This Old Fashioned Crazy Cake recipe, sometimes called a Wacky Cake or a Depression Cake, can be found in most old-timey cookbooks. It was developed during the Great Depression when milk, butter and eggs were scarce. And it's still darned good!
Crazy delicious Old Fashioned Crazy Cake (Depression Cake).
Old Fashioned Crazy Cake is gluten free, dairy free, egg free and surprisingly good.
This delightful Crazy Cake can me made without milk, butter or eggs. With the current pandemic, these ingredients are sometimes unavailable now. I've seen similar recipes on multiple sites, but this one is inspired by James Beard's recipe. Some include milk; some do not. The cocoa makes this cake richly chocolate and the coffee makes it a bit deeper in flavor. It is not overly sweet and is scrumptious with or without frosting. The texture is a bit more dense than typical cakes, but you would never guess it's gluten free.
What You Need
You need measuring cups and spoons a wire whisk and a small cake pan. I used a single round cake pan and it worked perfectly. Some recipes say to mix it right in the pan, but I used a mixing bowl and then poured it into the greased cake pan.
Old Fashioned Crazy Cake Recipe (Gluten Free / Dairy Free)
Author: Recipe Idea Shop
Ingredients
- 1½ cups gluten free flour
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder or special dark cocoa
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 cup cooled brewed coffee
Instructions
- Grease an 8-inch cake pan. Set aside.
- Heat oven to 375F degrees.
- In a medium bowl, mix the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Poke three holes into the mix. Pour the vanilla in one hole, vinegar in the second hole, and oil into the last hole.
- Pour the coffee into the bowl and whisk or stir the ingredients until well blended.
- Pour the batter into the cake pan.
- Bake at 350F degrees for about 30 minutes, or until the top is set but still springy. A toothpick inserted into the cake should come out clean when the cake is done.
- Let the cake cool.
- Now you have a choice. Sprinkle with a little powdered sugar, frost with homemade frosting, top with whipped cream, or serve with ice cream.
Crazy Cake AKA Wacky Cake AKA Depression Cake. Whatever you call it, it's GOOD.
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Kathy acquired the blog, Recipe Idea Shop in 2024. She was raised on a farm in Arkansas where having a big garden and good food to eat was the norm. She shares recipes for homemade comfort food and new trending dishes.
Kathy began her blogging journey in 2011 when she founded PetticoatJunktion.com, a home décor blog focused on repurposing and upcycling furniture, and thrift store finds.