Vanilla Crazy Cake is a simple and quick cake recipe that’s made with pantry staple ingredients while leaving out butter, milk, and eggs! It only takes 30 minutes to make this homemade cake!
Snag another slice of cake by also checking out this Lemon Poke Cake as well as this scrumptious Blueberry Heaven On Earth Cake! Both desserts are prepped in just 15 minutes!
Vanilla Crazy Cake is an easy-to-make recipe that requires minimal ingredients and little effort! Simply mix up the ingredients, dump the batter into the prepared pan, and bake!
This low-maintenance dessert makes it perfect to whip up in a limited time when you have a gathering or picnic to attend!
What Makes This Cake Crazy?
This Vanilla Crazy Cake is also commonly known as Depression Cake, as it was a popular treat to make during the Great Depression. Since it was made without butter, eggs, or milk, it was easier to make throughout that period because those ingredients were often too expensive or not available.
And since this cake is made without those common ingredients, it’s crazy that the dessert still comes out absolutely delicious!
All About Vanilla Crazy Cake
Taste: Though this cake is made with simple pantry staple ingredients, you’ll still find that each bite is filled with a sweet, vanilla flavor that leaves you wanting more! The taste of this cake is then completed with your choice of topping!
Texture: This crazy cake has an incredible tender, fluffy crumb! This delicious texture is the result of the chemical reaction from the combination of vinegar and baking soda.
Kitchen Tips For Making This Vanilla Crazy Cake
- Parchment Paper – Line your cake pan with parchment paper, allowing the parchment paper to stick up over the edge of the pan by a couple of inches. The extra over the sides allows you to easily remove the cake from the pan without damaging the dessert! For nice, clean cake edges, I like to rub a bit of butter or shortening all over the bottom and edges of the pan before adding in the parchment paper.
- Vinegar – Vinegar is absolutely essential in this crazy cake recipe! Don’t worry; you cannot taste any vinegar in the cake! When this simple ingredient is combined with baking soda, it makes the cake rise. Without it, this dessert recipe would fail!
- Cupcakes – Use this crazy cake recipe to make vanilla crazy cake cupcakes! Just be sure to use cupcake liners or grease the wells of the muffin tin generously to be able to remove the cupcakes easily. You’ll also need to reduce the baking time while also keeping an eye on them to be sure that they don’t overbake.
- Funfetti Variation – Mix up some fun by stirring 2 tablespoons of sprinkles into the cake batter before pouring it into the pan. I’ve found that rainbow jimmies work best for funfetti cakes as they hold up well throughout the baking process!
- Chocolate Variation – Add 6 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder to make a chocolate cake! Check out our Chocolate Wacky Cake recipe.
How To Make Crazy Cake:
Step 1: Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
Step 2: Create wells in the dry ingredients and add the oil to one, vinegar to another, and vanilla to the last one.
Step 3: Pour the water over the top of the ingredients, then mix to combine.
Step 4: Pour the batter into a prepared pan and bake.
Step 5: Pull the cake out of the oven and allow it to cool for a bit before using the parchment paper to lift the cake out of the pan and placing it on a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 6: Once cooled, you can frost the cake and enjoy.
Choose Your Topping!
Not only is this cake recipe easy to make using minimal ingredients, but you also get to choose your topping! Making this cake a true win-win all around!
Feel free to keep it simple and just dust the cooled cake with powdered sugar. Easy, yet you still create a tasty dessert.
For another quick and easy topping, grab your favorite canned frosting or a tub of Cool Whip from the store. When enjoying this cake with Cool Whip, I also like to serve it with fresh fruit!
You can also step it up a notch by topping the cake with a small batch of homemade buttercream frosting or fluffy 3-ingredient whipped cream!
There’s always room for dessert, especially when it comes to this delicious Vanilla Crazy Cake! Another easy dessert worth checking out is this Strawberry Heaven On Earth Cake that takes just 15 minutes to throw together!
How To Store Vanilla Crazy Cake
If you have frosted this cake, it will need to be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. The leftovers can then be enjoyed for up to 5 days.
If the cake has not been frosted, then it can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 to 4 days.
Depression Cake FAQs
Yes, you can swap the white vinegar out for an equal amount of apple cider vinegar.
Aside from sprinkles, you can also mix in chopped nuts or chopped-up fruit such as strawberries or blueberries. You can also try making this cake with mini chocolate chips!
Yes, this recipe can also be used to make a layered cake. To do this, I’d suggest using a 9-inch round pan. However, you will need to double the recipe to do so.
Let’s Connect!
If you’ve tried this recipe, please let me know how you liked it in the comments below and leave a review. I love hearing from you!
Don’t forget to tag me – @sugarandsoulco – on Instagram and Pinterest with your photos or join our Sugar & Soul Show-offs Community and share them there, where you can join our recipe challenges!
Vanilla Crazy Cake
Equipment
- 8X8-inch baking pan
- Mixing Bowl
- Parchment paper
- Whisk
Ingredients
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil or canola oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line an 8×8-inch square cake pan (or 9-inch round pan – see notes) with parchment paper so that the parchment stick up over the edge of the pan by a couple of inches for easy removal after baking.
- Whisk together the 1½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and ½ teaspoon salt in a mixing bowl.
- Create three wells in the flour mixture and add the ⅓ cup vegetable oil or canola oil to one well, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract to another, and 1 teaspoon white vinegar to another.
- Pour the 1 cup water all over the top of the mixture and then whisk together.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for 22 to 26 minutes or until a cake tester comes clean from the center of the cake.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing it by lifting the parchment paper and transferring it to a wire rack.
- Once cooled, frosting with desired frosting or serve plain with a dusting of powdered sugar, whipped cream, and berries.
Notes
- For a funfetti cake, stir 2 tablespoons of sprinkles into the batter before pouring it into the pan and baking.
- Vinegar is essential for the cake’s rise; do not omit it.
- A bit of butter or shortening rubbed all over the bottom and edges of the pan before adding the parchment paper will help secure it so you have nice clean edges on the cake.
- Frosting Ideas:
- Thawed cool whip (about 1/3 tub)
- Whipped cream (about 1 cup heavy cream whipped)
- Canned frosting
- Homemade buttercream (small batch)
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
Don’t forget to share it with me on Instagram @sugarandsoulco and follow on Tiktok @sugarandsoulco and Pinterest @sugarandsoulco for more!
Comments & Reviews
Kinley says
I love it, it is so fast and easy as a fourth grader and my first cake recipe it is amazing I am willing to make way more of these cray cakes.