If you're a fan of moist, chocolaty cake you have to give this one a try! Why is it called wacky cake? Because it's made with no eggs, milk, or butter.
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Wacky cakes have been around since the 1940s. This WWII-era Depression cake was created out of necessity at a time when ingredients like butter were strictly rationed or scarce for many households. My chocolate wacky cake recipe comes from my grandmother Ruth's recipe box.
My grandfather John loved desserts and had one pretty much every night. According to my mom, this wacky cake was one of his favorites.
Yes, this is my grandmother's recipe.
I'm stating this clearly, firmly—and proudly. Why? Because there's a popular and unfortunate trend I've seen lately on social media. To be clear, I am lucky and grateful because my readers and fans have been lovely, generous, positive, and supportive. But I do unfortunately see on the interwebs some folks who like to crab — about food bloggers who share their stories along with their recipes.
What could be more natural than telling the story of holidays at grandparents' houses, discovering new ingredients on a trip abroad, of cooking from a young age at a parent's side, or falling in love over a sumptuous dinner? Even though scrolling through a post to get to the recipe is pretty dang easy for those in a hurry, some folks inexplicably take even more time from their day to direct griping, mean-spirited tweets, and posts at these creators.
Well, I love the food from both of my grandmothers and from my parents. And everything I make and cook for my family and friends today began with them. So I will share stories and I hope you share yours, too.
(And incidentally, if my grandmother Ruth Riley were alive and heard folks saying mean stuff like that, she'd sure as hell would have given them a high-volume earful!)
Now back to the Chocolate Wacky Cake!
Why you'll love this recipe
There are many reasons to love this wacky cake. First off it is made with no eggs, butter, or milk. This is handy when these ingredients are unavailable, or if you happen to be out of one or all of them.
No eggs, butter, or milk also means this cake is vegan. That means chocolate cake for everyone!
The cake batter comes together quickly and easily, which means it's a fun dessert to make with kids. (See below—you won't have to ask twice for kids to poke holes in something!)
The simplicity of this chocolaty cake makes it a nice choice for an afternoon snack or an easy, after-dinner, chocolate dessert.
🔪 How to make our grandmother's Chocolate Wacky Cake
Step 1: Prepare the dry ingredients
Whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, and other dry ingredients. Pour them into a greased, square baking pan and spread them into an even layer.
Step 2: Poke some holes
Poke three holes into the dry mixture—one of the holes should be larger.
Step 3: Add liquids
Pour oil into the larger hole. Vanilla and vinegar get poured into the other two holes. Pour the water into the pan and whisk everything together.
Step 4: Bake!
Bake the cake for about 30 minutes: a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean. Once the cake has cooled completely on a wire rack, you can frost it, dust it with powdered sugar, and most importantly eat it.
Notes:
- Whisk or sift the dry ingredients well before adding them to the pan, to be sure the baking soda and salt are evenly distributed.
- When mixing the wet and dry ingredients together don't forget to check the corners of the pan for pockets of dry stuff that need to be mixed in.
- If the baked cake comes out with an uneven top, don't stress over it: just spread some extra frosting over the uneven spots!
- Use your favorite frosting on this cake, anything that goes with chocolate. (Which is just about everything!) A dusting of confectioner's sugar also works on this cake, as would a dollop of fresh whipped cream.
Ready to get wacky? I really hope so, because this is one tasty Chocolate Wacky Cake.
Find the recipe below. And if you have a massive sweet tooth like my family, here are more sweet treats to consider:
💬 What do you think of this chocolate wacky cake? Scroll down to leave a comment and a star rating!
Our Grandmother's Chocolate Wacky Cake
Ingredients
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour, unbleached
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons canola oil or other neutral flavored vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup water
- Frosting of your choice, or confectioner's sugar to dust
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Use nonstick cooking spray or shortening to grease an 8-inch x 8-inch baking pan.
- In a medium bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Pour this dry mixture into the greased pan. Spread it into an even-ish layer.
- Use the handle of a wooden spoon (or your finger!) to make three holes in the dry mixture - one of the holes should be a little larger than the other two.
- Pour the canola oil into the larger hole. Pour the vinegar into one of the smaller holes, and finally pour the vanilla extract into the last hole.
- Pour the cup of water over the whole thing and whisk everything together, mixing the dry ingredients with the wet until the cake batter is smooth. Use a rubber spatula or spoon to check the corners of the pan - sometimes pockets of dry ingredients will be hanging out there, and you'll want to stir these in. A few lumps in the batter is totally fine.
- Bake the cake for about 30 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Place the pan on a cooling rack and let it cool completely.
- Once the cake is cool you can frost it with the frosting of your choice. Or you can dust the top with confectioner's sugar. Slice the cake and serve - with a glass of cold milk! Topping slices with a dollop of whipped cream is also very good.
- You can store this cake wrapped at room temperature or in the fridge for up to three days. It does taste very good chilled, so storing it in the fridge is my favorite.
Variations:
- To add some extra flavor or extra chocolate to this cake, stir in ⅔ cup of chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, or peanut butter chips.
Notes
- Whisk or sift the dry ingredients well before adding them to the pan, to be sure the baking soda and salt are evenly distributed.
- If the top of the baked cake is uneven, don't stress over it: just spread some extra frosting into the uneven areas!
- When mixing the wet and dry ingredients together don't forget to check the corners of the pan for pockets of flour that need to be mixed in.
- Use your favorite frosting on this cake, anything that goes with chocolate. (Which is just about everything!) A dusting of confectioner's sugar also works on this cake, as would a dollop of fresh whipped cream.
The Armchair Squid
No stories? Somewhere, MFK Fisher is turning over in her grave!
The ladies are baking a lot these days. Perhaps I can subtly suggest this recipe...
Nancy Mock
Yes, exactly. I think your ladies would enjoy this recipe - quick, chocolaty, wacky... what's not to like?
Lori L. MacLaughlin
The cake sounds delicious! Keep on telling those stories. I enjoy reading them.
Nancy Mock
Thanks Lori ❤️ I hope you and the kids get to try this cake!
Heidi
Hi Nancy,
I loved hearing the story behind this cake! I have an almost identical family recipe and we call it Steve's Chocolate Cake. Our recipe doesn't call for the 3 holes, but the ingredients are almost exactly the same! I don't know who "Steve" is, but this is a recipe passed around by some of my aunts and cousins. The frosting that we make to go with it is a chocolate sour cream frosting that is so rich and creamy. We also store ours in the fridge and I agree with you that it's so tasty this way. Everyone in my family loves this cake! I like your recipe as it makes a smaller cake (ours is 13 x 9 which is a bit much for just my immediate family). I'll have to give this a try!
Nancy Mock
See? Everyone has a story behind their favorite foods - I’m so glad you shared yours!! I love that your family has a version of this cake recipe that they’ve passed down as well. It would be a fun project to unearth who Steve was! I think these frugal recipes were a lifesaver for families during lean times, and so not surprisingly they were made pretty frequently. I agree that the smaller size of this cake makes a perfect amount for a couple of days of dessert and no cake going to waste. Thank you for sharing this Heidi! 😍
MeliB
What is that pretty pink frosting on top? Do you have a recipe for that? Looks yummy!!
Nancy Mock
Indeed I do! I wrote an article for Taste Of Home, How To Make Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting, and used that frosting on my Wacky Cake. Here's a link to the frosting recipe: https://www.tasteofhome.com/article/how-to-make-strawberry-cream-cheese-frosting/ Enjoy it!