Came across this recipe. Will try to make it some time.
« Wacky cake. The easiest cake ever. »
At some point last week I felt like making a cake for a few of my coworkers who are having a bit more stress than usual due to some stuff going on at work but I was too tired to really consider making anything of the usual variety. Then I remembered a classic cake that takes about 10-15 minutes to make and is, quite possibly, even easier than a cake from a mix. It also has the bonus of being leavened with vinegar and baking soda instead of eggs. There's no butter or milk, either. It's like a freshman chemistry lab experiment that you can eat instead of wondering how many carcinogenic compounds are in the bubbling liquids before you.
You can mix the cake in the pan, but it's easier to just stir it up in a bowl and pour it into the pan. Line the pan with baking paper, leaving enough excess paper on the sides so that you can lift the cake out of the pan when it is cool, otherwise you'll need to serve it in the pan and it does stick just enough to make serving the first few pieces somewhat annoying. The frosting really complements the cake well, as do the chopped nuts, though both are optional. The frosting will be very stiff and dry when following the recipe so count on adding warm milk or water, a small amount at a time, until it is soft enough to spread on the cake. It's interesting to note that the cake, with the frosting, tastes like both a brownie and a cake. As though a kid had mixed two Duncan Hines mixes together to get one cake with both brownie and chocolate cake flavours.
The cake originates from lean times during wars and economic lows where dairy products and other such foods were difficult to obtain. Somewhat ironically, it does resemble many of the boxed cake mixes in that they both call for oil and water added to the dry ingredients but the wacky cake doesn't require eggs. It's a tasty cake for the whole 10-15 minutes it requires to assemble and frost it.
Wacky Cake or Crazy Cake
Makes: 1 rectangular cake that serves about 12-14 people
Time: 10-15 mins prep
Source: Woman's Day Old-Fashioned Desserts [1978], as reprinted in The American Century Cookbook: The Most Popular Recipes of the 20th Century
Cake
* 1 1/2 cups or 3,5 dl sifted all-purpose flour
* 1 cup or 2,25 dl granulated sugar
* 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 6 tablespoons or 0,88 dl vegetable oil
* 1 tablespoon vinegar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 cup or 2,25 dl cold water
Frosting
* 3 tablespoons or 43g butter or margarine, softened
* 1 cup or 2,25 dl sifted confectioners' (10X) sugar
* 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* chopped nuts (optional)
1. Cake: Preheat oven to 350F/175C degrees.
2. Sift four, sugar, cocoa, soda, and salt together into ungreased 8X8X2-inch or 20cmX20cmX5cm baking pan.
3. Make three wells in mixture with spoon: one large, one medium, and one small. Into large well pour oil; into medium well, vinegar; into small well, vanilla. Pour water over all and stir with fork until smooth; do not beat.
4. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, until springy to touch
5. Frosting: Melt butter in saucepan, add 10X sugar, cocoa, salt and vanilla and beat until smooth. If too stiff to spread, soften with warm milk or water.
6. As soon as cake is done, transfer to wire cooling rack and spread at once with frosting. Cool cake before cutting.
« Wacky cake. The easiest cake ever. »
At some point last week I felt like making a cake for a few of my coworkers who are having a bit more stress than usual due to some stuff going on at work but I was too tired to really consider making anything of the usual variety. Then I remembered a classic cake that takes about 10-15 minutes to make and is, quite possibly, even easier than a cake from a mix. It also has the bonus of being leavened with vinegar and baking soda instead of eggs. There's no butter or milk, either. It's like a freshman chemistry lab experiment that you can eat instead of wondering how many carcinogenic compounds are in the bubbling liquids before you.
You can mix the cake in the pan, but it's easier to just stir it up in a bowl and pour it into the pan. Line the pan with baking paper, leaving enough excess paper on the sides so that you can lift the cake out of the pan when it is cool, otherwise you'll need to serve it in the pan and it does stick just enough to make serving the first few pieces somewhat annoying. The frosting really complements the cake well, as do the chopped nuts, though both are optional. The frosting will be very stiff and dry when following the recipe so count on adding warm milk or water, a small amount at a time, until it is soft enough to spread on the cake. It's interesting to note that the cake, with the frosting, tastes like both a brownie and a cake. As though a kid had mixed two Duncan Hines mixes together to get one cake with both brownie and chocolate cake flavours.
The cake originates from lean times during wars and economic lows where dairy products and other such foods were difficult to obtain. Somewhat ironically, it does resemble many of the boxed cake mixes in that they both call for oil and water added to the dry ingredients but the wacky cake doesn't require eggs. It's a tasty cake for the whole 10-15 minutes it requires to assemble and frost it.
Wacky Cake or Crazy Cake
Makes: 1 rectangular cake that serves about 12-14 people
Time: 10-15 mins prep
Source: Woman's Day Old-Fashioned Desserts [1978], as reprinted in The American Century Cookbook: The Most Popular Recipes of the 20th Century
Cake
* 1 1/2 cups or 3,5 dl sifted all-purpose flour
* 1 cup or 2,25 dl granulated sugar
* 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 6 tablespoons or 0,88 dl vegetable oil
* 1 tablespoon vinegar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 cup or 2,25 dl cold water
Frosting
* 3 tablespoons or 43g butter or margarine, softened
* 1 cup or 2,25 dl sifted confectioners' (10X) sugar
* 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* chopped nuts (optional)
1. Cake: Preheat oven to 350F/175C degrees.
2. Sift four, sugar, cocoa, soda, and salt together into ungreased 8X8X2-inch or 20cmX20cmX5cm baking pan.
3. Make three wells in mixture with spoon: one large, one medium, and one small. Into large well pour oil; into medium well, vinegar; into small well, vanilla. Pour water over all and stir with fork until smooth; do not beat.
4. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, until springy to touch
5. Frosting: Melt butter in saucepan, add 10X sugar, cocoa, salt and vanilla and beat until smooth. If too stiff to spread, soften with warm milk or water.
6. As soon as cake is done, transfer to wire cooling rack and spread at once with frosting. Cool cake before cutting.
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