Vanilla Wacky Cake - Also known as Depression Cake or Crazy Cake, this vanilla cake comes together quickly without the need for eggs, butter or milk!
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Call it what you want - Depression cake, war cake, crazy cake or wacky cake - all four refer to the same thing - a cake that's made without eggs, butter or milk. The cake, instead, uses common, non-perishable ingredients most of us already have right in our pantries.
Your family will never miss the lack of eggs, butter or milk. The cake turns out moist with a delicious vanilla flavor.
The frosting and, of course, the sprinkles that I added to the recipe are completely optional. So, for some of you who may remember the true Depression cake, you may think this adaptation looks a little too dressed up.😉 Let's just say I've put a bit of a 21st century spin on it.
I'll share some ideas in the post on alternative ways to dress the cake up a bit if you don't want to prepare your own frosting.
WHERE DID WACKY CAKE GET ITS NAME?
Depression cake or wacky cake came about during World War I when ingredients weren't easy to find and purchase. The cake was actually considered quite a treat during those times.
Wacky cake has recently made a comeback due to the Coronavirus pandemic. There's been a bit of panic buying around the U.S., and grocery stores have had trouble keeping some of our staples in stock. Many Americans have been revisiting recipes made during the Great Depression, preparing them for their families today as we abide by our stay-at-home orders.
So, now that you know what wacky cake is, let's make one. Grab a 7" cake pan and let's get baking!
HOW TO MAKE VANILLA WACKY CAKE
To make vanilla wacky cake, you'll need:
- Flour
- Sugar
- Salt
- Baking soda
- Vinegar
- Vanilla
- Vegetable oil
- Water
- Sprinkles
Start by whisking together the flour, sugar, salt and baking soda right in your greased, round 7-inch pan.
In the flour mixture, make two smaller holes and one bigger hole. Put the vanilla in in one of the small holes and the vinegar in the other.
Then, pour the vegetable oil in the larger hole.
Evenly pour the water over the top of the cake.
Whisk all of the ingredients together until they are well-combined and smooth.
Bake the cake for 40 minutes at 350º Fahrenheit. You'll know the cake is done when it's golden and when a toothpick comes out clean.
Allow the cake to cool while you repeat the recipe and process for the second cake. Once both cakes are cooled, place one of the cakes on a plate and frost the top of the cake.
Then place the second cake on top of the first frosted cake.
Frost the sides and top of the two-layer cake. I find that frosting the cake over a sheet pan lined with parchment paper, allows you to easily capture and reuse the sprinkles that fall off the cake.
When the cake is frosted, it's ready to eat!
WHAT ELSE COULD I USE IN BETWEEN THE CAKE LAYERS?
If you don't want to whip up your own homemade frosting between the cake layers, just go ahead and slather on some store-bought frosting, whipped topping or just make one layer of cake and sprinkle some powdered sugar on top!
I sometimes decorate the frosting in the middle of the individual cake pieces with a few more sprinkles, too!
WHY IS VINEGAR USED IN THIS CAKE?
The vinegar reacts with the baking soda to help the cake rise.
CAN I USE A 9 X 13 BAKING PAN FOR THIS CAKE?
If you want to make this cake in a 9 x 13 inch baking pan, just double the recipe.
HOW CAN I ADAPT THIS RECIPE TO MAKE A CHOCOLATE CAKE?
If you'd rather make a chocolate than vanilla cake, just add 3 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder to the dry ingredients and increase the sugar to 1 ¼ cups to balance the flavors. Everything else stays the same.
For an even richer chocolate taste, you can also substitute hot coffee for the water. This enhances the chocolate flavor without making the cake taste like coffee.
READY FOR MORE BAKING FUN?
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- Ice Cream Bread
- Easy Dinner Rolls
- Easy Coffee Cake
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Vanilla Wacky Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1 ½ cups flour
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup water
- Sprinkles
For the Frosting
- 1 cup butter (softened)
- Pinch of salt
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat oven to 350º Fahrenheit.
- In flour mixture, make two smaller holes and one bigger hole.
- Put vanilla in in one of the small holes and the vinegar in the other.
- Pour the vegetable oil in the larger hole.
