Crazy Cake

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This chocolate cake recipe doesn’t use any milk, eggs, or butter. It only uses pantry ingredients. Chocolate crazy cake sweet, delicious, and easy to make! 

Today we’re once again bringing you an easy, pantry staples dessert recipe. This chocolate cake is termed “crazy” because of its ingredients and the way it is mixed. It’s also been termed “wacky cake” or “funny cake”.

It’s an old fashioned classic recipe that is a MUST for your recipe box. It’s light, it is fluffy and full of chocolate flavor. Plus, it makes just a small 8×8 cake…perfect for snacking! We have a spiced crazy cake for you to love, too!

slice of chocolate crazy cake with a fork in it

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Reader Linda says, “This was, and IS one of my favs! Especially with brown sugar choc frosting. And don’t worry about freezing the leftovers….there won’t be any! In fact, you may want to hide a piece (for later!) And sometimes, there is no time to make frosting, but love it with vanilla ice cream!!!”

What is crazy cake?

Chocolate crazy cake is an easy homemade cake recipe that became a popular depression era acke. It has no eggs, no milk and no butter. And to make it even simpler, you mix the cake ingredients right in the baking pan. That’s right…no extra dishes!

The original depression cake doesn’t include chocolate chips, but I thought it was a nice addition and something that people normally have in their pantries. This chocolate cake still tastes amazing without the added chocolate. But really….who ever complained about too much chocolate?

In today’s world, it’s a go-to cake recipe when stores are running out of eggs left and right, (or we just can’t make it to the grocery store in time). It’s also one of the best birthday cake recipes I’ve found for kids with egg or dairy allergies.

piece of chocolate cake with chocolate frosting on a plate

Chocolate Crazy Cake Ingredients

This cake has no milk, eggs or butter. So as kitchen supplies and baking ingredients run low, this cake recipe is for you!

ingredients for crazy cake on a table

You’ll need an 8×8 baking dish plus the following pantry items:

  • Flour. All purpose is fine.
  • Sugar. Only white sugar.
  • Unsweetened cocoa powder. I used dutch processed cocoa powder, but you can use the regular cocoa powder and it will work just as well for this recipe. If you want an extra dark cake, use a small amount of black cocoa powder along with the regular cocoa powder. (This is what I used in the video below, so you can see both colors in the cocoa powder cup.)
  • Salt.
  • Baking soda.
  • Mini chocolate chips. I prefer using the mini chocolate chips because they are less likely to sink to the bottom during the baking process. If you don’t have mini chocolate chips available, you can chop up semi-sweet chocolate chips (use a food processor) or leave them out completely.
  • Vanilla extract.
  • White vinegar. Vinegar is a fairly common ingredient in baking because it helps create a chemical reaction with the other ingredients. In this case, the vinegar reacts with the baking soda creating the lift needed for a light and airy cake. The distilled vinegar works like a charm!
  • Vegetable oil. Or try melted coconut oil. Yum!
  • Water.

How to Make Crazy Cake

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Place flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, and chocolate chips into an ungreased 8×8 inch pan. (In the video, I fold in the chocolate chips after the batter is mostly mixed. You can mix the cake either way you’d like, just don’t overmix.)
ingredients for mixing a crazy cake
  • Stir all the dry ingredients together and make a well in the center of the pan.
  • Pour vanilla, vinegar, vegetable oil, and water into well and whisk together until just combined. Do not overmix. It’s okay to have some lumps.
  • Place in oven and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  • Cool cake completely.

Can you use coffee instead of water?

Yes! We love coffee in chocolate cake. You can’t taste the coffee, but it really enhances the chocolate flavor. You can use a strong coffee in this cake, but feel free to use water, too. So crazy cake with coffee is a big yes.

chocolate cake on a plate with chocolate frosting

Frosting for Crazy Cake

There are many different options for topping this chocolate crazy cake. Here are some of our favorite ideas:

How long can I store my cake?

Your crazy chocolate cake can be stored at room temperature for up to 5-7 days in an airtight container. If your frosting contains butter, you may want to consider placing it in the refrigerator, but it’s not entirely necessary.

Can you freeze this cake? Yes! This cake also freezes well. You can freeze your crazy cake for up to 3 months in the freezer for best quality.

Chocolate Crazy Cake on a plate
Chocolate Crazy Cake on a plate

Crazy Cake Recipe

4.89 from 17 votes
This chocolate cake recipe doesn't use any milk, eggs, or butter. It only uses pantry ingredients. Chocolate crazy cake sweet, delicious, and easy to make! 
Servings 9
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes

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Ingredients
 

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Place flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, and chocolate chips into an ungreased 8×8 inch pan. (In the video, I fold in the chocolate chips after the batter is mostly mixed. You can mix the cake either way you'd like, just don't overmix.) 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour 1 cup granulated sugar ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder ½ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 cup mini chocolate chips
  • Stir all the dry ingredients together and make a well in the center of the pan.
  • Pour in the wet ingredints: the vanilla, vinegar, vegetable oil, and water into well and whisk together until just combined. Do not overmix. It’s okay to have some lumps. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar ⅓ cup vegetable oil 1 cup water
  • Place in oven and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  • Cool cake completely.
  • Frost with your favorite frosting or dust with powdered sugar. 1 ½ cups chocolate frosting
  • Cut into squares and serve. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

The calories shown are based on the cake being cut into 9 pieces, with 1 serving being 1 slice of frosted cake. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information.**

Nutrition

Calories: 490kcal | Carbohydrates: 78g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 336mg | Potassium: 145mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 57g | Vitamin A: 45IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 2mg
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Calories 490
Keyword bake sale, pantry, picnic
About JulieJulie Clark

About Julie Clark

I'm Julie Clark, CEO and recipe developer of Tastes of Lizzy T. With my B.A. in Education and over 30 years of cooking and baking, I want to teach YOU the best of our family recipes.

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MADELINE l NEWTON
3 years ago

sounds great …fast and easy ..kids will love ..we had one where we poked holes in it …don’t remember much other than the kids loved the poking the wholes in it ..but sounds a lot like it but no vinegar …can’t wait to try i think it will be great …thank you for a great easy recipe…

Gramma Linda
3 years ago

5 stars
This was, and IS one of my favs! Especially with brown sugar choc frosting. And don’t worry about freezing the leftovers….there won’t be any! In fact, you may want to hide a piece (for later!) And sometimes, there is no time to make frosting, but love it with vanilla ice cream!!!

Ann Baird
3 years ago

For the icing, I would like a recipe where the icing gets somewhat firm, not gooey. Which of the recipes listed (or other) would you recommend?

Sandra Sears
3 years ago

Can you use sugar substitute?

Pam
3 years ago

Can I use gluten free flour?

Cyndy
3 years ago

This is not a crazy cake. It has been around since the depression. When their were rationing food. My family has been making this cake for close to 50 years.