Today’s post is by my niece. She made this cake with my kids last time we visited them. It is a really fun and frugal recipe. I hope you enjoy.
My name is Hailey, and I am Lynn’s thirteen-year-old niece. My mother loves cooking and receives the “Cook’s Country” magazines. I enjoy reading the “When Things Go Wrong in the Kitchen” section (because it is so unbelievably absurd) and the “Lost Recipes” feature (which discusses old recipes that many people do not know about today).
Wacky cake was featured in the February/March 2006 issue. Wacky cake, true to its name, is an unusual cake. It was made during WWII, when food (like eggs and milk) were rationed. Although this cake lacks both eggs and milk, it is delicious and moist.
Wacky Cake
Wacky cake is an easy and delicious old fashioned dessert.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
- 3/4 c sugar
- 1/4 c natural cocoa powder
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 5 Tb vegetable oil
- 1 Tb distilled white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 c water
- confectioner's sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Coat an 8-inch-square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Whisk flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt together in pan.
- Make 1 large and 2 small craters with a spoon.
- Add oil to large crater and vinegar and vanilla separately to remaining small craters.
- Pour water into pan, and mix until just a few streaks of flour remain.
- Immediately put pan in oven.
- Bake until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 30 minutes.
- Cool in pan, then dust with confectioners' sugar (If tightly wrapped, cake will keep for 3 days at room temperature.)
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
9Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 270Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 236mgCarbohydrates: 47gFiber: 1gSugar: 30gProtein: 3g
Nutritional values are approximate and aren't always accurate.
Enjoy!
Hailey
How neat is that?! I bet my son and daughter would love trying this.
I used to make this all the time! So fun and easy
thank you for sharing! i have never heard of that before!
Great to see a young lady interested in baking! I made this cake when I was your age. I still enjoy it. When I got older, I thought I knew better than the directions and used a mixer to get the lumps out. Mistake! The cake rises much better with a quick stir and entrance into the oven. Keep up the baking skills!
Hailey, you did a great job, for your Aunt. I am very glad to have this fun recipe. Thanks for sharing it at Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, this week. Looks like another blogger in the making!
Cool recipe I have been on the hunt for an eggless cake recipe, so I will have to try this!
Don't you mix the dry & wet together?
Barbaralee, you just mix it all together in the pan.
Looks delicious! Thanks for sharing!
Good job Hailey ! I always wondered how my Nana made cakes during WWII rationing… thanks for this recipe and the step by step instructions !
This is my FAVORItE cake! I didn’t know anyone outside my family knew about it. I learned it from my mom, she learned from her mom, she learned from hers…
.-= kp´s last blog ..Why is sleep necessary? =-.
My boys are going to love this!
Thanks,
Mary
I use this Gluten Free recipe. It’s as good as the full gluten one! Maybe even better with the chocolate frosting! 😉
https://www.artofglutenfreebaking.com/2011/02/crazy-cake-and-welcoming-all-to-the-table-gluten-free/
Thanks!
Been making this since I was a little kid! I always mix mine in the bowl, though, and there are a couple variations to the recipe my grandma passed down.
Making this now with my son! How much vanilla is to be added? I am going to guess 1 tsp? It isn’t listed in the ingredients list. Thanks for sharing!
Yes, 1 teaspoon. I just fixed that on the post. I hope you enjoy the cake!
This was a great after dinner treat! It isn’t overly sweet and rich, which we prefer. With a little bit of cream frosting I think this would closely resemble a hostess cake!
I am so glad you enjoyed it!
What is a crater? Thank you so much! 😁
You make an indention, well type area in the dry ingredients like in the picture for the ingredients to go in. I hope that helps.