- Evenly pour water over top.
- Whisk all ingredients together until they are smooth.
- Bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow cake to cool for 20 minutes before flipping it out.
- Repeat process to make the second layer.
- Place one of the cakes on a plate and frost the top.
- Put the other cake on top of the frosting.
- Frost the sides and top of the two-layer cake.
- Use your hands to press the sprinkles into the sides of the cake and sprinkle some over the top.
For the Frosting
- Beat butter and salt together for 2 minutes or until fluffy.
- Add powdered sugar 2 cups at a time, mixing in between.
- Add vanilla and beat well.
- Add heavy whipping creamy and mix until frosting is uniform.
DB
Does the vinegar affect the taste? I ask because my grandma's chocolate version uses 1 TBLSP of vinegar, and this recipe uses only 1 tsp. I made both of them side by side, in identical 6 1/2" bundt pans, and the chocolate version rose noticeably higher than your vanilla recipe. Wondering if you've ever tried it with more vinegar.
Sara
I've always used about a teaspoon but I do know that many recipes for Wacky Cake use a tablespoon of vinegar. If it works better for you to use a tablespoon, I say, go for it! Happy Baking!
Erin
So do these measurements only make 1 layer of the cake or is it 2 7 in layers?
Sara
It's 2 7-inch layers!
Andrea
I've made a couple of wacky cakes now and they all have a bitter baking soda aftertaste. It's not strong (as I said, it's how I remember cakes tasting when I was a kid), and I don't mind it , and other adults don't complain, but my kid doesn't like it. Is there a way to cut that bitterness a little bit?
Confession: I didn't make the icing, since I didn't want to increase the sugar consumption too much, and I suppose the icing itself or an acidic flavour like lemon might do the trick, but I was hoping for a way that didn't involve adding more sweetness.
If you do have the solution for this, I think you could make a whole post out of it. I can't find a usable solution anywhere on the internet.
Having said all that: this cake tastes exactly like the homemade cakes I remember from when I was a kid... which is why, although I enjoy it now, I remember why I preferred store cakes. Just like my kid. Ha ha!
Sara
Hi Andrea, adding a little cream of tartar, sour cream or lemon juice can often balance out any bitterness you're tasting. Would love to hear if you try the cake again and add any of the above and if it makes a difference!
Paula Daniels
Could I use 2. 6 inch pans
Sara
Yes, you can use two 6-inch pans for this recipe. The batter will divide nicely, but you may need to slightly reduce the baking time—start checking for doneness around 30-35 minutes.
Kathryn
Try sifting your baking soda
Mahie Bakery House
Baked this cake for my Mom and it was an absolute hit! So moist and tasty. Thank you so much for sharing the recipe.
AMIT
wow, Great Recipe! I love vanilla cake. Thanks for sharing the Recipe.
Rahul
very nice pictures and products
Erin G
Hi there,
How do you scoop or measure out your flour?
Thanks,
Erin
Sara
I just use a regular measuring cup.
AB
Since I am doing some serious calorie counting, I weigh everything, as I have found that measuring cups are not all that standard, whereas metric weights in grams or milliliters are more consistent.
Using my stainless steel measuring cups, and SIFTED all-purpose flour, I first measured out the 1 1/2 cups called for in the recipe, then weighed it on my very trusty kitchen scale. It came out to 177 grams.
Floweraura
Amdst of pinata cakes and pull me up we forgot this masterpiece thanks for bringing this memory of oldest cake back we love this recipe keep up the good work!
Ronak Mehta
Thank you for sharing this delightfully easy, mouthwateringly delicious recipe. Have baked this cake several times since I first tried it a few weeks back and it’s been a huge success each time!
Sara
Thanks so much for your nice comment! I love easy and delicious recipes and this is definitely one of them! So glad you're enjoying it!
Kristen
Cant wait to make this for my daughters first birthday! Could you bake this in a 6” round? Also would these cake layers freeze well?
Sara
I would think you could bake the cake in 6" rounds and yes, the layers should also freeze well!
Tanya
Very good!!
Anonymous
The cake turned out really well! I would definitely recommend this recipe.
Sara
So glad you enjoyed it!