almond milk in place of the water to make it more moist. Easily adaptable. Add flaked coconut and coconut extract, coconut oil and milk for coconut cake. Add tablespoon pumpkin pie spice for spice cake. My son, who has dairy and egg allergies, loves this cake!
★★★★★
I’m testing cupcakes for my daughter’s bday party and saw comments about texture. I made vanilla and chocolate and noticed the difference is chocolate has 3Tbl of cocoa powder and the batter is thicker. So a little extra flour in the vanilla I recipe makes them more similar. Overall yummy and easy.
This vanilla crazy cake is much much better on day 2. I almost threw it out after having a slice the day it was baked. Glad I tried it again the next day. The chocolate cake is great on day 1.
Will this be a good base for a white forest cake
Is there a reason why this is mixed in the pan, or can I mix it in a bowl and pour it in. Thanks!
this is a horrible recipe it made me sick.
I made it for a friend, and she loved it!!
Love this ‘GoTo’ cake as my Grandma used to call it. I love adding a can of Mandarin oranges.musing the juice mostly instead of water.. Mmm with a nice buttercream icing it was an all time fave at our place when kids were growing up. Oh, as well I use only half cup raw cane sugar or fresh honey when available too.
★★★★
Zero stars!
Really came out awful.
Would no try this and waste ingredients. I threw it away.
★
This recipe is a big lie. There is no way the final pictures on this post are the actual product made. mine looks like unbaked blonde fudge and it’s gross.
If I could attach a photo I would. Do not waste your time or ingredients on this.
Mandee, not sure what went wrong with yours, but I make this all the time and it works perfectly and bakes up just like the picture. Sorry it didn’t turn out for you.
I don’t understand what went wrong for you either. I’ve used this recipe over the last 45+ yrs on MANY an occasion with complete success..even when I do my own substitutions. Strange hey..I’ve been eating it for the better part of 55 yrs too..my 3 yr old grand daughter makes this with me all the time..
Only problem I had was if she mixed it too much it went way over the top of the pan when baking..had to have cookie sheet under it..lol. What a mess the first time.
★★★★
Not a good taste. Tasted like cornbread…
★★
I need to substitute a few ingredients. Including possibly using applesauce for the sugar. (Making the cake for the dog’s birthday!) What’s the reason for the depressions? And where would the applesauce come into play?
Thanks!
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★★★★★
Hi! How many layers does this make? I need two round layers for the cake and need to know how much this recipe makes.
Thanks!
This makes one 9in round cake or one 8in squrare cake. For double layer or a 13″x9″ pan, simple double the recipe. It states in the blog it’s for 1 round cake.
I can’t wait to try this recipe! Do you have a recipe for scratch icing to go with?
Just read your profile description and I am like we need to be friends! You sound like someone I could totally get along with! Anyway, about the cake…I have made this a couple times before following the recipe and it’s amazing. No one even notices how allergen friendly it is 🙂 My question is- I don’t have any white vinegar in my cupboard. I have apple cider vinegar, though. Am I about to waste a bunch of ingredients by trying to use apple cider vinegar instead?
ah, I just read the comments and answered my own question!
Yummy! I did the vanilla as pineapple upside down cake – vegan, and
used the juice as part of the water. Delish!
May i know what is curd ?
It’s kind of like a spready lemon pie filling. Made almost the same but without cornstarch.
Hi there can i mix all the dry ingredients together and all the wet and then add to dry and mix? or does this have to be done your method?
I love the consistency of this cake!! It’s kind of like a muffin, and the perfect amount of sweetness. It reminds me of Twinkies…especially since I had whipped cream as the topping (: Very easy, and I had fun making it too. Can’r wait to make chocolate crazy cake!
Chocolate crazy cake is the best chocolate cake ever! With the mixed reviews, I’m trying to decide if I want to try the white.
I don’t have white vinegar but I do have Apple cider vinegar that should work right?
I used half cup white sugar and half cup brown sugar. no vinegar. the brown sugar works as acid against the salty taste of the baking soda.
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.
Hi, is it 350 degrees F or Celsius?
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 .
My cake didn’t rise.. so I made another. Just read the comments now and a few are saying the recipe has 2 typos. Dissapointing 🙁 Any chance it could be fixed so no one else ruins their cake?
**I can’t edit my comment, but would like to add that even though my cake was flat it was quite tasty! Ruined not so much.. the second cake will be the second layer.
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!