Vanilla Depression Cake Recipe

A close up of a piece of cake on a plate, with Vanilla and Fork

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5 from 4 votes

Vanilla crazy cake is a depression-era white cake without eggs or milk that’s still moist and delicious!

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Total Time45

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Crazy cake, depression cake

Servings:

Calories: 228kcal

Ingredients

1½ cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup cold water

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F.
In an UNGREASED 9x9-inch pan, add the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Using a whisk stir together the ingredients right in the pan to kind of sift it all together.
Next using your fingers or a spoon make a good sized well in the middle and two smaller wells one on each side of the center well.
Place the vegetable oil in the center well.
Place the vinegar in a small well and the vanilla in the other small well.
Pour the cold water over all of the ingredients.
Using the whisk, stir until combined. You can also use a spoon to get into the corners and further mix until smooth. If there are bubbles in your batter, gently tap the pan on the countertop to release the bubbles.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. Remove from oven to cool completely before serving.
Ice with frosting or powdered sugar or plain.

Video

Notes

To Make Vanilla Frosting:

You'll need

½ cup butter, melted
½ teaspoon vanilla (clear vanilla, if you have it)
5 cups powdered sugar
¼ cup milk or more if needed for desired consistency

Place the melted butter in a medium mixing bowl. Add the vanilla, powdered sugar, and milk. Using a mixer, mix together until smooth. May need additional milk to reach the desired consistency. Beat for 2-3 minutes, scraping down the sides intermittently.

The recipe for both cake and frosting can be easily doubled for a 9x13 plan.
If using an 8x8 pan, increase the cooking time by 3-6 minutes, as the cake will be thicker.
The vinegar is a must in this recipe. It reacts with the baking soda to give the cake the desired texture, doing the work eggs would do in other recipes. The cake does not come out tasting like vinegar!
If there are bubbles in your wet batter, gently tap your cake pan on the counter to release the bubbles.
Keep a close eye on the cake at the 30-minute mark, as you don’t want to overbake it.

Nutrition