Crazy Cake: Gluten Free & Regular Recipes

My mom has been making Crazy Cake for as long as I can remember.  In researching Crazy Cake, I found that it is also known as Depression Cake, Wacky Cake, and No Eggs, Butter, or Milk Cake.  No matter what you call it, it's amazing, and YUMMY!  Mom often made this for church potluck dinners, and it was always a hit.

Developed during the Great Depression, and also popular during World War II when certain grocery items were hard to come by, this recipe is not only tasty, it is versatile and very easy to make.  It magically makes a wonderful, moist cake without eggs, milk or butter.  The secret is the vinegar; it reacts with the soda to make the cake rise and have a nice texture.  Though this version is for a chocolate cake, I have seen variations for spice, carrot, vanilla, and lemon cakes, all made from the basic recipe.  Many people just mix all the ingredients right in the pan, but I prefer to use a mixing bowl.  I am not a neat enough cook to mix everything up in the pan and not make a mess!

I made a gluten free and very low fat version of this cake, and it would be very easy to make it vegan by using vegan sugar.  I will add the original recipe below my "tweaked" version.  Enjoy!

Crazy Cake: Gluten Free & Low Fat

3 cups gluten free multi-purpose baking flour (I used King Arthur Flour. It is wheat free, soy free and nut free, but any gluten free baking flour blend should do nicely)
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa (if you want a darker chocolate flavor, use up to 1/2 cup cocoa)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup natural unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons vinegar (I have used cider and white, and it doesn't seem to make a difference)
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups cold water

Mix everything together, but don't over mix. The batter will be fairly runny.  Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

I like to simply sprinkle some powdered sugar on the cake, and it is delicious with some fresh strawberries.  If you wish, top it off with your favorite frosting.

Original Crazy Cake

3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa (up to 1/2 cup for darker chocolate flavor)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 cup vegetable oil (or to make it low fat, use 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce and 1/4 cup oil)
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups cold water

Mix everything together, but don't over mix.  The batter will be fairly runny. Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.  Top with powdered sugar or use your favorite frosting.