Vanilla Crazy Cake You Can Make With No Eggs, Milk, Or Butter
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!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ Cups All-purpose flour
- 1 Cup Sugar
- 1 tsp Baking soda
- ½ tsp Salt
- 1 tsp White vinegar
- 5 tbsp Vegetable oil
- 1 Cup Water
- 1 ½ 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!
Thank you for the recipe. My grandaughter has allergies. We used this basic recipe and made several different flavored cakes…they all came out delicious.
@E Ser, my pleasure
Does this make 1 or 2. 8 inch cake rounds
@Robin R Howerton, It makes 1 I’m guessing, but should tell us that in the beginning!
@Adele, It does state an 8 inch square pan in the beginning. You can use a round pan but you may want to mix it up before you pour into the pan so it would be easier to mix.
Terrible recipe!! and my measurements were correct
Can I sub the vegetable oil with anything?
@K.G, butter
@K.G, Melted pure coconut oil is a great substitute for vegetable. Doesn’t take like coconut.
Can you use GF flour in this recipe?
I found that the vanilla crazy cake tasted much much better on the second day.
Since it was not obvious to viewers on this site . . . . . . . vinegar should *NEVER* be added to your cakes ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ?
Vinegar will leave an ” acidy ” taste to your cakes or ANY food you are baking. ??
@Suga Mama,
I added the vinegar to mine and tastes sweet even though i only added 3/4 of sugar. Not sure if it cooked the acidity but i don’t taste it at all
@Suga Mama, Vinegar is an acid that reacts with Baking Soda and creates a leaven to help the cake to rise. These two ingredients are often used together in many recipes.
@Suga Mama, Teresa is correct. You need that chemical reaction to make the cake rise. Without it your cakes will be flat. For a less acid taste use apple cider vinegar. It has a sweetness to it and doesn’t effect the cakes like white vinegar does. Happy Baking!
@Suga Mama, this is not true. I use vinegar in my red velvet cake and just made this cake and you CAN NOT taste the vinegar!!!!
@Suga Mama,
Have not made this cake but have made the chocolate (WW2) cake with vinegar many times and it is always delicious!
Made this twice, nice recipe less sugar and oil than other recipes I worked with. Thank you
@Mary, I’ve often only used a half cup of sugar. Especially when I make it with fruit.
Are you able to use this for cupcakes?
It was very good but dense not like the picture
@Linda,
Mine was very dense!! Couldn’t eat it at all!! Had to throw away the whole thing!!?
I have made this cake for years now. Any flavoring you want can be used. If you like the taste of boxed cake add 1 tsp vanilla and 1/2 tsp almond extract. Perfect every time. I frost with fluffy cream cheese frosting. This is better than boxed any day.
Can I use a box mix?
The batter was really runny and lumpy
Can I substitute Sugarfree applesauce instead of oil?
@Karen, I make these cakes often and always do
Can I substitute almond flour for the all-purpose flour?
Hi…Standard baking practices…yes..just as any “box” cake divide and cut in time. Try 18 To 20 minutes ?always start with a lower time….(use toothpick test) and work your way up by increments of 5.. good Luck..u got this…❤
Is this cake ok for dairy free as my friend is allergic to lots of things and can I mix it in a bowl then pour into tin
No Eggs…No Milk. No Butter…..
@?, yeah you end up with a book case
Loved this recipe! So easy and delicious. My niece and nephew are not able to have egg or milk so this was perfect and I was amazed at how well it turned out. I topped it with a homemade pineapple/strawberry jam.
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Can this made gluten free?
Can I use melted butter instead of oil. Thanks in advance.
I make this cake for Rocco. Rocco has egg, milk allergies and he Always tells me, “Sitto I love your cake! It’s my favorite!” Rocco loves the Vanilla and the Snickerdoodle!
Mary sounds like me, lol. Gotta have my coffee. I made this cake into chocolate cake by adding 3Tbsp. Of cocoa powder. I made my variation of a milk chocolate frosting for it and it is a huge hit. Thank you. Soft, fluffy and moist. I did cut the baking time down to 25 minutes due to my oven being electric. Place, Love, Happiness, and Great Health to all.
I made the cake because my son is allergic to eggs. This recipe seemed simple. I read the reviews so I was aware that some people had a great cake, others not so much. Well I was one that didn’t care for it. It smelled while baking of corn bread. When it came out I let it cool and it tasted some what like corn bread. It was very plain. In search of eggless, moist, and not dense cake.
Can I make this and divide into 2 6-inch round cake pans? Any changes in measurements and cook times ?
Loveeeeeeee this cake is amazing