Wacky Cake – not just a crazy recipe. Also known as Depression cake, Crazy Cake, Joe Cake and WWII cake and has been around since rationing occurred during WWII. As a young girl, I remember my mother making this cake and telling me the story of how and why this cake came to be, at least in her family. It was not only a favorite but also a clever cake during austere times. Among her other WWII stories, this cake became a delicious childhood memory.
Shortages come and go, and this Wacky Cake is a great recipe to have on hand. This cake is not overly sweet, dense and a very moist cake that can be made from normal kitchen items that you likely just have on hand. And the best secret, its made without eggs, butter or milk! Wacky Cake – not just a crazy recipe! Let’s make this simple and delicious cake.
Following my routine description process, here’s the ingredients
- All purpose flour
- Cocoa Powder
- Sugar
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Water
- Oil
- Vanilla
- Red Vinegar
Assemble the dry ingredients
In a large bowl, measure the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda and salt. Whisk the ingredients together and set aside.
Dry mix 
Baking Soda, Cocoa and Salt
Prepare the liquids
Measure the water, oil, vanilla and vinegar. The vinegar combined with the soda make the leavening in this cake. The use of the red vinegar helps to enhance the dark color of the cake once baked. You can use white vinegar if that’s what you have – there is no change in the flavor of the cake.
Put the Batter Together
So as simple as it sounds, pour all the liquids into the dry ingredients and mix well. I like to use a whisk and spatula. The batter will look like a milk chocolate cake but it will turn very dark when baked.
Adding vinegar 
Final batter
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare the pan. I like to use a bundt pan, so I spray the pan and then dust with cocoa powder. My mom used to always use a 9 x 13 pan. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and into the oven!
Prepared pan 
Batter ready for the oven
Bake for 45 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. This cake bakes close to this time and springs back to touch when done. This recipe creates a nice rounded cake with that desired crack in the top! Though this looks like a milk chocolate cake, the actual cake is very dark chocolate in color (as you can see in the prepared pictures).
Here’s how to enjoy it
This cake is very versatile. Its not only easy and quick to put together, it gives you lots of ways to serve. I like to dust the cake with powdered sugar, slice and serve with whipped cream and fresh fruit. For the bundt cake, you can put a nice vanilla glaze. Take 1 cup powdered sugar and 2-3 tablespoons of milk, one teaspoon of vanilla. Mix together and drizzle over the cake.
If you bake this in a 9 x 13 like my mother would do, you can put a chocolate buttercream frosting on it. The contrast of a milk chocolate buttercream against this dark cake is amazing.
But if nothing else, this cake is delicious just plain. The stories and vintage history make this a special cake. Enjoy!
Wacky Cake
Ingredients
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 4 Tbsp cocoa
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 cups water
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2 Tbsp red vinegar Can use white vinegar but the red vinegar gives the cake a deeper chocolate color. Does not affect the flavor.
- 1 tsp salt
- ¾ cup corn or canola oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare bundt pan or 9×13 pan. Spray with cooking spray and dust with cocoa powder.
- Mix the dry ingredients in bowl.
- Pour in liquid ingredients. Mix well.
- Pour into prepared pan.
- Bake for 45 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool on a rack for 20 minutes. If using bundt pan, remove from pan and allow to finish cooling on rack.
58 Comments
Linda Egeler
I’m all about chocolate cake! Adding red vinegar is an interesting twist: recipe printed.
Beth
Hi Linda – Well you really can’t taste the vinegar and it adds to a very moist cake. Thanks for printing the recipe – let me know how it turns out. I am going to make the 9×13 version here soon and put some milk chocolate frosting on it! Enjoy and thanks for the comment.
Alyssa
This looks delish! I’ve never heard of this cake before thank you for sharing!
Beth
Hi Alyssa – Yes and old recipe as the story tells. Hope you have a chance to enjoy. Glad that you enjoyed the post and thanks for your comment.
Barbara
Yummmmmmmmm! I love moist cake. This looks amazing. With a nice hot cup of tea,
oh yes………..”whats old is new again”!!!
