Friends have had trouble finding eggs in the grocery stores. Mom to the rescue – yet again!
My mother was born in the height of the Great Depression. Eggs were scarce, as was butter, milk, and other perishables. A whole genre of dairy- and egg-free baking arose during that time and continued until after World War II due to rationing. My mom had a collection of recipes that kept people baking during times of scarcity.
Some of these recipes were good. Some were merely fuel for the body. This one is both.
You’ve probably seen versions of this cake in old cookbooks. It goes by many names, all equally silly: Cockeyed Cake, Crazy Cake, or Wacky Cake to name a few. But it was always Goofy Cake in our house. No matter what they called it, these cakes featured baking soda and vinegar for the rise, and cocoa for the chocolatey flavour. All were moist and easy to make.
While I have never used this recipe in a cooking class, over the years, I’ve shared it with many friends. Questions arose along the way. Here are my answers.
Do I have to make the cake in the pan? No. If it’s easier for you, mix the ingredients in a medium bowl and then pour the batter into the pan.
How do I get the cake out of the pan? This recipe is usually served straight from the pan, but if you want, you can line the pan with parchment and mix the batter in a bowl. Click the link for details on how to do this.
The recipe says vegetable oil or butter. Which should I use? Either one. If you want a vegan or dairy-free version, use the oil. If you have some butter hanging around and want to use it, do that. I think butter adds a bit more flavour, but the chocolate is strong enough it won’t matter.
I don’t like the taste of coffee. What can I use? The cake won’t taste like coffee. It’s there to accentuate the chocolate flavour. However, if you like, just use plain water.
I’m out of vanilla. What can I do? You can skip the vanilla, or you can alter the flavour by replacing the vanilla with • 1 teaspoon almond or orange extract • 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract • RUM! Use only 3/4 cup (175 ml) coffee (or water) and 1/4 cup (60 ml) rum.
Do you have a recipe for good icing? Yes, but that’s another post. Here’s the link.
So. That’s it. Grab a fork and a pan, and let’s get baking.
This is a casual, tasty, moist cake meant to be mixed, baked, and served right in the pan. All you need is a fork and a hot oven.
Scale
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups (210 g) all-purpose flour 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar* 1/4 cup (30 g) cocoa powder 1 teaspoon (5 mL) baking soda 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) salt 1/3 cup (80 ml) vegetable oil or melted butter 1 tablespoon (15 ml) white vinegar 1 tablespoon (15 mL) vanilla 1 cup (235 ml) room temperature strong black coffee or water
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C).
Place the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a clean, un-greased 8-inch (20 cm) square metal baking pan. Combine with a fork until the cocoa is evenly distributed and there are no lumps.
Quickly add the oil or melted butter, vinegar, and vanilla to the flour mixture. The cake might fizz a bit as vinegar and baking soda react. Do NOT STIR yet.
Pour the coffee or water over the entire surface of the cake and mix well with the fork until there are no lumps, about 2 minutes. Be sure to get into the corners of the pan.
Place the pan in the preheated oven and reduce heat to 300°F (150°C). Bake 30 minutes or a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Cool on a wire rack. Once cooled, you can ice the cake right in the pan, if you choose.
Notes
* This cake is not very sweet. I like it that way because I top it with lots of icing. If you skip the icing, you can increase the sugar to 1 1/2 cups. I’ve seen versions with 2 cups, but have never tested the recipe with that much granulated sugar.
