Why Wacky Cake?
Cake With No Eggs? I ventured to the store a few days ago. I needed to pick up just a few things – flour, milk, yogurt and some veggies. Most things were starting to re-appear, so I was able to get it all. But then I thought, “Maybe I’ll get a carton of eggs while I’m here.” But when I got to the egg case, lo and behold, it was completely empty. Those poor chickens must just be sucking them back in.
But it got me to thinking. My mom grew up in the Depression and she often told stories about how hard it was – how they would stretch meals with beans and bread crumbs, or how they would have to substitute one thing for another if they didn’t have any. With no eggs at the store, the first thing I thought of was Wacky Cake.
The Cake With No Eggs
Wacky Cake has been around forever. It’s a cake with no eggs, so it’s perfect for the occasion. But the reason it’s survived so long is that it tastes fantastic! Chocolate-y and moist, and so easy to make, it’s a favorite first-cake to make with the kids. Topped with a simple chocolate icing, you can whip this up in no time and maybe break up the monotony at home for a while.
I’ve included both the regular and high-altitude versions of this cake. Because it uses baking soda as the leavening agent (which also makes the cake a very dark brown), baking at high-altitude can be a little tricky. I’ve included the option to switch to baking powder which will make it easier for you (though the cake will come out a lighter tan.)
No-Egg Wacky Cake
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups Flour
- 1 cup Sugar
- 1/4 cup Cocoa Powder unsweetened
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1 tsp White Vinegar
- 1/3 cup Vegetable Oil
- 1 cup Water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Grease and flour a square, 9X9" baking pan (see video).
- Whisk together in a large bowl the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda. Make sure it's well-blended, with no streaks of white.
- With a spoon, make three wells in the powder. Pour the vinegar in one, oil in another and water in the third. Fold together with a spatula until well-blended – about two minutes.
- Pour batter into greased pan and bake for 30 minutes. Start testing at 30, but bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out with a few damp crumbs still attached. If you see it starting to pull away from the sides of the pan, you're going too long!
- Cool completely before frosting.
Notes
Here’s the high-altitude recipe for No-Egg Wacky Cake.
No-Egg Wacky Cake – High-Altitude (above 5,000 ft.)
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups PLUS 2 tbsp Flour
- 1 cup LESS 1 tbsp Sugar
- 1/4 cup Cocoa Powder unsweetened
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Baking Soda or Baking Powder (preferred)
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1 tsp White Vinegar
- 1/3 cup Vegetable Oil
- 1 cup PLUS 3 tbsp Water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 365°F
- Grease and flour a 9X9" cake pan (see video).
- Whisk together in a large bowl the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda. Make sure it's well-blended, with no streaks of white.
- With a spoon, make three wells in the powder. Pour the vinegar in one, oil in another and water in the third. Fold together with a spatula until well-blended – about two minutes.
- Pour batter into greased pan and bake for 30 minutes. Start testing at 30, but bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out with a few damp crumbs still attached. If you see it starting to pull away from the sides of the pan, you're going too long!
- Cool completely before frosting.
Notes
I like the video about greasing and flouring the pan because it’s short and to-the-point, but boy I wish she would buy a new pan! Haha! If you need a 9X9″ pan, here’s a good one to check out from one of my vendors:
And now for the icing. Be sure to cool the cake completely before frosting. I usually just frost it right in the pan.
Simple Chocolate Frosting
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp Butter softened
- 3 tbsp Cocoa Powder unsweetened
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- 1 cup Powdered Sugar
- 3 tbsp Evaporated Milk or Cream or whole milk
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients except milk with a mixer until well-blended.
- Add the 1 tbsp of the milk and mix well. Continue adding milk by 1 tbsp increments until you get the consistency you like.
- Spread frosting on cooled cake.
Try my other chocolate cakes: Sour Cream Chocolate Cake and Homemade German Chocolate Cake. In regular and high-altitude versions.