Beth
Hi Barbara – thanks for your comment. I would even make this into a bigger pan, frost and cut into little 1.5 inch squares, top with a little dollop of whipped cream and a strawberry and serve for tea. They would go down pretty nicely with a hot cup of Monk’s Black Tea. So glad that you enjoyed the post. Thanks.
Holly
This is one of my grandmother’s favorite recipes.. since she had an orange tree in her yard she switch fresh squeezed juice for the vinegar.. so I can’t wait to try your version!
Beth
Hi Holly – what a delightful memory for you and I bet the cake with orange was delicious. I will have to try that. Thanks so much for your comment and glad that you enjoyed the post. Thanks!
Marianne
I’ve always wondered how these depression cakes turned out! Will have to use this as a cooking challenge for the kiddos 😁😁
Beth
Hi Marianne – Well I grew up with this one. And it was memory lane for me to bake it and it tasted just as good as I remember. So glad that you enjoyed the post and hope that you have a chance to do this with your kids…and then tell them that vinegar is in the cake! thanks for your comment.
Adrienne
Vinegar…how interesting. This looks delicious and I can’t wait to try it!
Beth
Hi Adrienne – Yes, the vinegar was key and I always marveled as it bubbled in the mix. Glad that you enjoyed the post and hope you have a chance to try it. Thanks for your comment.
Douglas Jasper
The photos have me hooked!
Beth
Hi Douglas – So glad to hear that. Just made my day as that’s my goal! Glad you enjoyed the photos. Thanks for your comment.
Danielle Ardizzone
I would have never thought that a cake that contained vinegar would look so tempting!
Beth
Hi Danielle – So glad that you enjoyed the post. Its easy and goes together very easily. And yes, it contains the vinegar. Thanks for the comment.
Yvette
Almost all of my grandmothers cake recipes had vinegar in them… and she was an amazing cook! This recipe is definitely a keeper. Thank you!
Beth
Hi Yvette – I am so pleased that this gave you a memory of your grandmother. What a sweet memory. I was a bit nostalgic writing this post as I remembered my mother baking this cake. Easy and quick, I hope you have a chance to enjoy. Its delicious. Thanks so much for your comment.
Eva Keller
This recipe looks wonderful. I am always craving some hot melty chocolate! I like that it is ingredients that people generally have at home and it doesn’t involve anything crazy or expensive.
Beth
Hi Eva – yes, I think the history and attraction to this recipe is that it takes pretty much nothing to put together and foolproof…hard to not have it come out right. And to your hot melty chocolate comment, if it didn’t turn out – ice cream melty chocolate treat! Hmmm you have me thinking about some other fun recipes. Thanks for your comment and glad that you enjoyed the post.
Jen
Looks delicious! I’ve never heard of this and my grandmother and her sisters have introduced us to all kinds of Depression era foods. I’ll have to pin this for later!
Beth
Hi Jen – yes I can still see my mom telling me about how when they were kids in the Great Depression era, their mother would make this. Then as we were older, she would talk about how they made this during the war, WWII. I always appreciated that and somehow made it seem all the more fun to make. Hope you have a chance to try it – glad you enjoyed the post and thanks for your comment.
Leeandra
This looks amazing! I love chocolate cake!
Beth
Hi Leeandra – Thanks and so glad that you enjoyed the post. Easy and quick!
Cathy
Any kind of chocolate cake is ok with me! I’m definitely going to try this one! Thanks!
Beth
Hi Cathy – Thank you for your comment and glad that you enjoyed the post. This is a very easy cake – hope you enjoy it!
Lisa
This is my husbands favorite cake! So delicious!
Beth
Hi Lisa – So glad that you enjoyed the post. Thanks for your comment.
Carrie Beaton
I love it! it’s cake and a piece of history all wrapped up in one!
Beth
Hi Carrie – Yes, that is what I enjoyed as well. Okay – and that it was chocolate and easy to make. Thanks for your comment and glad that you enjoyed the post.
