There’s a cupcake recipe with vinegar (by Chef RV Manabat) going around Facebook recently and I was reminded of this Crazy Cake we used to do a lot with our (now expired) toaster oven.
It’s very easy to do with none of the usual preparation when making a cake. You just dump them together, making sure not to over mix the ingredients.
This crazy cake is a science-d cake invented in the Depression Era in the United States.
In the 1930s, a time known as the Great Depression, hard times forced Americans to make do with less. That meant stretching a dollar and making cheap ingredients taste good. It was during this period that a popular cake recipe emerged: The Depression Era Cake or the Crazy Cake. This cake recipe is what is known as an “impoverished” cake; it makes use of very few ingredients and isn’t fancy or complicated to make. In fact, it’s so easy that most any home cook could whip one up in little time. As a result of its widespread popularity during the Great Depression, this simple cake also came to be called a “Depression Cake” — and it remains one of the best vintage recipes around.
It has no butter, milk, and eggs but it is able to stand up because of the vinegar. The baking soda reacts with the vinegar to give the cake its lift and moist texture (and does not make the cake taste like vinegar at all!). The beauty of this cake recipe is that it is so easy to make. You can make it as is, or you can adapt it to suit your own tastes. And because it has no eggs and milk, those with allergies can eat them without being worried about their allergy.
The Depression Era Cake recipe is one that people have been making for decades. But there’s so much more to this era than just this one cake! – For example, you might also like to try a White Trash Pie. This is a dessert that was popular in the South during the Depression era. It has a very simple recipe and is made with inexpensive ingredients. – And if you like coconut, then you might want to make Coconut Macaroons. These are also a Depression-era recipe, and they are perfect for a bake sale or potluck. – You can also make Grits Bread, which is a sweet and simple bread that is best served warm. This Depression-era recipe is perfect for breakfast or as a snack. – If you’d like to make something more fancy, then you might like to try Creamed Corn, which is a vegetable side dish that is creamy and flavorful.
Tips for Making Crazy Cakes
– Sift the flour to ensure there are no lumps and to aerate it. This will help the cake texture and make it rise better.
– Use a baking dish that is at least 2 inches deep to ensure the batter doesn’t overflow.
– Don’t overbake the cake or it will be dry. It should still be soft in the center when it’s done.
– Let the cake cool completely before slicing.
– Store the cake in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap.
– Use fresh ingredients for the best tasting cake.
– You can change the flavor of this cake by adding vanilla, almond, or lemon extract. And you can also change the sweetness level by increasing or decreasing the amount of sugar in the recipe.
– You can also change the color of the cake by changing the food coloring.
*Note
Ingredients
Chocolate frosting:
Instructions
Frosting
Notes
1. Watch the cake and temperature making sure not to overcook it. Once inserted toothpick comes out clean, you may turn off the heat and take out of the oven.
Ingredients
- 3 cups flour (all-purpose)
- 6 tbsp. cocoa (unsweetened)
- 2 cup sugar
- 2 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. white vinegar
- 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 10 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- 2 cups water
Chocolate frosting:
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 big can evap milk
- 2 tbsp flour
- 4 tbsp butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180 degree C.
- Use any size pan you want then add in flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt.
- Mix all the dry ingredients.
- Add vanilla essence and white vinegar and the oil.
- Pour 2 cups of water over it and mix well.
- Bake for 30 minutes in preheated oven or until tooth pick inserted comes out clean.
Frosting
- Mix everything except the butter.
- Cook over low fire.
- Once desired consistency is achieved, add butter and mix until shiny.
Notes
*Note
1. Watch the cake and temperature making sure not to overcook it. Once inserted toothpick comes out clean, you may turn off the heat and take out of the oven.
