Chocolate Crazy Cake. UUUmmm! Do you love chocolate like I do? It is well-known in my family that I do love chocolate. For instance, a magnet on my fridge has, “Can be bribed with chocolate.”
Well, consequently, a friend of mine gave me this wonderful, delicious cake recipe. Accordingly, you’ll notice, it does not use eggs, milk or butter. You just grease the pan with a little oil so it won’t stick. This only has one layer, so you have to double this recipe for a two-layer cake. (These recipes were used during The Great Depression, 1929-1939, recovered in 1940.)
Chocolate Crazy Cake
Instructions
Therefore, for the one-pan recipe method: Put all of the dry ingredients in your 9 x 13 pan, and sift together well with a fork. Afterwards, make three wells of various sizes for the vanilla, vinegar, and oil. Thus, all three will be in the pan.
In the same way, pour water over the top of everything and stir very well with a fork, again. Make sure you take extra care in the corners and edges. Bake at 350℉ for 30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
Ingredients. Preheat oven to 350℉
- 1 1/2 Cup Flour
- 1 Cup Sugar
- 3 Tablespoon Unsweetened Cocoa
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 5 Tablespoon Oil
- 1 Tablespoon Vinegar
- only 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 Cup water
- Mix and Bake 30 minutes
This cake is changed by doubling the cocoa, if you love chocolate. My other friend, a homemaking major, performed an experiment with a recipe. So, I know you can double the cocoa. By the way, cocoa is in unsweetened powder form.
Chocolate Icing for Chocolate Crazy Cake
Use this recipe for frosting up to 2 doz. cupcakes. Double the quantity when used for a sheet cake or layer cake. I know, this recipe does use a little milk.
- 1 1/2 cups of icing sugar (powdered sugar is the same)
- 1/2 cup dutch-process cocoa
- 1/3 cup plain soy milk, or milk of your choice
- 1/3 cup oil (vegetable, light olive oil, or melted refined coconut)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Both of these recipes can be customized for your taste or needs. That’s the beauty of these older recipes.
War, Rations and Radio
This chocolate Crazy Cake comes from a family of recipes that historians call Depression Cake. It started back during WW I in a U.S. Food Administration pamphlet. Then, with The Great Depression from 1929 to 1939, it was revived and renamed “Depression Cake,” “Economy Cake,” and the “Poor Man’s Cake.”
WW II (1939-1945) revived the recipes back again with a different name of “Wacky Cake” because of scarcity of ingredients. Butter, milk and eggs were replaced with oil, water and baking soda in these recipes.
The radio, besides announcing news about the wars, used “Betty Crocker’s Cooking Hour” to share budget-friendly recipes like this one during the hardest years.
Cookies were included with oatmeal and molasses versions replacing your butter and white sugar ingredients. And, these recipes are still used when doing simple baking that never goes out of style.
Nola’s Note–Since these recipes were built without eggs, milk or butter from the beginning, they happen to work well today for anyone avoiding those ingredients. (Whether it’s by choice or by allergy.)
Aunt Hazel’s Molasses Cookies
Ever had a slumber party with the girls from church? We’d giggle until midnight and have a plate of warm cookies that made the rounds. Aunt Hazel used to fix these for us. She was a lot of fun and they were always part of the memory.
Ingredients. Preheat oven to 350°F
- 3/4 cup oil (vegetable or light olive oil)
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 cups flour
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 tablespoons water (to replace the egg)
- Extra sugar, for rolling
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix the oil, sugar, and molasses together well.
- Add the water and stir until combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir until a soft dough forms.
- Roll the dough into small balls, then roll each one in sugar.
- Place on an ungreased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the tops crack slightly.
- Cool on the pan for a few minutes, then move to a wire rack.
Little did she know she was planting a seed that day. It grew into a lifelong love of molasses cookies and a memory of that slumber party I still hold onto today.
Whether it’s Chocolate Crazy Cake or Aunt Hazel’s Molasses Cookies, these simple recipes remind us that some of the best treats came from the leanest times. There was no special equipment nor fancy ingredients. It took just a little creativity and a lot of heart.
Years later, they’re still worth making and baking. It can be a family gathering, a girl’s slumber party or just for yourself on a quiet afternoon. Here’s hoping you’ll enjoy both treats as much as I have!
Nola’s Note–If this recipe has you curious about more treats from that era, The Household Searchlight Recipe Book is a beloved cookbook. It was first published in 1931 and is free to browse online and full of many interesting recipes. It has tabbed sections, too.
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