Crazy, wacky, depressed? It's all cake.

Chocolate cake.  Dense, yummy, not too sweet, chocolate cake.  I've seen this cake named several things, wacky cake, Depression cake, even crazy cake.  I read that this cake was made back during the Depression era, when dairy was hard to come by.  I also read this cake is named wacky/crazy cake because of the wacky way you combine the ingredients to mix it up,  ( I'm opting for the easier way.)  I'm not absolutely sure on which is the proper name, because aside from not being a chef, I am also not a food historian.  But we're here to eat anyway, not learn history.

Since I was out of extra butter this cake was the perfect answer to my dessert dilemma.  In this house we must have dessert, sorry, the GP's must have dessert.  If I do not offer dessert to the GP's, there is a "Great Depression" in this household.  We can't have that now can we?

If the little GP's hear the clink of my Kitchen Aid mixing bowl they know I'm getting ready to bake something.  My older daughter asked what I was making.  Since I like to surprise them, or at least try to surprise them, I told her the usual, "oh nothing."  Of course I wouldn't get off that easily, she sent her sister in to investigate.  Little bugger.  When my DD read off "Depression Cake," her older sister asked "why, do you get depressed after eating it?"  Before I could answer my  9 year old said, "no, it's named for the Great Depression, they probably made it back then."    She's so smart.

When I found the recipes for this cake none of them had an icing I could make without going to the store, and most just dusted them with powdered sugar.  My older daughter was having none of that.  She said "cakes need frosting."  So I searched for a frosting, and I found one that also used very little butter, and cocoa powder, bonus for me no trip to the store.  Of course that recipe was a disaster, so I came up with my own concoction.   Recipes in place, I was ready to make my cake.

This cake comes together very quickly, I think it took all of 10 minutes to mix it up.  It bakes quickly too, only a short 30 minutes in my oven. The results, a very dense, very moist, not too sweet chocolate cake.  It kind of reminded me of a chocolate Tasty Cake.  It has that same chocolate-tee-ness (yes I make up words all the time) and texture to it.  Not a deep chocolate flavor.  Not the holy grail of chocolate cakes.  But it certainly will satisfy your chocolate and cake cravings.

I read this cake gets better with age, but there isn't a chance of finding that out here.  Cakes don't last long in this house.  Notice the little GP waiting for the cake to cool.......

Chocolate Crazy, Wacky, Depression Cake

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup cocoa powder
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 cup water


Spray an 8 x8 inch pan with non-stick spray and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a medium mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients together.  Add the wet ingredients. Stir until well combined.  Pour into prepard 8×8 pan.

OR if you want to get "Wacky"

Make three wells. Pour oil into one well, vinegar into second, and vanilla into third well. Pour cold water over all, and stir well with fork.

Bake the cake for 30 minutes, or until it springs back when touched lightly, or until a cake tester comes out clean which ever is your prefered cake testing doneness method.

Allow to cool completely before serving.  Top with powdered sugar or frost as desired.

This is the frosting I made, it's pretty sweet.

Chocolate Frosting

1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup butter

In a large glass measuring cup, warm milk in microwave.  Mine took 45 seconds.  Add cocoa and powdered sugar.  Stir to combine.  Put back in the microwave for 30 seconds. Remove from microwave and stir in vanilla and butter 1 tablespoon at a time.  This should thicken up the frosting slightly.  This isn't a thick frosting.  But it did thicken slightly when cooled.

You could also do this in a saucepan, just Combine milk, cocoa, and sugar in a saucepan, bring to a simmer, and cook until combined about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, stir in butter and vanilla, beat until spreading consistency.

Mmmmmmm.............cake.