Vanilla Crazy Cake (No Eggs, Butter, or Milk) (2024)

By Rebecca Hubbell on March 20, 2023 | Updated September 23, 2023 | 1 Comment

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Vanilla Crazy Cake is a simple and quick cake recipe that’s made with pantry staple ingredients while leaving out butter, milk, and eggs! It only takes 30 minutes to make this homemade cake!

Snag another slice of cake by also checking out this Lemon Poke Cake as well as this scrumptious Blueberry Heaven On Earth Cake! Both desserts are prepped in just 15 minutes!

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Vanilla Crazy Cake is an easy-to-make recipe that requires minimal ingredients and little effort! Simply mix up the ingredients, dump the batter into the prepared pan, and bake!

This low-maintenance dessert makes it perfect to whip up in a limited time when you have a gathering or picnic to attend!

Table of Contents

What Makes This Cake Crazy?

This Vanilla Crazy Cake is also commonly known as Depression Cake, as it was a popular treat to make during the Great Depression. Since it was made without butter, eggs, or milk, it was easier to make throughout that period because those ingredients were often too expensive or not available.

And since this cake is made without those common ingredients, it’s crazy that the dessert still comes out absolutely delicious!

All About Vanilla Crazy Cake

Taste: Though this cake is made with simple pantry staple ingredients, you’ll still find that each bite is filled with a sweet, vanilla flavor that leaves you wanting more! The taste of this cake is then completed with your choice of topping!

Texture: This crazy cake has an incredible tender, fluffy crumb! This delicious texture is the result of the chemical reaction from the combination of vinegar and baking soda.

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Kitchen Tips For Making This Vanilla Crazy Cake

Parchment Paper – Line your cake pan with parchment paper, allowing the parchment paper to stick up over the edge of the pan by a couple of inches. The extra over the sides allows you to easily remove the cake from the pan without damaging the dessert! For nice, clean cake edges, I like to rub a bit of butter or shortening all over the bottom and edges of the pan before adding in the parchment paper.
Vinegar – Vinegar is absolutely essential in this crazy cake recipe! Don’t worry; you cannot taste any vinegar in the cake! When this simple ingredient is combined with baking soda, it makes the cake rise. Without it, this dessert recipe would fail!
Cupcakes – Use this crazy cake recipe to make vanilla crazy cake cupcakes! Just be sure to use cupcake liners or grease the wells of the muffin tin generously to be able to remove the cupcakes easily. You’ll also need to reduce the baking time while also keeping an eye on them to be sure that they don’t overbake.
Funfetti Variation – Mix up some fun by stirring 2 tablespoons of sprinkles into the cake batter before pouring it into the pan. I’ve found that rainbow jimmies work best for funfetti cakes as they hold up well throughout the baking process!
Chocolate Variation – Add 6 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder to make a chocolate cake! Check out our Chocolate Wacky Cake recipe.

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How To Make Crazy Cake:

Step 1: Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

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Step 2: Create wells in the dry ingredients and add the oil to one, vinegar to another, and vanilla to the last one.

Choose Your Topping!

Not only is this cake recipe easy to make using minimal ingredients, but you also get to choose your topping! Making this cake a true win-win all around!

Feel free to keep it simple and just dust the cooled cake with powdered sugar. Easy, yet you still create a tasty dessert.

For another quick and easy topping, grab your favorite canned frosting or a tub of Cool Whip from the store. When enjoying this cake with Cool Whip, I also like to serve it with fresh fruit!

You can also step it up a notch by topping the cake with a small batch of homemade buttercream frosting or fluffy 3-ingredient whipped cream!

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There’s always room for dessert, especially when it comes to this delicious Vanilla Crazy Cake! Another easy dessert worth checking out is this Strawberry Heaven On Earth Cake that takes just 15 minutes to throw together!

How To Store Vanilla Crazy Cake

If you have frosted this cake, it will need to be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. The leftovers can then be enjoyed for up to 5 days.

If the cake has not been frosted, then it can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 to 4 days.

Depression Cake FAQs

Can I Use Apple Cider Vinegar In This Cake Recipe Instead Of White Vinegar?

Yes, you can swap the white vinegar out for an equal amount of apple cider vinegar.

Is There Anything Besides Sprinkles That I Can Mix Into The Cake Batter?

Aside from sprinkles, you can also mix in chopped nuts or chopped-up fruit such as strawberries or blueberries. You can also try making this cake with mini chocolate chips!

Can I Use This Recipe To Make A Layered Cake?

Yes, this recipe can also be used to make a layered cake. To do this, I’d suggest using a 9-inch round pan. However, you will need to double the recipe to do so.

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Let’s Connect!

If you’ve tried thisrecipe, please let me know how you liked it in the comments below and leave a review. I love hearing from you!

Don’t forget to tag me – @sugarandsoulco – on Instagram and Pinterest with your photos or join our Sugar & Soul Show-offs Community and share them there, where you can join our recipe challenges!

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