This cake has many name– wacky cake, crazy cake, depression cake or just good old “Chocolate Vinegar Cake”. It is egg-free and has no butter in the recipe. Sometimes, cakes get dry, not this one! It is seriously so moist and doesn’t need much frosting at all, just a light layer on the top!
Wacky cake has a few other names- crazy cake and depression cake. It was called depression cake because it did not call for eggs or dairy which can be expensive parts of a cake mix, and came to be during the depression era.
Ingredients & How to Make Chocolate Vinegar Cake
- Dry Ingredients- flour, soda, salt, cocoa, sugar. These get mixed in the bowl first, and then you take your fingers and add 3 holes to the batter (kids love this). After that you add the wet stuff!
2. Wet ingredients- oil, vinegar, vanilla, cold water. Add the vegetable or canola oil in 1 hole, vanilla in a hole and the last hole is for the vinegar. Then, top with cold water. Hole isn’t big enough to hold all the liquid? No problem it really doesn’t mess anything up! I honestly don’t know why it is like that..)
3. Frosting- chocolate chips, butter, sugar and milk. Frosting is optional- this is a very moist cake.
Crazy Cake Variations
- use a different chocolate frosting recipe if you wish.
- try sifting powdered sugar on the top and doing without frosting- this is how my mom made it!
- try with different oils. If you don’t like canola oil, vegetable oil works great too.
- Looking for a different chocolate cake recipe? Try my girls wacky cake recipe from pioneer woman.
Wacky Cake is a great recipe for young cooks!
My toddler loved putting his fingers in the dry mix to make the holes, plus when we added the vinegar it fizzed a bit due to the soda in the dry mixture. This would really tie into a neat science expirement for your kids. I know my child loves experimenting with vinegar, food coloring and baking soda!
A great example of an activity for baking soda and vinegar is this one – Exploring Colors with baking Soda and Vinegar. However, you can easily make up your own!
This was one of the first recipes I took to the fair in 4-H and is still a favorite today. I can remember the question my judged asked me-why is there no egg in the cake? Answer- the soda and vinegar replace the egg in helping raise the cake.
This cake came out of the depression era when there was not a lot of money for milk or eggs, but the funny thing is that it honestly tastes better than those kind of cakes in my opinion!
find our article about getting kids involved in the kitchen for more inspiration.
Chocolate Vinegar Cake FAQ
store in an air tight container for up to 4 days on counter.
cool the cake, slice, and freeze in freezer safe container for up to 3 months. Take a slice out and thaw on counter when ready to eat or warm quickly in microwave.
No, when I was growing up–my mom would just sift a bit of powdered sugar on the top. However my husband likes frosting on it so that is how we usually enjoy it. It is moist and flavorful enough that it does not require the frosting.
This vinegar cake is made without those ingredients by relying on a chemical reaction between the vinegar and the baking soda for leavening. Instead of butter, the oil provides moisture. Eggs are replaced with the vinegar-baking soda combo. You can learn more about baking with vinegar here.
white vinegar or apple cider vinegar can be used.
You can try a sugar substitute, but the texture may be different. (if you try- let me know how it goes!)
You should be able to swap 1:1 for a gluten-free flour blend.
Yes, divide the batter into muffin tins and bake 350 F for about 18 minutes.
More recipes + Follow Along
Looking for another great dessert recipe?Try my chocolate chip cookie bars-they are super gooey and delicious!
our frosted zucchini brownie recipe is a moist brownie recipe you would love, too’
This healthy chocolate mug cake recipe is very similar to our wacky cake but for 1 serving!
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I hope you love our crazy cake recipe! – Bobbi Jo
Chocolate Vinegar Cake
Equipment
- 1 large bowl
- 1 9x13x2 cake pan
- measuring utensils
- 1 small pot
Ingredients
Cake
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 2 cups white sugar
- 1/2 cup cocoa
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 2/3 cup oil canola, vegetable
- 2 tbsp vinegar
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2 cups cold water
Frosting
- 1 cup white sugar
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1/3 cup chocolate chips
- 4 tbsp milk
Instructions
Cake Instructions
- Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. With fingers, make 3 large holes in the dry ingredients.
- Add vanilla in a hole, oil in another hole, and vinegar in the last hole.
- Cover with 2 cups of cold water. Mix with beater until well combined.
- Grease 9×13 cake pan. Bake at 350 F for 35 minutes or until toothpick comes out of middle clean.
Frosting
- Add butter to pan, melt. Then add remaining ingredients. Mix well and stir continuously. Bring to boil for 45 seconds. Frost on the cooled cake.
Notes
Nutrition
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A favorite in our house. Perfect for birthday parties. I get asked for the recipe all the time!
My favorite cake! This is so moist and easy to make. No need to frost, but I do for birthday cake etc. My go to cake!