If you’ve got a half cup of cocoa in your pantry and a splash of vinegar, you’ve likely got what it takes to make this cool vintage moist chocolate cake. No eggs, no milk, no butter, no electric mixer, no boiling water and as easy as a cake mix! And it’s fun and magical. And it’s quick and easy. Did I say dark, moist and yum? Well, add that too. haha! I’d say 10 minutes tops of your counter time will do it for this 1930’s era recipe for chocolate “depression cake” from scratch. I guess it’s a science thing — the vinegar with the baking soda. yeah. But it works like a charm — and it’s a quick little ride down history lane.

Cake history comes alive! This type of cake is still very popular — oh ’bout 80 years after first hitting the streets. 🙂 The most common “other” name for this type of cake is Wacky Cake (and its cousin, the Dump Cake) where all unmixed ingredients get, well, dumped, right into the baking pan for mixing AND baking. Although it was around earlier, it was a good recipe to have handy during World War II because folks were short on dairy products and time — with so many home workers out at the factories twisting widgets and riveting (go Rosie!). No time for fancy dessert. And the Lip Smackin Snackin Cake was revived — with a scientific twist (that bubbling brew of vinegar and baking soda). ooooh magic!

“Best For” Uses: The Chocolate Crazy Cake travels well in the pan so it is awesome for Potluck dessert. It’s a Stress-Free Cake and way-light (or zilch) on cholesterol so it’s pretty healthy as caking goes, which makes it a nice PTA Cake or Classroom Cake (provided you don’t go hog-wild with the Double Fudge Frosting recipe below). 🙂 It ALSO makes a nice great serve-from-the pan Picnic Cake or Tail-Gating Party Cake. So, go ahead, haul it outside and have your dessert on the lawn. 🙂

Our twisted cake notes: This cake usually bakes in one large cake pan (or coffee cake pan or casserole dish) without frosting, or with powdered sugar on top or with frosting on the top layer only. But we did it in 2 cake pans just cuz. And we wanted to test out some variations to see if we could frost it like a layer cake. It’s almost like a Puddin’ Cake (it’s that moist) so it’s quite tricky to layer and frost. We gave it our best shot (twonky, but possible) and we now have some amazing “cake wreck” photos. haha! Although we reduced the heat and baking time for our 2 smaller cakes, we recommend baking one solitary cake –so we’ll give the directions for that. And, although we made a boiled Double Fudge Frosting for it, I found it quite sweet for this cake BUT our testers loved it and they recommend it — BIG TIME! 🙂 I think a better choice might be — Just-Plain-Naked Crazy Chocolate Cake or a Just-Plain-Naked Crazy Chocolate Cake With Whipped Cream as a dollop on each slice. Plus a frosty tall glass of milk. 🙂 OR you COULD go with the testers and boil up the Double Fudge Recipe below. Oh, and we’re using a mixing bowl. But you could try mixing and baking and serving all in the same pan (and let us know how it goes, send photos too).

Okay, let’s go cah-ray-zee for Vintage Crazy Cake!!!

(Time yourself for prep time under 10-minutes! Maybe you could even bake this quick cake even faster! haha!)

Vintage Chocolate Crazy Cake

Tools Needed for Cake:
One 10″ round x2″ deep baking pan (or 2 – 9″ round pans or other shapes & sizes for at least 6 cups of volume)
Parchment paper (not wax paper, for lining the cake pan)
Cooking spray
Large Mixing Bowl
Fork
Whisk
Measuring Cups and Spoons
Spatula
Optional: Temperature Probe
Optional: Electric Mixer

Chocolate Crazy Cake Ingredients:
1 cup granulated sugar
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 Tablespoon Vinegar (we used Cider Vinegar)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, fine quality
1/2 cup vegetable oil (we used Sunflower Oil)
1 cup cold water

Step-by-Step:

Place oven rack in center position and pre-heat oven to 350.

Spray cooking spray in baking pan, line the bottom of the pan with parchment, spray the top of the parchment and set the pan aside.

Place the following ingredients into a large mixing bowl:
1 cup granulated sugar
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

Whisk the dry ingredients thoroughly to fully blend. 🙂

Using a spoon (or the back side of your whisk) make 3 gentle holes in the dry ingredients as follows:
1 small hole (for 1/2 teaspoon)
1 medium-sized hole (for an “expanding” 1 Tablespoon)
1 large hole (for 1/2 cup)

Measure out the following ingredients and get them ready to rock:
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, fine quality
1 Tablespoon vinegar (we used cider vinegar)
1/2 cup vegetable oil (we used sunflower oil)

Okay, here comes the magic part…

Pour the vanilla into the small hole.
Pour the vinegar into the medium hole (it will bubble up).
Pour the vegetable oil into the large hole.

Using a fork, stir the ingredients well, using the fork tongs to try to fully moisten the flour mixture.

Tip: Many folks skip this pre-water stirring step and you can too by just jumping to the water ingredient — but we wanted to show you what it looks like for all you pre-water stirring fans.:)

Continue mixing with the fork until the batter looks like pie crust dough before it is rolled out with pea-sized lumps of dark dough.

Pour over the moistened batter and whisk for about 3 minutes until mostly smooth:
1 cup cold water
Tip: You can use an electric mixer for this stage to get the batter smooth, but what the heck, this is vintage cake baking so go for it with a whisk (or just use a fork). 🙂

As you continue to stir the water into the mixture (this will take a few of minutes and maybe a hundred strokes), the batter will transform right before your eyes and become rich and smooth with little bubbles bursting here and there.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan (remember, we used 2 pans but you can use just one 10″ round x2″ deep pan, or a 6-cup casserole dish).

Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 30 to 35 minutes. (If you bake this cake in 2 pans as we did, we reduced the time to about 25 minutes).

The cake will be ready when the center top springs back lightly when gently touched at top center and the center is gently puffed (but not cracking) and the toothpick test shows clean (internal temperature of about 180 degrees).

Cool the cake in the pan if you want to serve this cake vintage-style right from the pan — even warm. yum!

Let’s get a little better look at the lovely texture.

Notice how the cake flattens to a perfect level as it cools down.

If you want to serve this cake on a platter, you should remove it when the cake is still warm and you must take care when removing this moist little darling from the pan (or it will break) so take your time and do as you are told here. 🙂 haha!

Gently cut around the edges right at the pan line so as not to tear the cake (maybe run that knife around twice).

Cover the cake-in-the-pan with a flat cake-sized plate that has a big hunk of aluminum foil on top of the plate.

Now flip and slam that sucker down on the counter (without breaking your plate please) because we want some momentum to kick that cake right out of its setting. It is not spongy enough to stab at from the sides with a spatula but it should release from the parchment with a nice little oopmph flip. (Don’t lift off the cake pan from the flipped cake until you’re sure the cake has successfully released from the pan…test by knocking on the pan to listen for a hollow sound). If it seems stuck, try banging on the bottom of the pan with a spoon (I know, right?) or placing a warm wet dish towel on the bottom of the cake pan (weird, but it works sometimes) or gently tugging one side and scooping the cake out with a large pancake spatula if you think the bottom will release. And good luck!

This is why this cake is often served straight from the baking pan with frosting just layered on top — ’cause it’s quite tricky to remove — but as you can see it is possible with some patience. 😀

Storing the cake: I think this cake is best stored with wax paper loosely tucked in at four corners top and bottom (one paper on top, one paper on the bottom, with gentle tucks to hold the paper in place). If you store it in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, it might get soggy — so let it breathe with wax paper (just like a nice loaf of bread needs a little air). 🙂

Homemade Double Fudge Frosting:

Testers’ Choice + Sweetness warning! This frosting is only for those not faint at heart. It is very sweet and will make an excellent fudge if you just let it sit in a brownie pan to cool and harden. THAT’s how sweet it is! I was going to nix it altogether but I’m telling you my cake testers would not let me do it! All testers (maybe a dozen or more) insisted that this frosting recipe should be made available to those that are looking for a decadent style (devilishly sweet) chocolate frosting. So, even though I’m partial to a light whipped cream dollop for this cake, here goes! (yes, the devil made me write this up for you so be sure to serve the slices small and I won’t feel so bad if you suffer chocolate overload). 🙂

When this frosting is done, it needs to go onto the cake right away so prep this frosting when your cake is cooled and ready to frost.

Tools Needed for Frosting:
1 medium pot
Whisk
Spreading knife
Optional: Electric Mixer

Double Fudge Frosting Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 cube)
2 ounces (2 squares) of unsweetened baker’s chocolate (good quality)
1-1/2 cups golden brown sugar
1/2 cup milk (we used 2%)
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar

Directions for Homemade Double Fudge Frosting:

In a medium saucepan, melt over low heat:
1/2 cup (1 cube) unsalted butter
2 ounces (2 squares) of unsweetened chocolate (fine quality) .

Stir continuously until the chocolate and butter melts…

Add into the pot, stirring with a whisk:
1-1/2 cups golden brown sugar

Keep stirring the brown sugar until it is nicely incorporated…

Using the whisk, blend in until fully incorporated:
1/2 cup milk (we used 2%)

Blend in until smooth:
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar

Simmer for 4 minutes (low bubbling), stirring constantly…

Remove from heat and stir to cool (about 2 minutes).

As the frosting cools, you will see the consistency thicken so get ready to use it when it hits your preferred thickness. I’d say chocolate pudding consistency is best.

This final frosting is smooth and very sweet…so I recommend using it sparingly. 🙂

Leftover Magic: If you don’t use it all on the cake, (add some chopped nuts if you like and even some mini marshmallows) and pour the leftover frosting into a square-shaped pan and it will (magically) harden on the counter into homemade fudge. Just cut into small squares for serving.

Because the cake is quite tricky to work with, I recommend just pouring the frosting over the cake top and, only if necessary, smoothing it without touching the cake or lifting your spreading knife. Don’t expect a gorgeous bakery look…expect amazing vintage-style decadence in a chocolate cake with double fudge frosting! 😀

Here’s a close-up of the still-warm and buttery Double Fudge Frosting on top of the cake…

This cake actually holds and serves better the day after frosting so consider keeping it in a cake holder overnight on the counter before letting ‘er lose on the crowd. You may hear screams of delight but be ready to catch someone who faints at the sight of it. 🙂

It’s fun and easy and, indeed a magical cake recipe running high on popularity for the last 80 some-odd years!

Thank you for joining me for this crazy little vintage cake adventure. I do hope you get a chance to bake it. Send us your photos and let us know in the comments what you think. I love hearing from you!

If you’re not already, please consider joining us on Facebook, on Twitter or on Pinterest and see the cakes in their testing stages.

Oh, before you go, here’s another quick baker — for Homemade PIZZA. haha!

Happy vintage baking to you all and thank you for stopping by!

Leslie

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