Crazy Cake is a super moist and dense chocolate cake recipe. It’s very easy to make with my step-by-step instructions.
This chocolate depression cake is a naturally vegan cake, and contains no eggs, or milk. Pair with your favorite frosting recipe to create an unbelievable cake!
Make into a sheet cake, layered cake, and even cupcakes. An eggless chocolate cake recipe that will become your go-to cake.
This crazy chocolate cake is not like any cake mix out there. The absolutely delicious easiest chocolate cake that you will ever make!!
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Chef Sherry’s Cookbook
Crazy Cake Ingredients
- All Purpose Flour
- Granulated Sugar
- Baking Cocoa Powder
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Vegetable Oil
- Cold Water
- Vanilla Extract
- White Vinegar – Not Apple Cider Vinegar
What Cake Pan to Use?
Decide how you want to bake the crazy cake. This amount of cake batter will be enough for a 9 x 13 baking pan, or two – 8-, 9-, or 10-inch round pans.
The round pans will bake a touch quicker than the standard baking pan size. Do you want a sheet cake or a layered round cake?
Tips For Making a Chocolate Wacky Cake
For the best results, use a stand mixer to mix the cake.
Add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl with the baking soda added on top. Next, pour the white vinegar on top of the baking soda. When done right the two ingredients will create a chemical reaction and bubbles will form. Which is exactly what you want!
Pan Grease!! This is probably one of my most important baking tip. Make and use my pan grease recipe for all of your cakes. It’s easy to make, store it in the refrigerator for whenever you need it, and use a pastry brush to get an even coat on the inside of the pan.
How To Make Crazy Cake
Gather all the ingredients to make the chocolate crazy cake recipe. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
In a KitchenAid stand mixer fitted with a flat paddle, add all the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, salt, cocoa powder, and baking soda) making sure to save the baking soda to place on the very top.
Pour the white vinegar on top of the baking soda to create a chemical reaction so that bubbles will form. Next, add all the rest of the ingredients to the mixing bowl.
With the flat paddle, carefully mix together on the lowest setting. You might have to gently pulse the mixer so none of the cake ingredients fly out of the bowl.
After mixing for about one minute, stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl to help combine all the ingredients together. Continue mixing on the low setting for about 2 minutes until the cake batter is smooth and lump free.
How to Prepare the Cake Pans
Once you decide what size pan that you want to use, spread an even layer of pan grease on the inside of the pan. It’s important to spread a complete even layer on the inside of the pan.
If you don’t want to make your own pan grease, you can use cooking spray with flour, aka bakers cooking spray.
When the pan or pans are completely greased, pour the cake batter into them. If using two round pans, make sure to pour an even layer into each pan.
How to Bake the Crazy Cake
Place the prepared baking pans into the preheated oven. It is best to use a rack in the middle of the oven.
Close the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Check for cake doneness. GENTLY, touch the top of the cake.
The cake will fall if it’s moved to much before it is baked all the way through. If the cake is still jiggly in the middle, bake longer.
If the cake is firm to the touch, use a wooden toothpick to test the center. Insert a clean toothpick into the center and then pull out.
If the toothpick is clean, the cake is done. But, if the toothpick has batter on it, bake the cake a little bit longer.
Baking time will vary for every cake. Use the toothpick method to know exactly when the cake is done.
Once the cake is done, remove from the oven using a hot pad or oven mitts. Let the cake cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes before removing from the pan.
Once the cake is completely cooled, frost the cake with your desired frosting. You can also bake the cake layers and freeze for later use.
Great frosting options would be this whipped cream cheese frosting, chocolate frosting, brown butter German chocolate frosting, peanut butter frosting, or my famous buttercream frosting!
Crazy Cake Cupcakes
Don’t want to bake a cake? Then make chocolate cupcakes! Use cupcake pans with cupcake liners. Fill the cupcake liners no more than 2/3rds full of cake batter.
Place cupcake pans into a preheated 325°F oven for 15 – 20 minutes until cupcakes test done. This recipe will make about 24 standard sized cupcakes.
Decorate with your desired frosting recipe.
How to Store This Wacky Chocolate Cake
A wacky chocolate cake will store very well because of its dense moist texture. After the cake layers have cooled completely, the best way is to wrap them in plastic wrap.
All the air needs to be removed from around the cake. Place a single layer on a baking sheet pan.
Store at room temperature for up to two days. You can place the cake layers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
How to Freeze Crazy Cakes
The chocolate cake recipe also freezes very well. Wrap each cake layer in plastic wrap making sure to remove all the air around the cake.
Do not stack the cakes until they are completely frozen. Stored in the freezer for up to 2 months.
When ready to use the cakes, remove from the freezer and thaw on the counter at room temperature for about 2 hours. You can decorated a frozen cake or after they have thawed.
Chocolate Cake Recipes
If you are looking for ways to decorate a crazy cake recipe, then try one of these. Make my amazing German chocolate frosting to pair with the chocolate cake layers.