Tiffany
I am going to have my kids try this! Yum!
Beth
Hi Tiffany – This would be a great cake to make with your kids. And the science of the vinegar and the baking soda would be a great lesson. When you mix the cake, you can see the reaction and its fun. Glad that you enjoyed the post and thanks for your comment.
Debbie
Yum! Makes me want to bake!
Beth
Hi Debbie – Glad that you enjoyed the post. Thanks for your comment and hope you give it a try.
Barbara
My Mother taught me this recipe (similar) when I was growing up. We made this cake often! Blast from the past!
Beth
Hi Barbara – I know, it was certainly a blast from the past for me to make it. And when I did – it tasted the same and had all these memories of deliciousness. Now older, I can think of many other ways I could use the cake…but old fashioned way is still my favorite. Glad that you enjoyed the post and thanks for your comment.
Erica
We used to have depression cake for birthdays. My grandmother would make it all the time! It’s like getting a hug from her just reading this post! Thank you for that memory! I love your page and your posts.
Beth
Hi Erica – Thank you so much for your comment. You made my day! And what a sweet memory to have. Your grandmother likely knew the need to be frugal. For me, now – it just tastes good. So glad that you enjoyed the post and again, thank you for your comment.
Alice
I love a dark chocolate cake so I pinned it for later.
Beth
Hi Alice – Thanks so much for pinning. This is dark but very moist. It will surprise you how moist. Glad that you enjoyed the post and thanks so much for the comment.
Sara
Thanks for sharing the history behind this cake. Looks like a fun cake to make with the kids and teach them about how it got it’s start.
Beth
Hi Sara – Yes a fun cake to make with the kids, not only the history but the science as you put the vinegar and the soda together in the cake, it will get foamy. So that’s fun along with the history. Glad that you enjoyed the post and thanks for your comment.
Michelle
Wow this looks divine! I love the history that is involved here as well – makes it even better.
Beth
Hi Michelle – yes, I thought the history was fun as well and the stories my mom would tell. Such a different time and yet meaningful. Glad that you enjoyed the post. Hope you have a chance to try the cake and thanks for your comment.
Charlene
I’ve heard of these cakes before. Simple ingredients to make a rich cake. This looks amazing!
Beth
Hi Charlene – Yes, they have been around and is absolutely that simple to make. Hope you have a chance to try. Thanks for your comment and glad that you enjoyed the post.
Sandi
I was in Watch Hill RI this week and they had a tea shop (closed of course), but I immediately thought of your blog, I would have loved to explore the shop.
Beth
Sandi – That is such a sweet comment and you just made my day. Thank you so much for your comment. Much appreciated. And yes, I am anxious to get back out there again! Thanks.
Jessica
I’m all about chocolate everything. I need to try this, yum!
Beth
Hi Jessica – So glad that you enjoyed the post. And its that’s easy and quick with a great flavor. Hope you have a chance to try it and thanks for your comment.
Kendra
This sounds so interesting and delicious! I may have to try this soon with some gluten free flour.
Beth
Hi Kendra – Thought of you when I was going through this. Let me know how it turns out. This is a very moist cake so hope that it works for you. So glad that you enjoyed the post. Thanks for the comment.
Christina Furnival
I want this in my belly NOW! Looks divine!
Beth
Hi Christina – Glad that you enjoyed the post! Thanks for your comment.
Ruth Iaela-Pukahi
I have never heard of this kind of cake before. I want to try it! I especially love the history behind it.:)
Beth
Hi Ruth – Well do try it. Its very easy and has so many ways that you can serve it. I think the next time I make it, I will bake in a 9×13 like my mother used to do and put that milk chocolate butter cream frosting on top. Can’t wait! Glad that you enjoyed the post and thank you for your comment.
Cindy
My mom made wacky cake often during my childhood! Now I have a wonderful vegan and gluten free version. It’s still a favorite.
Beth
Hi Cindy – What a great memory and so glad that you found gluten free version. Thanks for your comment and enjoy!