I’m so excited about this wacky cake… Recently a friend suggested I add some egg free recipes onto the blog during these crazy (wacky) times with eggs costing 5 dollars or more because of the recent spread of bird flu in poultry. I knew I just had to try out her family favorite recipe for Wacky cake with origins going back to the Great Depression when dairy and eggs were hard to come by. I made a few tweaks to the recipe, but this cake turned out so delicious that we ate a panful way faster than I expected (usually we have more self control with desserts). I added a German chocolate topping because that is my husband’s favorite, but if you prefer egg free and/or dairy free frostings be sure to check out the list of frosting options I have added below the recipe card.
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Dairy Free + Egg Free Wacky/Depression Cake
Equipment
- 9 by 13 inch aluminum baking dish (linked below)
- Mixing bowl (linked below)
- Metal whisk (linked below)
Ingredients
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons baking soda
- 4 tablespoons cocoa powder slightly heaping
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups hot water *see note
- 4 tablespoons instant coffee
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
Optional toppings:
- chocolate chips
- German chocolate frosting from All Recipes or
- Amish cream cheese peanut butter frosting (includes dairy free substitutions below the recipe card)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees:
- Place sugar, flour, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt into a medium sized mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
- Dissolve instant coffee into two cups of hot water, allow it to cool to room temperature, then add it to the dry ingredients along with vegetable oil and vanilla extract. Whisk to combine, then stir in vinegar.
- Working quickly, pour the cake batter into a greased 9 by 13 inch aluminum baking dish *see note, then place onto the center rack of your preheated oven. Do not open the oven door for the first 20 minutes of baking to avoid collapse in the center. *see notes below. Bake the cake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool, then frost with your favorite frostings. I like to sprinkle chocolate chips over the cake while it is still warm to get some extra chocolatey goodness on top!Storage notes below.
Notes
Equipment needed for this Wacky/Depression cake:
- 9 by 13 inch aluminum baking dish I will be ordering myself one of these pans today, because based on my research, aluminum is better for baking cakes than glass baking dishes.
- Mixing bowl I like to use my aluminum mixing bowls for mixing up this wacky cake because they are dishwasher friendly and clean easily.
- Metal whisk A wire handled whisk is my preference for mixing up cake batters, soups and more!
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Ingredients needed for this chocolate Wacky Cake: water, sugar, vanilla extract, baking soda, instant coffee, flour, salt, vinegar, cocoa powder, and vegetable oil.
Note on Ingredients:
Because there are no eggs or dairy to help fluff up this wacky cake, be sure to use fresh ingredients (especially fresh baking soda) for the best results in this cake. Using fresh baking soda and then waiting to add the vinegar until the last minute helps to create that open textured chocolate cake we all crave.
Can I skip the Instant coffee?
Yes, you can (but I don’t recommend it if you love a rich chocolate flavor). Adding instant coffee does not make the cake taste like coffee, but instead brings out the depth of its chocolate flavor.
Step 1: Place sugar, flour, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt into a medium sized mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
Step 2: Dissolve instant coffee into two cups of hot water, cool to room temperature then add it to the dry ingredients along with vegetable oil and vanilla extract. Whisk to combine, then stir in vinegar.
To whisk, whisk, whisk or not to whisk, whisk, whisk?
When mixing cake or muffin batter it is better to mix it as little as possible. This also helps to create a cake with a fluffier open crumbed texture, because overmixing the cake will create more of a dense texture. This is also why it is important to mix the dry ingredients first, then mix in the wet ingredients just until combined. Add the vinegar last to be sure that you get it in the oven as soon as possible after it is mixed in. Adding vinegar to the baking soda helps to activate the rising agents and fluffs up the cake in the oven, but you have to act fast because the activated rising agents won’t last too long at room temperature.
Step 3-4: Working quickly, pour the cake batter into a greased 9 by 13 inch aluminum baking dish, then place onto the center rack of your preheated oven. Do not open the oven door for the first 20 minutes of baking to avoid collapse in the center (I made the mistake of using a glass pan that was too small and it created a collapsed cake in the center as you can see in the photo). Bake the cake for around 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Allow the cake to cool, then frost with your favorite frostings. I like to sprinkle chocolate chips over the cake while it is still warm to get some extra chocolatey goodness on top!
Frosting options:
Note: in the photos I used this German chocolate frosting from All Recipes, and it is super yummy on this chocolate cake, but it is not dairy free or egg free. We also love Amish cream cheese peanut butter frosting!
Dairy free and egg free frostings (not tested by me):
- Dairy free frosting recipe from Simply Whisked
- Dairy free buttercream frosting recipe from Eating with Food Allergies
My favorite frostings without eggs, but including dairy:
- Best Ever Strawberry Buttercream (made w Fresh Strawberries)
- Easy Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting
- Candy Cane Frosting
- Cream cheese frosting
You can also use my favorite Amish peanut butter frosting which includes dairy free substitutions (scroll below the recipe card for the note on dairy free substitutions).
Storage options for this chocolate Wacky cake:
This wacky cake can last at room temperature for around 5 days. If you have frosted the cake (especially with cream cheese frosting) I would recommend storing leftovers in the refrigerator. You can also freeze this cake (tightly wrapped or in an airtight container) for several months.
Feel free to pin this recipe for later (pin icon in the recipe card) and be sure to tag me on Instagram to show off a photo of your own creation with this wacky cake recipe! Thank you for your support.