Crazy cake and chocolate frosting also make a great combination! Peanut butter frosting drizzled with ganache makes an irresistible peanut butter chocolate cake.
Keep it super simple and just add a dusting of powdered sugar to the top of the cake.
More Cake Recipes
Crazy Cake – FAQ
It’s called crazy cake because it is crazy simple!! Just add all the ingredients together and mix until a smooth batter is created.
This Depression cake was originally called a wacky cake or many other names. The cake contains no milk and no eggs. These were ingredients difficult to find during the Great Depression.
Yes! White vinegar makes a great substitute for eggs when baking this crazy cake and cupcakes. Use 2 teaspoons baking soda and then top with 2 tablespoons white vinegar.
Crazy Cake Recipe
Get the full recipe and nutrition calories as well as nutrition information below!
Crazy Cake Recipe
Crazy Cake is a super moist and dense chocolate cake recipe. It’s very easy to make with my step-by-step instructions. This chocolate depression cake is a naturally vegan cake, and contains no eggs, or milk. Pair with your favorite frosting recipe to create an unbelievable cake!
Ingredients
- Flour, All Purpose 3 cups
- Sugar, Granulated 2 cups
- Cocoa Powder, Baking 1/2 cup
- Salt 1 teaspoon
- Baking Soda 2 teaspoons
- White Vinegar 2 tablespoons
- Vegetable Oil 3/4 cup
- Cold Water 2 cups
- Vanilla Extract 2 teaspoons
Instructions
How To Make a Crazy Cake
- Gather all the chocolate cake ingredients to make the cake recipe.
- Preheat the kitchen oven to 325°F.
- In a stand KitchenAid mixer fitted with a flat paddle, add all the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, salt, cocoa powder, and baking soda) making sure to save the baking soda to place on the very top.
- Next, pour the white vinegar on top of the baking soda to create a chemical reaction so that bubbles will form.
- Add all the rest of the ingredients to the mixing bowl. With the flat paddle, beat together on the lowest setting. You might have to gently pulse the stand mixer so none of the cake ingredients fly out of the bowl.
- After mixing for about one minute, stop the stand mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl to help combine all the cake batter ingredients together.
- Continue beating on the low setting for about 2 minutes until the cake batter is smooth and lump free.
Prepare the Cake Pans
- Learning how to grease a pan can make or break the perfect cake recipe. Once you decide what size cake pan that you want to use, spread an even layer of pan grease on the inside of the pan. It’s very important to spread a complete even layer on the inside of the pan.
- If you don’t want to make your own homemade pan grease, you can use cooking spray with flour, aka bakers cooking spray.
- When the pans are completely greased, pour the cake batter into them. If using two pans, make sure to pour an even layer of cake batter into each pan.
How to Bake the Crazy Cake Recipe
- Place the prepared cake pans into the preheated oven. Use a rack in the middle of the oven.
- Close the oven door and bake for 30 minutes. Check for cake doneness by GENTLY, touching the top of the cake. The chocolate cake will fall if it’s moved to much before it is baked all the way through. If the crazy cake is still jiggly in the middle, bake a little longer.
- If the cake recipe is firm to the touch, use a wooden toothpick to test the center each cake. Insert a clean toothpick into the cake center and then pull out. If the toothpick is clean, the chocolate cake is done. But, if the toothpick has batter on it, bake the crazy cake a little bit longer.
- Baking times will vary for every cake. Use the toothpick method to know exactly when the wacky cake is done.
- Once the crazy cake is done, remove from the oven using a hot pad or oven mitts.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for at about 10 minutes before removing from the pan. When the crazy cake recipe is completely cooled, frost the cake with your desired frosting. See the post for several frosting options. You can also bake the chocolate cake layers and freeze for later use.
Notes
Tips For Making a Crazy Chocolate Cake
- For best results, use a stand mixer to mix the cake.
- Add the dry ingredients to the stand mixing bowl with the baking soda added on top. Pour the white vinegar on top of the baking soda. When done right, the baking soda and vinegar will create a chemical reaction and bubbles will form. Which is exactly what you want to see!
- Pan Grease!! Use it!! This is one of my most important baking tip. Make and use the homemade pan grease recipe for all of your cakes. It’s easy to make, use, and stores in the refrigerator for whenever you need it. Use a good pastry brush to get an even coat on the inside of the pan.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This page contains affiliate links. Click on the highlighted text in a post to explore a product. If you purchase through one of them, I will receive a commission (at no additional cost to you). I ONLY EVER ENDORSE PRODUCTS THAT I TRULY LOVE. Thank you for your support!
Nutrition Information
Yield
24Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 184Total Fat 7gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 6gCholesterol 0mgSodium 194mgCarbohydrates 29gFiber 0gSugar 17gProtein 2g
Note: For exact nutritional information, consult your dietitian. All nutritional information is simply a guideline.
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All of your recipes are wonderful!
Do you have the recipe your mom used for rice pudding?